Question & AnswerQ&A (EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 350)
All government agencies, government-owned or controlled corporations, provinces, cities, municipalities, and barangays are covered under the procurement limitations specified in EO No. 665.
Government agencies may procure only (a) portable fire extinguishers manufactured locally by firms licensed and authorized by the Philippine Bureau of Standards to use the PBS mark, or (b) original imported fire extinguishers from foreign manufacturers authorized to use proof marks of their country’s standards organization or those conforming to standards recognized by the Philippine Bureau of Standards.
All portable fire extinguishers must bear the labels and markings required by Rule 37 of the Fire Code (PD 1185) and comply with the rules and regulations implementing Standards Administrative Order No. 375 issued by the Philippine Bureau of Standards.
Suppliers must submit a certification indicating the chemical names, formulas, weight or volume of the extinguishing agents, and the percentage composition if the agent is a mixture, as a documentary requirement before payment will be authorized or effected.
Suppliers or firms who refuse or fail to submit the certifications within 15 days from receipt of notice will be barred from transacting business with the government agency, and their Suppliers Identification Certificate may be cancelled by the Bureau of Supply Coordination.
The Director of the Bureau of Supply Coordination is directed to ensure the strict implementation of EO No. 665.
The order prohibits procurement of extinguishers from unlicensed firms because such products are often substandard, may be hazardous to health, fail to effectively control fires, and undermine public safety, while also causing unfair competition against licensed manufacturers.
Standards Administrative Order No. 375 sets the technical standards and implementing rules and regulations that portable fire extinguishers must comply with, which forms the regulatory basis enforced by EO No. 665.