ENSURING ACCURACY. The Baguio City Market Division and Public Order and Safety Division (POSD) have confiscated 872 uncalibrated weighing scales from June 1 to July 4, 2023. The city government’s crackdown on the use of tampered and defective weighing scales continues at the city’s main public market and even village stores to protect the buying public. (PNA photo by Liza T. Agoot)
BAGUIO CITY – The crackdown against unscrupulous market vendors using uncalibrated and defective weighing scales continues here to protect consumers from getting products with inaccurate weight.
At least 872 uncalibrated weighing scales have been confiscated by the City Market Division and the Public Order and Safety Division (POSD) from June 1 to July 4 this year, according to Aileen Refuerzo, chief information officer of the city government, said in a phone interview on Monday.
She said 37 defective weighing scales were confiscated on July 4 alone.
The campaign started in 2022 after the city received several complaints from local buyers and tourists about the inaccurate weight of items bought from market sellers.
The defective weighing scales were confiscated at Block 3 of Hilltop Market and at Kayang stores in the city’s main market.
Of the newly confiscated weighing scales, most were found to be inaccurate and possibly tampered.
Weighing scales are calibrated by the Department of Trade and Industry to ensure the accuracy of the weight of items purchased by consumers.
The city maintains weighing scales near the market division office which the public can use in verifying the weight of items bought.
Among the subjects of operation were some sari-sari (retail) stores selling fruits, vegetables and meat that were complained about by residents.
“Hindi lang sa palengke ito ginagawa, pati na rin sa mga talipapa at sari-sari store para masiguro natin na walang nadadayang mga kababayan namin na namimili kasi nagbabayad din naman ng tama ang mga buyer kaya dapat lang na mabigyan sila ng tamang timbang ng binibili nila (The operation is not confined at the main public market but also in village markets and neighborhood stores to assure that buyers are not cheated. They pay the value for the item they buy thus they must get the correct quantity),” Refuerzo said. (PNA)
