What is PS Certification? PS Certification Review, Features

"PS Certification" is the abbreviation of "Philippines Standard Mark Certification". The PS mark is divided into product safety mark and product quality mark. The license is applied for by the manufacturer. Products that have obtained PS certification can directly apply for customs declaration after arriving at the port without the need for inspection.

About PS Certification

The Philippine Bureau of Standards (BPS) is a government agency under the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). It is a national standards agency authorized by Philippine law and is responsible for formulating, adopting, implementing and promoting Philippine National Standards (PNS).

· To protect the health and safety of consumers, BPS has included some products in the list of compulsory certification products (the list is updated every year). For products on the list of compulsory certification products, in order to enter the Philippine market, PS (Philippine Standard) license and ICC (Import Commodity Clearance) certificate must be obtained, and PS and ICC logos must be affixed to the product or packaging. The PS logo is divided into product safety logo and product quality logo. The license is applied by the manufacturer, and the ICC certificate is applied by the importer.

· The competent authorities for certification are: BPS and DTI regional or provincial offices.

Application Requirements

Factories applying for Philippine PS certification must meet the following conditions:

1. Have a complete factory quality assurance system (preferably ISO 9001 quality system certification).

2. The factory has testing equipment that can perform necessary incoming material inspection, process inspection, finished product inspection, and product testing.

3. The factory's testing and measuring equipment must be calibrated.

4. The factory's products meet the requirements of relevant Philippine Technical Standards (PNS) and have passed the tests of BPS-approved laboratories.

5. Factories must purchase the original Philippine Technical Standards (PNS Standards) from BPS.

Certification Process

1. Submit PS certification application.

2. Review of PS certification application materials.

3. Factory audit and quality system review to check whether the company is able to effectively manage its quality system to manufacture and deliver products in accordance with the requirements of the applicable PNS ISO 9000 series standards or their future amendments.

4. Product review - in-factory testing, under the witness of the auditor, product samples are tested using the manufacturer's equipment and resources to check whether they meet the requirements of production standards.

5. Product Review - Independent Testing: BPS assessors take samples from the factory and submit them to BPS or a BPS-approved testing laboratory for independent testing to verify the results of the in-factory testing.

6. Audit report and test result evaluation.

7. Issue a license to use PS quality or safety logo.

8. Supervision.

Application Materials

1. Articles of Association or Company Name and Subcontracting Agreement (if any).

2. Quality manual (copy).

3. A brief description of the production process.

4. The number of product identification documents (including process flow, materials, process control and drawings).

5. List the measuring and testing equipment with their testing capabilities and serial numbers, final product testing and evidence of ownership, such as invoices.

6. A brief description of the maintenance and calibration procedures for all test and measuring equipment and the corresponding calibration certificates.

7. Copies of labels, logos, trademarks, etc. required by specific standards.

8. Supply chain distribution description. If it is a new business, please identify the target market; if it is a foreign company, please identify the Philippine company and describe the organizational relationship between the applicant/certificate holder and the Philippine company.

9. Map of the area near the factory.

10. Letter of Commitment to Comply with the Terms and Conditions of the PS License (Appendix A).

Certification cycle

It includes material preparation, data review, quotation, factory inspection, testing and evaluation, etc. It usually takes about 3 months. The certification cycle for different products will vary.

Validity

The PS certification is valid for 3 years, and the factory or products in the market are subject to at least one annual surveillance audit. The holder of the PS certification shall consult with the BPS or DTI regional or provincial office and submit a re-audit schedule in writing at least 6 months before the end of the validity period to facilitate the renewal of the PS certification, otherwise the PS certification will be deemed to expire immediately after the end of the certificate validity period.

Certification Fees

It includes application form fee, quality manual review fee, audit fee, original license fee, annual license fee, testing fee, sample shipping fee, and transportation, accommodation and reception fees for Philippine experts to come to China. The specific fees vary depending on the product.

New certification rules

On May 31, 2019, the Philippine Product Certification Authority (BPS) released a new draft of the certification rules, which intends to revise the current certification rules. The deadline for soliciting comments on the new draft is June 30, 2019. According to the requirements of the new draft certification regulations, the current certification rules and procedures will be changed as follows:

1. The Philippines BPS will launch a unified PS quality/safety certification label, as well as a QR code.

2. PS certification labels can only be purchased from BPS. Certified products need to be affixed with PS certification labels. If the product is too small to be affixed with a PS label, the certified party can also apply a PS certification logo or PS certification label on the packaging.

3. To apply for PS certification labels, you need to submit a purchase application to BPS. Overseas certificate holders can submit applications to BPS through Philippine importers or representatives. The PS label purchase application needs to reflect the batch number of the product, the estimated number of labels used, and the production date of the labeled product. The certificate holder needs to collect statistics on the actual use of PS labels and keep records.

4. The following products do not need to purchase and use PS certification labels:

Rebar; hot-rolled recycled steel bars; equilateral angle steel; Portland cement; cement with pozzolana; LPG cylinders.

5. For imported products, you must apply for SOC (Statement of Confirmation). You must apply for SOC for each shipment. When applying for SOC, the importer needs to provide the following information:

Packing list; Proforma invoice; Bill of lading; Batch number summary; Serial number list of PS label.

6. Product recall: If BPS finds any non-compliance during market supervision, it can issue a product recall notice to the licensee. The factory or importer should recall the product within 15 days after receiving the notice. The specific activities of product recall are as follows:

· The product recall notice is published in newspapers for at least two consecutive weekends and proof of publication is provided to BPS;

The format, content, font and font size of the product recall statement must comply with the provisions of the BPS;

The recall period is at least 30 days from the second publication of the statement;

· Inventory should be handed over to BPS;

· The recalled products should be destroyed or scrapped under the supervision of BPS;

· The factory or importer should be compensated for the impact of the recalled product.

7. BPS has the right to impose penalties on those who abuse the PS certification label.

The regulation will take effect within 15 days after it is officially promulgated. At the same time, for those who apply for SOC (Statement of Conformity), application fees and processing fees will be charged.