THE Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) urged Congress to pass the proposed National Quality Infrastructure (NQI) Act to unlock Philippine industries’ global competitiveness.
“The PCCI and other stakeholders are urging expedited action emphasizing that delays constrain Philippine industries from fully leveraging quality infrastructure to compete globally,” it said in a statement on Thursday.
The proposed NQI Act “seeks to establish a unified and modern framework for quality standards and competitiveness across Philippine industries.”
The proposed NQI Act is currently in bill form from multiple authors, but these have yet to be consolidated.
“PCCI therefore calls on lawmakers and agencies to treat the bill as a priority, so the Philippines can move from fragmented quality systems to a cohesive, internationally recognized infrastructure for standards, testing, metrology, accreditation and conformity assessment.
During the National Quality Infrastructure Conference on Oct. 29, PCCI Executive Vice-President Ferdinand A. Ferrer said exporters face technical barriers without reliable standards, calibration, testing and conformity assessment systems.
“Quality infrastructure is no longer a luxury — it is a necessity, a prerequisite to market access,” he said. “When our products cannot demonstrate compliance with international standards, they cannot enter foreign markets.”
A strong NQI signals to investors that Philippine-made goods and services meet global norms, the PCCI added.
“When instruments of measurement (metrology), testing, certification and standardization are fragmented or weak, firms face duplication of tests, slower time-to-market, and higher costs — undermining productivity,” the PCCI said.
Mr. Ferrer also noted that agriculture, manufacturing, construction, and services need reliable measurement, testing, and certification, as well as regulatory coherence.
“The absence of a unified policy across sectors limits growth,” he said. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz