ILOILO CITY (PNA) - The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) here is urging consumers to complain immediately when the products they purchase are expired or not in good condition. The FDA said there is a reason why establishments are required by law to put up a customer service and complaints desk are being required by the law.
Their purpose, said FDA Iloilo Supervisor Rex Jardiolin, is to assist and help buyers get the best product there is in the market and, at the same time, record complaints and report immediately the existence of inferior or expired products bought by consumers to pertinent agencies. Jardiolin said that the FDA ensures the quality and safety of products, especially food products and drugs. He said that some customers and buyers only report their getting substandard or even the wrong products days after they buy such products.
Oftentimes, customers do not even complain about such products at all. "They are too lazy to report and complain that the product they bought is defective," Jardiolin stressed. By law, the need to keep food and drug products at its best quality is mandated by both the Consumer Act as well as the Price Act of the Philippines. Jardiolin said buyers should get in touch and report complaints with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), or the Department of Health (DoH) for medical and health products of inferior quality or bring their complaints to the attention of the authorities if department stores, markets and pharmacies refuse to act on their complaints. Consumers may ask that inferior products, including pharmaceuticals, be replaced; they can also report establishments that do not give receipts for goods purchased.
