Some products sold in the Philippines need an approval or a mark. Here is what the main ones are for, and what they are not.
NTC type approval
The National Telecommunications Commission covers radio equipment such as phones, Bluetooth and WiFi devices. A listing for earbuds or a smartwatch may show an NTC type approval number.
DTI-BPS PS and ICC marks
The Bureau of Philippine Standards, under the Department of Trade and Industry, operates the PS (Philippine Standard) quality mark and the ICC (Import Commodity Clearance) sticker. They apply to products on a mandatory list. Which products are on that list changes, so check the official list before relying on it.
DOE energy label
Some appliances carry a Department of Energy energy label showing energy use.
What a mark does not tell you
- It does not prove the unit in the box matches the one that was approved.
- It does not tell you how long the product lasts or whether the specs are accurate.
- A mark in a photo can be copied. Where an official list can be searched, we check it and say so; where we could not, the guide says “not verified”.
If no mark applies to a product, we say so and shift the weight to specification and seller scoring. See how we rate.