THE Philippine Iron and Steel Institute (PISI) on Thursday asked the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to immediately implement PNS 49:2026, or the updated Philippine National Standard (PNS) for Steel Bars for Concrete Reinforcement.
PISI is the umbrella organization of the country’s iron and steel industry composed of private manufacturers, traders and suppliers.
On June 8, the group wrote a letter to Trade Secretary Cristina Roque urging DTI to mandate immediate implementation of PNS 49:2026 across all relevant national agencies and local government units (LGUs), intensify enforcement and monitoring to ensure compliance among manufacturers, distributors and contractors, and partner with industry stakeholders to facilitate a smooth transition.
In the letter, the group asked DTI to raise awareness among builders, engineers and LGUs on the significance of the grade change.
PNS 49:2026 — developed by the Bureau of Philippine Standards’ Technical Committee 11 — is the standard that specifies the manufacturing, dimensions and safety requirements for deformed steel bars used in concrete reinforcement. It phases out noncompliant grades to tighten safety standards and ensure structural integrity against natural hazards.
Outdated rebar grades remain in use despite the country’s high exposure to earthquakes, PISI said.
“The standard mark is a critical departure from its predecessor: It removes steel grades that do not meet seismic performance requirements — grades that remain in widespread use in Philippine construction today,” the group said.
“The Philippines sits squarely in the Pacific Ring of Fire, and the continued permissibility of these grades in structural applications under the old standard has been a long-standing gap in our seismic resilience framework,” it added.
The urgent request comes after two strong earthquakes hit the country. On May 24, a nine-story, mixed-use building under construction in Balibago, Pampanga, collapsed, claiming at least 17 lives. This week, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck off the coast of Sarangani, Mindanao, with General Santos City reeling under Intensity 7.
“Non-seismic grades are the wrong material for a building in a seismic zone. Every day we delay the implementation is another day Filipino lives are at risk from buildings that were built legally, but [unable to] withstand what this country’s geology demands,” PISI President Joel Ronquillo said.
At press time, DTI has yet to issue its response to PISI’s concerns.