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Pursuant to the provisions of Batas Pambansa Bilang 8 and title X, Book IV of the Administrative Code of 1987 and to fully implement the use of the modern metric system of measurement in the country, the following guidelines and policies are hereby promulgated for the information, guidance and compliance of all concerned:

1. Starting 1 May 1990, sizes of all products manufactured, imported, and sold in the Philippines shall be expressed only in metric units.
2. Products covered by Metrication Circulars and Philippine National Standards shall continue to adopt sizes as prescribed in these circulars and standards without prejudice to any amendments that will keep these realistic under present conditions.
3. For products not yet covered by metrication circulars and standards, soft conversion to metric units is allowed until such time that manufacturers can adopt rational metric units on an industry-wide basis.
4. The Bureau of Product Standards shall continue to guide industries in arriving at agreements on sizes using metric units and related implementing guidelines at the earliest time practicable to such industries.
5. Upon agreement by an industry on rationalized metric sizes for its products, the Bureau of Product Standards shall issue the appropriate metrication circular formally adopting these sizes.  The regional/provincial offices shall ensure industry’s compliance with the said circular.
6. Sizes of imported products not covered by existing metrication circulars and Philippine National Standards must be in metric units.
7. Locally manufactured and imported products with labels currently using both metric and non-metric units shall be allowed until 31 December 1990.  Thereafter the use of these dual markings on labels will no longer be allowed.
8. For imported products, the Department of Trade and Industry’s regional/provincial offices shall issue clearances to importers only if sizes of imported products comply and are in accordance with BPS metrication circulars, Philippine National Standards, or are expressed in metric units.  Clearance shall be secured by the importers from DTI regional/provincial offices prior to opening of letter of credit with any bank.
9. The Bureau of Product Standards in coordination with DTI regional and provincial offices shall monitor compliance with these guidelines by manufacturers, importers, and sellers.
10. The BPS Director is authorized to approve, in behalf of the Secretary of Trade and Industry, metrication circulars and implementing guidelines thereof.
11. These policies and guidelines supersede Product Standards Administrative Order No. 1, Series of 1983.
12. This Order shall take effect after publication in a newspaper of general circulation.

Adopted: 26 April 1990

(SGD.) JOSE S. CONCEPCION, JR.

Secretary