Stiffer penalties vs fake beauty products sought

Food and Drug Administration Philippines (Photo: Food and Drug Administration Philippines/Facebook)

MANILA—The House committee on Metro Manila development has formed a technical working group (TWG) which will draw up a bill providing stiffer penalties for the proliferation of fake beauty products and the granting of police powers to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

According to a statement on Wednesday, Quezon City Rep. Winston Castelo, committee chairman, said that implementing stricter penalties and granting FDA police powers will protect the interests of consumers and beauty and health companies, and the government as well.

Castelo said that about 80 percent of the Metro Manila population has been buying counterfeit beauty products.

“Time and again we have been receiving reports and complaints about the proliferation of (fake) beauty products and these have been compromising the health of our constituents,” said Castelo.

Castelo raised the alarm on the selling of fake cosmetics as it causes losses to the government and also compromises the revenues of legitimate health and beauty companies.

“Thousands of Filipinos have been employed in beauty and health businesses. If these companies are compromised because of the continuous proliferation of fake beauty products, the government will lose more revenues and the livelihood of thousands of Filipinos employed under this industry will be affected,” said Castelo.

For his part, Chamber of Cosmetics Industry of the Philippines, Inc (CCIP) president Silliman Sy said the beauty industry also faces this problem with fake Chinese cosmetics.

The CCIP, according to Sy, is the biggest cosmetic association in the Philippines with about 145 members who include manufacturers, distributors and those in allied industries such as packaging, raw materials, and testing centers.

He said the CCIP is working hand in hand with the FDA by providing the agency with information and product samples of fake products.

“But I believe the problem is that the FDA does not have enough people to police the proliferation of fake beauty products,” said Sy.