Toxic Chinese mosquito coils find way into PH

CEBU CITY—Cebu-based mosquito coil manufacturers are protesting the proliferation of unregistered mosquito repellents and mosquito coils that are being sold in stores in Cebu and some parts of Manila and Mindanao.

Greencoil Industries Inc. and Sumitomo Chemical Philippines Inc. (SCPI) wrote separate letter-complaints to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Department of Health (DOH) about the presence of these unregistered products in the market, since these may pose danger to public health.

They identified these China-made products as Baoma Brand and Suning Brand mosquito coils, Jing Ba, Baolilai, Wawang, Big Bie Pai, Wawang Mosquito Coils, Tianshi Black Coil and Baoma Black Coil.

Greencoil Industries Inc. is the maker of Lion-Tiger Katol and Lion-Tiger Aerosol spray, which is one of the brands of mosquito coil and spray registered by the FDA. SCPI sells mosquito coils, mosquito repellents and aerosols.

The FDA classifies mosquito coils as household hazardous substances that needs FDA registration.

Kenneth Hartigan Go, acting FDA director general, issued FDA advisory No. 2013-029 on Aug. 27, warning the public against buying unregistered mosquito coils and advising consumers to buy only those registered by the agency.

“Ineffective mosquito coils cannot ward off mosquitoes that carry dengue, chikungunya, malaria or Japanese encephalitis. Pesticides in mosquito coils found in unregistered products may be lethal when inhaled or accidentally ingested by children,” Go said.

But Ramon Dacay of Greencoil Industries Inc. said in his letters to FDA officials that Novo and Unitop stores in Mandaue, Danao and Cebu cities continued to sell unregistered China-made mosquito coils carrying the brands Baoma and Suning.

Dacay wrote separate letters to Go, the FDA in Central Visayas and the DOH office in Davao City.

He also brought the matter to the attention of Health Secretary Enrique Ona on June 16 in a letter asking for an investigation.

Fernando Gala, SCPI country manager, wrote a separate letter to Go also complaining about the presence of unregistered China-made mosquito coils, repellents and aerosols that are being sold in two Novo stores in Danao and Cebu cities, a Unitop store in Mandaue City and in 168 and 999 stores in Tondo, Manila.