Proposed LPG law gets final Senate nod

MANILA, Philippines — The Senate on Monday approved on third and final reading a bill regulating the domestic liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) industry to ensure consumer protection against industry malpractices.

Voting 21-0, senators passed Senate Bill No. 1955 or the proposed LPG Act, which seeks to establish an LPG Cylinder Improvement Program to ensure that unsafe cylinders will be immediately taken out of circulation and replaced with new ones to decrease LPG-related explosions and fires significantly.

Under the measure, a Cylinder Exchange and Swapping Program, which allows consumers to shift to another LPG brand by bringing any empty LPG cylinder to any retail outlet, will also be institutionalized.

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, who sponsored the bill as chair of the Senate energy committee, noted the lack of any existing regulatory framework to oversee the domestic LPG industry even in the wake of LPG-related accidents.

He emphasized that safety is crucial because LPG is a highly flammable and explosive fuel that poses a major fire hazard if not stored or handled properly.

“Ang layon natin dito ay siguruhing may pamantayan ang industriya upang maprotektahan ang kapakanan ng mga mamimili. Nais din natin silang bigyan ng pagkakataong makapamili ng tatak ng LPG,” Gatchalian said.

(We aim to establish industry regulations to ensure consumer welfare. We also seek to provide an option to consumers on which LPG brand they want to use.)

“Sa ngayon kasi, kung gusto mong magpalit ng tatak ng LPG dahil mas mura, kailangan mo munang bumili ng bagong silindro,“ he added.

(At present, if you want to change LPG brands because of the cheaper cost, you will have to buy a new cylinder.)

The senator noted that several versions of the bill had been introduced as early as 2004 to institute a national energy policy and regulatory framework to govern the importation, refining, refilling, transportation, conveyance, distribution and marketing of LPG as well as the manufacture, requalification, exchange and swapping of LPG pressure vessels.

The senator cited data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, which showed that LPG is considered a basic necessity as four out of 10 Filipino households are dependent on it for daily cooking, with overall domestic consumption growing at an average of six percent annually.

LPG is also being used by various industries, commercial establishments and even as fuel for motor vehicles, he added.

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