TACLOBAN CITY — Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Director General Nela Charade Galang-Puno on Thursday asked policemen and local chief executives in Eastern Visayas to help them enforce consumer protection laws.
The FDA chief met with all provincial police directors, city police directors, chapter presidents of the League of the Municipalities of the Philippines, and representatives of city mayors in Eastern Visayas to orient them on some laws.
Specifically, the FDA asked the Philippine National Police (PNP) to be the lead agency in enforcing laws related to health product regulations.
Earlier, the FDA and PNP formed Task Force D-PUNCH (Destroy Products Unfit for the Consumption of Humans) with its mission to minimize, if not eradicate counterfeit, unregistered, adulterated and misbranded health products.
The officials also urged mayors to ensure compliance with consumer protection laws before approving licensing and permits to establishments.
“FDA is not a barrier to trade. Our mission is to ensure the quality and safety of products and at the same time, that the consumers are protected,” Puno said during a meeting at Hotel Estrella here.
The FDA has been regularly sending advisories to local government units for people to be warned about distribution of fake products in the market.
“I am looking forward (to) more collaboration and ensure public health and public safety. It is important that we are able to explain everything so that people will be aware of the consequences if they use unsafe health products,” Puno added.
The FDA, created by Republic Act No. 3720, regulates drugs, medical devices, food, cosmetics and toys, and Household/Urban Hazardous substances, aiming to guarantee the safety, quality, purity, efficacy of products to protect and promote the right to health of the general public.
One of the marching orders of President Rodrigo Duterte to FDA is to go against counterfeit products that pose harm to the health and safety of users; and file economic sabotage charges against manufacturers, Puno said. (Roel Amazona/PNA)
