As the “ber” months kicked off, shops and stores are inundating their shelves with a wide array of toys. Toxic watchdog group BAN Toxics has taken the initiative to closely monitor these toys which aims to shed light on the presence of toxic chemicals in these playthings and to champion the health and safety of our children.
Thony Dizon, toxics campaigner at BAN Toxics, stressed the importance of this endeavor.
“Every child deserves access to safe and good quality toys, free from potential hazards like choking, laceration, strangulation, eye injury, and chemical exposure,” he said.
Dizon advised to parents to exercise caution when selecting toys, as children are particularly vulnerable to the adverse consequences of inadequately labeled and unregistered toys circulating in the market.
The group highlighted two crucial regulations, Republic Act 9711 and RA 10620, to underscore the importance of their advocacy.
RA 9711 prohibits the manufacture, importation, exportation, sale, distribution, transfer, non-consumer use, promotion, advertising, or sponsorship of any health product without the proper authorization from the FDA.
RA 10620, known as the Toy and Game Safety Labeling Law, mandates that all toys and games, whether domestically produced or imported, donated, distributed, or sold in the Philippines, must adhere to the safety labeling and manufacturer’s markings stipulated in the Philippine National Standards (PNS) for toy safety.
To assist parents and consumers in making informed choices regarding safe toys for their children, BAN Toxics has compiled guidance from seattlechildrens.org on selecting appropriate toys and recognizing potential hazards:
BAN Toxics concludes said the most effective way to safeguard children is to closely supervise their playtime.
The group reiterated its call for toy manufacturers to comply with the existing regulations in the country, emphasizing that the continued sale of un-notified and unregistered toys in the market poses substantial hazards and risks to the health and safety of children. – Press release
