The EcoWaste Coalition assailed toy manufacturers for their continuous defiance in abiding a law that requires mandatory toy labeling requirements for the safety of the consumers, particularly children.

The group, which advocates for children’s health and safety, said both the compliance of the toy manufacturers and the enforcement on the side of the government is necessary amid the expected increase in sales of toys as gifts for the children on Christmas day.

“Manufacturers, importers, and distributors who continue to ignore the required labeling requirements for toys are depriving consumers of an essential tool they can use in choosing appropriate products that are trustworthy, of good quality, and pose no health risks,” said EcoWaste Coalition national coordinator Aileen Lucero.

Lucero issued the statement after a test buy in Cubao, Quezon City last week disclosed that all the 25 toys it procured from four legitimate retail establishments were non-compliant to the toy labeling requirements.

This, despite the promulgation of the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 10620, or the Toy and Game Safety Labeling Act, in January 2019.

Of the 25 toys bought, Lucero said 16 products had no License to Operate (LTO) number, 22 lacked manufacturer’s markings, and 19 provided no instructional literature.

Lucero stressed the need for adherence to toy labeling requirements since it has been two years since the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an advisory reiterating the mandatory labeling requirements for toys and child care articles pursuant to RA 10620’s IRR.

Based on the advisory, the following information are required on the package, container, wrapper or protective covering of toys: LTO Number issued by FDA; age grading; cautionary statement/warnings; instructional literature; manufacturer’s markings with complete name and address of the local company; and item model or Stock Keeping Unit (SKU) number.

The labeling information, which should be visible, easily legible, understandable, and in indelible form, shall be generally written in English and not written in foreign characters.

Aside from promoting compliance to RA 10620, the EcoWaste Coalition is also urging manufacturers to, in the absence of a law, voluntarily disclose the chemicals used in making a toy, as well as their potential hazards, on the product label.

“Chemical ingredient and hazard disclosure will go a long way in educating and protecting consumers against harmful substances in products, and in driving industry shifts to clean production,” Lucero said.