Groups Laud Bacoor, Imus, and Quezon Cities for Actions Protecting the People from Dangerous Mercury-Contaminated Cosmetics

Wazzup Pilipinas!? 

(EcoWaste and CGC urge other LGUs to follow suit to curb the illegal trade of mercury-added cosmetics in their areas)

11 April 2026, Quezon City. Environmental health groups EcoWaste Coalition and Cavite Green Coalition (CGC) commended three local government units (LGUs) for taking actions to protect their constituents, women and their families in particular, from the adverse effects of mercury-laden skin lightening products illegally sold in their respective areas.

The groups gave Bacoor City, Imus City, and Quezon City a huge pat on the back for responding to the market monitoring reports they submitted, notifying the LGUs about the unlawful sale of contraband mercury cosmetics in retail stores operating within their territories.

“We applaud Bacoor City, Imus City, and Quezon City for moving swiftly to curb the sale of illegal, mercury-tainted cosmetics. By tackling this threat to public health and the environment, they are upholding the ASEAN and global ban on these toxic skin lightening and anti-aging facial creams with secret mercury additives,” said Aileen Lucero, National Coordinator, EcoWaste Coalition. “We urge them to stay vigilant by regularly checking retail stores and home-based online sellers of beauty products within their jurisdictions.”

Mercury, a highly toxic chemical, is prohibited as an ingredient in cosmetics as per the ASEAN Cosmetic Directive and the Minamata Convention on Mercury. To protect public health from mercury exposure, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been issuing advisories warning consumers against the purchase and use of cosmetics containing mercury and/or lacking the required market authorization.

Nonetheless, the illicit importation, distribution, and sale of these dangerous goods persist, despite FDA oversight and a global prohibition on the production and trade of mercury-added cosmetics, as evidenced by the groups' reports to various LGUs.

While the groups have yet to hear from other LGUs, Bacoor, Imus, and Quezon Cities wasted no time in addressing this threat to public health.

The Business Permits and Licensing Department (BPLD) of Bacoor City, headed by Lawrence San Jose, acting on the prompt referral made by OIC City Administrator Joanne Carla Catalla, conducted inspections in six stores, which resulted in the issuance of notices of violation and the immediate removal of the FDA-flagged products. The inspections were documented through photographs, and the errant stores were duly instructed to comply. The stores were further directed to report to the BPLD for counseling.

Following the referral from Atty. Tricia Marie Villaluz-Barzaga, Chief of Staff for the Imus City Mayor, Business Permits and Licensing Officer Jasmin Ramos dispatched a team to inspect five retail stores for FDA-flagged mercury cosmetics. Personnel verified the presence of these items and directed vendors to immediately halt sales and remove products from their shelves.

In Quezon City, the Food-Drug Regulation Officers (FDROs) of the Quezon City Health Department (QCHD), led by City Health Officer Dr. Ramona Asuncion Abarquez, inspected the eight stores reported by the EcoWaste Coalition as selling mercury-laced cosmetics in violation of City Ordinance No. 2767, series of 2018, which prohibits the manufacture, distribution, and sale of mercury-containing skin whitening cosmetics. The inspection summary was prepared by four FDROs and duly noted by pharmacist Jeanette Dacanay, Chief, Food-Drug Regulation Office, and Dr. Laarni Malapit, Head, Special Services Division.

The stores were told to abide by the city ordinance and Republic Act No. 9711, or the Food and Drug Administration Act, by verifying product notification or registration through the FDA portal before sale. Banned products were removed from the shelves, packed, sealed, labeled, and countersigned by the FDROs to avoid further sales. Additionally, some stores were also warned of legal repercussions if further violations were committed and reported to the QCHD.

“We urge other LGUs to emulate Bacoor City, Imus City, and Quezon City by conducting store inspections and enforcing other measures to eliminate the local sale of FDA-banned products such as Goree Beauty Cream, 88 Total White Underarm Cream, and other skin lightening cosmetics flagged for lack of authorization and/or mercury adulteration,” the EcoWaste Coalition and the CGC said.

The Double-Edged Blade: Climate Innovation and the Human Rights Frontier

Wazzup Pilipinas!? 

The atmosphere is no longer just a shared resource; it is a crime scene where the evidence of two centuries of industrialization is accumulating in the form of carbon molecules. As the world pivots toward a "just transition," a high-stakes drama is unfolding in the laboratories and boardrooms of the Global North and South. The question is no longer just if technology can save the planet, but whose rights will be sacrificed at the altar of innovation.

The Mirage of Geo-Engineering: Salvation or Sovereignty?

At the heart of the debate lie "techno-fixes" that sound like science fiction: Solar Radiation Management (SRM) and Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR). While proponents argue these are essential to avert a 1.5°C breach, the human rights implications are staggering.

Solar Radiation Management: Injecting aerosols into the stratosphere to mimic volcanic cooling could disrupt monsoon patterns across South Asia and Africa. For the peasant farmer in the Sahel or the small-scale fisher in the Bay of Bengal, a "global" temperature fix could mean a local famine.

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS): Often criticized as a "fossil fuel life-support system," CCS allows for the continued extraction of hydrocarbons under the guise of "net zero." This risks the right to a healthy environment by entrenching toxic petrochemical corridors—often located in marginalized communities.

The Toxic Life-Cycle: Beyond the "Green" Label

A human rights-based approach demands a full life-cycle assessment. A technology is not "clean" if its birth involves child labor in cobalt mines or if its death involves leaching heavy metals into the groundwater of the Global South.

The "Transition" Trap

The Special Rapporteur’s focus on defossilization highlights a critical tension: the rise of "fossil-dependent transition fuels." Natural gas and certain blue hydrogen projects are marketed as bridges to the future, yet they maintain the infrastructure of the past. These technologies often bypass the precautionary approach, leaving Indigenous Peoples to fight for their right to Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) against new pipelines and refineries.

Waste-to-Energy and the Right to Health

While presented as circular economy solutions, waste-to-energy plants frequently incinerate plastics and petrochemicals, releasing dioxins. This creates a direct conflict with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically Goal 14 (Life Below Water), as microplastics and toxins eventually migrate from the air and soil into the marine food chain.

The New Frontier: AI, Outer Space, and the Right to Science

We are entering an era where Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Space Technologies are the arbiters of climate justice. Satellite data can track illegal deforestation or methane leaks, providing the "best available science" to hold states accountable.

However, the Right to Science—as outlined in the Rapporteur’s previous reports—is not just about access to data; it is about the democratization of knowledge.

The AI Divide: If AI models for climate adaptation are owned exclusively by private corporations in the Global North, the Global South faces a new form of "digital colonialism."

Algorithmic Bias: Automated systems used for land-use mapping can inadvertently erase Indigenous territories that lack formal titles, leading to dispossession in the name of "reforestation" projects.

The Imperative of Due Diligence

The upcoming report to the UN General Assembly 81st session will be a clarion call for stringent due diligence. This is not a mere bureaucratic hurdle; it is a legal shield for the vulnerable.

A Call for Radical Transparency

The Special Rapporteur is seeking evidence of "climate disinformation." For decades, the link between fossil fuels and human rights violations was obscured by well-funded PR campaigns. Today, the same actors may be utilizing "technological optimism" to obstruct the radical defossilization required by the Inter-American Court and the International Court of Justice.

Conclusion: The Path Toward a Just Transition

Technology is never neutral. It carries the values of its creators and the scars of its production. To achieve SDG 13 (Climate Action), we must ensure that the tools we use to cool the planet do not freeze out the rights of the people living on it. The Special Rapporteur’s report will likely argue that the only technology worth prioritizing is that which serves the nexus of nature, food, water, and health—guaranteeing that the transition is not just fast, but fundamentally just.