FDA-Flagged Cosmetics with Mercury Content Purchased in Naga City Despite the Ban

Wazzup Pilipinas?! 

(Poseur-buyer offered to serve as reseller)

27 January 2026, Quezon City. Imported skin lightening products flagged by the national government for being sold without market authorization or for containing mercury are being sold in Naga City in blatant violation of the law.

“The brazen trade of contraband cosmetics with mercury content in Naga City and other cities and municipalities is a rampant and ongoing issue, with illicit products openly advertised, promoted, and sold in physical and online stores despite regulatory warnings and product bans,” said Aileen Lucero, National Coordinator, EcoWaste. “Prompt and firm intervention by the local authorities will protect residents and ecosystems from mercury pollution.”

In an e-mail sent by the EcoWaste Coalition to former Vice President and now Mayor Leni Robredo on January 21, the group reported to the local chief executive the illicit sale in Naga City of contraband cosmetics, which the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned to protect the public from being harmed by mercury through the application of contaminated products promising to lighten the skin tone and fight signs of ageing.

A staff member of the EcoWaste Coalition conducted the rapid market monitoring amid inclement weather conditions after participating in the 1st Naga City Basura Summit, which Mayor Robredo and other stakeholders attended.

FDA-flagged skin lightening products were found on the shelves of at least five beauty product stores on J. Hernandez Avenue, including Pakistan-made Goree Beauty Cream with Lycopene, Goree Day & Night Beauty Cream, Goree Gold 24K Beauty Cream, and Thailand-made 88 Total White Underarm Cream.

At one point, the EcoWaste poseur-buyer was asked by a dealer in Naga City if he would like to be a reseller of Goree Beauty Creams!

The FDA banned Goree Beauty Creams through multiple public health warnings issued between 2017 and 2025, and 88 Total White in 2021.

According to the X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) chemical screening conducted by the EcoWaste Coalition on the purchased items, Goree Beauty Cream with Lycopene contains 27,950 parts per million (ppm) of mercury, while Goree Day & Night Beauty Cream, Goree Gold 24K Beauty Cream, and 88 Total White Underarm Cream contain 27,510 ppm, 26,000 ppm, and 1,725 ppm.

In line with the general welfare provision of the Local Government Code, the group requested that the Naga City Government undertake measures to protect human health and the environment from mercury contamination.

To address this threat to public health and the environment, the Naga City Government was requested to carry out law enforcement activities, including random store inspection and confiscation of banned products and their safe disposal; enact an ordinance (or issue an executive order) banning and penalizing the manufacture, importation, distribution and sale of mercury-containing cosmetics; and to advocate for “Natural Is Beautiful” to discourage use of chemical whiteners and instill appreciation and acceptance of one’s natural skin color.

In their letter to Mayor Robredo, the EcoWaste Coalition emphasized the fact that “mercury is hazardous to human health,” as noted by the World Health Organization (WHO).

As stated by health experts, mercury in skin lightening cosmetics is released during product use, with dermal absorption and inhalation as common exposure routes. It can cause skin discoloration, rashes, and scarring, and it can reduce skin resistance to bacterial and fungal infections.

Repeated applications can harm the kidneys, the brain, and the central nervous system. The use of mercury-containing skin lightening products by pregnant women is of utmost concern as mercury is known to cross the placenta during pregnancy and accumulate in fetal tissues, affecting the developing brain and nervous system of the baby in the womb and causing neuro-developmental disorders.

The EcoWaste Coalition will sustain its market monitoring and other efforts to alert regulators and consumers about the presence of forbidden products with mercury in retail stores and in e-commerce and social media platforms --- to uphold the human right to a healthy and toxics-free environment.

A Revolution of Peace: HWPL Ignites a New Generation of Heroes in the Philippines

 

Wazzup Pilipinas!? 

In the historic heart of Cavite, where the Philippine flag first fluttered in the breeze of independence over a century ago, a new kind of uprising has begun. This was not a revolution of arms, but a "revolution of peace," led by thousands of young souls determined to rewrite the narrative of their nation.

Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL) recently commemorated the 12th Anniversary of the January 24th HWPL Peace Day with a two-day surge of activism that transformed the streets of Kawit and the theaters of Pasay City into bastions of hope.

The March of 6,000 Hearts

On January 23, the air in Kawit, Cavite, crackled with energy as 6,000 students, teachers, and peace advocates took to the streets. This massive "Peace Walk" surged from Water Camp to Aguinaldo Freedom Park, serving as a living testament to the power of collective will.

The climax of the day saw the unveiling of the first HWPL Peace Monument in Cavite at Aguinaldo Elementary School. More than just stone and metal, the monument stands as a permanent symbol of a shared oath between the government, schools, and the community to uphold coexistence.

"Now, we have new heroes who have also come here to Cavite: heroes of a revolution of peace," declared Dr. Antonio Faustino of the Department of Education.

Breaking the Silence: The Power of Dialogue

The momentum shifted to the GSIS Theater in Pasay City the following day, where 500 youth leaders and interfaith representatives gathered under the banner: “Youth Rise Up for Peace and Unity through Interfaith Dialogue!”.

In a world often divided by dogma, a bold panel of youth speakers stepped into the spotlight to dismantle the walls of prejudice. They tackled the "maling akala" (misconceptions) surrounding Catholicism, Islam, and Non-denominational Christianity head-on. Their message was clear: lasting peace is only possible when diversity is respected and faith becomes a bridge rather than a barrier.

Key Outcomes of the Interfaith Dialogue:

Respectful Engagement: Emphasizing education over ignorance.

Authentic Connection: Sharing personal religious experiences to foster deep understanding.

Sustainable Solutions: Proposing active dialogue to correct long-standing biases.

Equipping the Peacemakers

The celebration went beyond symbolic gestures, focusing heavily on the UN International Day of Education. HWPL honored the "soldiers" of this peaceful movement by awarding Certificates of Completion to:

36 Facilitators 

601 Youth Empowerment Peace Class (YEPC) completers, trained as active peacemakers 

88 Religious Peace Academy (RPA) completers, dedicated to interfaith understanding 

A Legacy Born in Mindanao

This annual tradition is rooted in the 2014 Mindanao Peace Agreement, mediated by HWPL Chairman Lee Man-hee. What began as a foundation for peace in Maguindanao and the BARMM has now blossomed into a nationwide commitment.

As these two days of intense activity concluded, the fire of dedication was reignited in every participant. Through peace walks, monuments, and the courage to speak across religious divides, the youth of the Philippines are no longer just waiting for a peaceful future—they are building it.

The Alchemist of Endurance: The Compelling Journey of Mari Zhar

 

Wazzup Pilipinas!? 

In the heart of Manila’s bustling creative pulse, a different kind of revolution is taking place—one that doesn’t shout, but resonates; one that doesn’t merely decorate, but heals. This is the world of Mari Zhar, a Filipino contemporary artist whose work serves as a visceral map of the human spirit’s capacity to survive, reform, and eventually, flourish.

Zhar’s art is not a performance. It is a presence. Rooted in Modern Abstract Expressionism, her canvases and sculptures are not merely objects of visual interest; they are "vessels of meaning" that translate the jagged edges of lived experience into the fluid language of form and color.

A Foundation of Purpose

To understand the art, one must understand the environment that forged the artist. Zhar was raised in a household where creativity was inseparable from social responsibility. Her parents—Zen Carbonell, a fine arts visionary, and Waldy Carbonell, a relentless journalist and advocate—cultivated a space where expression was never indulgent. It was a tool for ethical engagement.

Her education was further expanded through global travel, where museums and cathedrals became her classrooms. These sites of inquiry taught her that creative work carries a heavy responsibility. For Zhar, beauty and introspection must coexist, a belief that continues to drive her practice of "recalibration" through solitude and prayer.

Art as an Existential Necessity

Mari Zhar did not choose art; in many ways, art chose her as a means of survival. Her commitment to her craft emerged from the gradual, often painful shifts of life—grief, separation, and the quiet endurance required to navigate them.

"What registers is not performance but presence: the trace of life as it is endured, processed, and reformed."

Her aesthetic language is a masterclass in the conversion of "residue" into beauty:

Paintings: Driven by gesture and movement, where layered colors act as the physical remains of an emotion.

Sculptural Work: Utilizing wire, stone, clay, and wood to give weight and volume to the intangible nature of memory.

The "Crumpled" Series: A profound metaphor for lived pressure. By pressing and folding the surface, Zhar proves that damage does not negate value. Transformation is the ultimate victory over erasure.

The Dentist, The Advocate, The Mother

Zhar’s path to full-time artistry was anything but linear. A Doctor of Dentistry graduate from Centro Escolar University, she brought the precision and discipline of healthcare into the studio. Her early years were marked by fierce advocacy, serving as the Chairman of the Drug-Free Youth Organization of the Philippines under President Fidel V. Ramos.

For years, the artist’s "inner compass" was pointed toward the needs of others. As a mother, entrepreneur, and publisher of titles like Creative Magazine and Kidstime, Zhar placed her personal creative pursuits in the background to raise three children. However, as they transitioned into independence in 2025, Zhar made a thunderous return to her practice—not with nostalgia, but with a professional ferocity that positions art as her central framework.

Healing the Hidden Wounds

Today, Zhar’s work speaks directly to women navigating the "quiet realities" that alter identity: perimenopause, emotional displacement, and the reconstruction of self-worth after abandonment.

She is currently training to become an Art Therapist, aiming to formalize her role in helping others structure their adversity into resolve. Her platforms, Pigmento.Ph and La Galeria de Maria, serve as sanctuaries for emerging artists and women whose narratives have long been carried in silence.

2026: The Year of the Written and Visual Word

The horizon for Mari Zhar is expansive. With two book releases scheduled for 2026 and a continued international presence representing the Philippines, her trajectory is clear. She remains a pragmatic optimist, advocating for a brand of empowerment rooted in accountability and dignity.

In the world of Mari Zhar, pain may shape a chapter, but it never determines the ending. Her work stands as a testament to the fact that endurance, when shaped with integrity, becomes something both truthful and worth being seen.