QUEZON CITY — The environmental health and justice group EcoWaste Coalition urged government regulators to stop the uncontrolled online trade of mercury and mercury-added products by actively enforcing Republic Act No. 11967, or the Internet Transactions Act, and imposing the consequent fines and penalties against violators.
In anticipation of the 8th anniversary of the global entry into force of the Minamata Convention on Mercury on August 16, the EcoWaste Coalition raked through e-commerce and social media platforms and found some 1,146 product listings for mercury and mercury-added products. The search, conducted from July 21-31, 2025, was also carried out to support the enforcement of RA 11967, which seeks to “guarantee effective regulation of e-commerce to protect consumer rights.”
Through a common letter sent to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the group reported to the agencies the unabated use of e-commerce and social media platforms by third-party merchants to advertise, promote and sell mercury and mercury-added products that have been banned to protect human health and the environment from mercury poisoning.
Based on the search conducted, the group identified at least 1,146 of such product listings, including 1,057 for skin lightening products flagged by the FDA for containing mercury and/or for being sold without the necessary authorization; 53 for mercury-based medical devices; 34 for liquid mercury for mining use; and 2 for mercury to counter “kulam” or “barang.”
To stop the illegal online trade, the EcoWaste Coalition appealed to the government regulators to initiate immediate takedown orders and make the online marketplace safe from mercury and mercury-added products.
The group also urged the regulators to apply Section 27 of RA 11967, which establishes the “solidary liability of e-marketplace or digital platform.” As stated in the law, “the e-marketplaces or digital platforms shall be solidarily liable if it fails, after notice, to act expeditiously to remove, or disable access to goods or services appearing on its platform that are prohibited by law, imminently injurious, unsafe, or dangerous.”
The active enforcement of RA 11967 and other pertinent consumer and product safety laws and the application of required fines and penalties, the EcoWaste Coalition said, will deter unscrupulous sellers from engaging in illicit acts or face the consequences for breaking the law.
It will further compel the management of e-commerce and social media platforms to strictly implement their community policies and rules to stop the persistent trade of banned and restricted substances and products, which can pose serious risks to public health and the environment, the group added.
As some of the online dealers are based outside the Philippines, particularly in China, Indonesia and Thailand, the group urged the regulators to reach out with their counterparts for joint law enforcement action, noting that errant sellers “cannot evade legal liability in the Philippines despite lack of legal presence in the country” as per RA 11967.
Moreover, the EcoWaste Coalition urged concerned regulators to inform the public of enforcement and implementation measures for RA 11967, including channels and methods on how concerned citizens and groups can report violations of the law.
Mercury-containing skin lightening products are banned under the ASEAN Cosmetic Directive, the long list of public health warnings issued by the FDA, and the Minamata Convention on Mercury; mercury-based medical devices such as dental amalgam, thermometers and sphygmomanometers are banned under DOH A.O. 2008-0021 and FDA Circular No. 2022-003; mercury for artisanal and small-scale gold mining is banned under Executive Order No. 79 and DENR A.O. 2019-20; and mercury for cultural uses (i.e., to ward off sorcery or witchcraft) is a dangerous practice opposed by DOH as per public advisory dated June 29, 2025
“The determined actions by government regulators will contribute to the protection of human health and the environment from the adverse effects of exposure to mercury, and safeguard the well-being of all digital consumers and the entire society,” the EcoWaste Coalition concluded.
