DTI exec warns vs possible smuggling of defective LPG tanks

Potentially defective liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tanks could be smuggled into the country under the guise of scrap metal, an official from the Department of Trade and Industry [DTI] disclosed Wednesday. Citing information reaching her office, Trade Undersecretary Zenaida Maglaya said that second-hand LPG tanks might account for the supposed proliferation of defective LPG tanks in the country. "Sa dami ng nagliliparan diyan, and I think some of them are coming in smuggled, lumalabas na parang pumapasok as scrap pero actually mga secondhand cylinder. Kailangan talaga palakasin ang batas nito at yung mga sanction at enforcement…," Malaya told dzXL radio in an interview. (With the number of defective tanks, I believe some of them are being smuggled in as scrap metal, but are actually secondhand cylinders. We should strengthen our sanctions and enforcement.) Maglaya’s warning came almost a week after the House of Representatives approved on third and final reading a bill seeking to regulate the LPG industry. House Bill 5942, to be known as LPG Act of 2009, aims to establish stricter guidelines in the "sale, requalification, distribution and repair of LPG cylinders." In GMA’s Unang Balita on Wednesday, the measure’s primary author, Agusan del Sur Rep. Rodolfo Plaza, said one of the reasons he filed the bill was because his household almost fell victim to a defective LPG tank. "Ako pa nagkabit, nung binuksan ko (yung tanke), yung singaw ng LPG talagang napakalakas. Tumakbo ako (I was fixing the tank’s connection, and I had to run when I smelled the strong stench of LPG fumes)," Plaza was quoted as saying in the report. The television report also quoted data from the Bureau of Fire and Protection, which said that from 1997 to 2007, more than 2,000 fire incidents were caused by defective LPG tanks.

Heightened monitoring In Wednesday’s radio interview, Maglaya said that for the moment, the Trade and Energy departments can only strengthen their monitoring of defective LPG tanks. The trade official likewise said additional teams would be deployed nationwide to beef up their regular monitoring. "Dadagdagan natin ang teams natin na umiikot at isasama sa regular monitoring itong nagiging problema. Mukhang dumadami na naman ang ganitong klaseng mga tangke (We have a task force with the Department of Trade and Industry . What we are doing now is sending more teams to bolster our regular monitoring)," she said. Maglaya also appealed to the public to buy LPG only from accredited dealers, and check the LPG tanks for the proper "Philippine Standard" seals. She said that in some cases, the LPG tanks are so dilapidated or rusted that no seals are visible anymore. Even those who are not buying LPG tanks but see dilapidated tanks being unloaded at stores should report the matter to the DTI via its hotline 7513330 that is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, Maglaya said. - with a report from Sophia Dedace, GMANews.TV