ILOILO – So far, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in Region 6, it has not received or monitored complaints against mosquito and other insect repellents.
Still, according to FDA-6 officer Ma. Angeles Guzman, buyers must be cautious.
As dengue cases continue to rise, demand for mosquito repellents has surged.
Buyers must first look for the FDA product registration on the label, said Guzman.
If there is no FDA product registration on the label, the item should be reported to the agency, she stressed.
FDA-6 holds office at the third floor of Gaisano City Mall in La Paz district here.
Guzman said concerned citizens may also alert FDA-6 via its official Facebook page “FDA Regional Field Office VI”.
Buyers should also check the manufacturing and expiration dates of products, added Guzman.
FDA is a regulatory agency under the Department of Health tasked to safeguard public health and safety.
Specifically, it ensures the safety, efficacy or quality of health products – food, drugs, cosmetics, devices, biologicals, vaccines, in-vitro diagnostic reagents, radiation-emitting devices or equipment, and household/urban hazardous substances, including pesticides and toys, or consumer products.
With dengue cases on the rise, one of the mosquito repellents in demand is in the form of a lotion applied to the skin.
Another type of mosquito repellent people use is the so-called “mosquito coil” or mosquito-repelling incense.
“So far wala sang complaint. Usually gina-take advantage ina sang ano eh, pero wala pa,” saidGuzman.
The FDA officer reminded the public to buy only from legitimate pharmacies and stores and stay away from online sellers that are hard to verify.
A saleslady of a mall in La Paz district said mosquito repellents, most especially in lotion form, were what customers usually sought out. Sales stated to pick up last month, the start of the rainy season.
Dengue, though now a year-round illness, has been associated with the rainy season because of dengue mosquitoes that live and breed in clear, stagnant water.
A big mall in Mandurriao confirmed, too, running out of mosquito lotion stocks. Customers bought in bulk, a sales representative said though she declined to be identified for not having the authority to speak on the matter./PN
