Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian is calling on the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to issue the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the law regulating the local liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) industry to ensure consumer protection against industry malpractices.
“It has been five months since the signing of the Republic Act No. 11592, otherwise known as the LPG Industry Regulation Act, and we have yet to hear the release of the law’s IRR,” said Gatchalian, Senate committee on energy chairman and also the principal author and sponsor of the law.
Under the law, the DOE together with the DTI and in consultation with concerned government agencies and stakeholders, including consumer groups, should promulgate the IRR within 60 days from its effectivity.
The IRR for the LPG cylinder exchange and swapping program and LPG cylinder improvement program of the law should be in place within six months from the signing of the LPG Act.
The LPG cylinder exchange and swapping program allows consumers to bring any brand of empty LPG cylinder to any retail outlet and use it to purchase another brand of LPG cylinder carried by the retail outlet.
The LPG cylinder improvement program ensures the quality of all LPG cylinders in circulation to protect consumers.
Gatchalian said the LPG Act, which took 18 years and seven Congresses before it was passed into law, also ensures the removal of unsafe tanks from circulation to prevent LPG-fire related incidents.
He cited that a total of 787 LPG-related fire incidents nationwide were recorded last year by the Bureau of Fire Protection, six of which were caused by defective tanks. – Jed Macapagal
