Roxas warns public vs fake LPG tanks

MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Manuel Roxas II cautioned the public yesterday against using defective or substandard liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tanks as he vowed to pursue illegal refillers and manufacturers of faulty cylinders.

“Make sure that you buy only genuine and safe LPG tanks. Do not be fooled by scheming businessmen. Do not buy tanks that are cheap but unsafe,” said Roxas, chairman of the Senate trade and commerce committee.

During the hearing, the Philippine Association of Cylinder Manufacturers said 12 million LPG tanks are circulated in the local market.

“Many of these have been scrapped in other countries. They were imported into the country, where they are now circulating and being used by our countrymen,” he said.

The association said three million tanks are due for scrapping because they can no longer be repaired, while another three million are supposed to be inspected and certified by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

Citing records from the Bureau of Fire Protection, Roxas said about 1,700 fires from 2001 to 2008 are due to defective or fake LPG tanks.

To avoid LPG-related fires, Roxas urged the public to meticulously check cylinders they buy from refilling stations.

Substandard tanks have no embossed brand name, are rusty, improperly painted, and have corroded foot rings and bottom caps, he said. 

Roxas said these tanks may also have tampered serial numbers and dates of manufacturing; have no “quality seal” from the Bureau of Product Standards of the DTI; leaky valves; and dents.

Others may have no ring collar and are too light. He vowed to fasttrack committee discussions and approval of the proposed LPG bill, which the House of Representatives has approved and transmitted to the Senate. The measure seeks a stronger government campaign against defective or fake LPG tanks.

A fire victim, Abigail Eugenio, approached Roxas and sought medical assistance for minor burns she sustained when an LPG tank at an eatery where she and her boyfriend were eating exploded last June 21.

Because of the injuries she sustained, she said she lost an opportunity to work abroad after she missed a final job interview.

Roxas said the fire that gutted the eatery in Barangay Santulan, Malabon is not an isolated case and could happen anywhere in the country.

“I will make sure that the new law passes to stop… unscrupulous businessmen from victimizing our hapless poor citizens with their defective LPG tanks,” he said.