AKO BICOL: No Place for Used Cooking Oil in Human Consumption

Congressman Rodel Batocabe of AKO BICOL Partylist confronted the threatening practice of recycling used cooking oil for human consumption.

AKO Bicol Partylist filed House Bill 814 or “the Act Prohibiting the Selling and Retailing of Used Cooking Oil for Human Consumption and Providing for Penalties Therefor”. If the proposed legislation were approved into law, any individual or entity will be fined if caught in the unlawful trade of used cooking oil for human consumption.

The proposed legislative measure is currently pending in the House Committee on Health.

“Carcinogens are found in cooking oil as well as other dangeous toxins that may result to hypertension, damage to the liver, and increase of risks in acquiring  diseases”, Batocabe said. “Although it is cheaper than brand new cooking oil, its dangers posed to the health of the consumers will have a long-lasting impact to their well-being”, Batocabe added.

House Bill 814 would penalize the selling of used cooking oil for human consumption from Php 10,000-Php 50,000. Quezon City Councilors previoiusly noted that some retailers filter and bleach used cooking oil to deceive consumers that they are selling new cooking oil.

Used cooking oil are instead encoured to be utilized for industrial purposes such as in soap-making, lubricants, weather-proofing, and production of biodiesel fuel.

“Used cooking oil shall only be permitted  in the hands of accredited retailers.  As such, the Department of Trade and Industry will be instructed to fromulate the Implementing Rules and Regulations to operationalize the policy”, Batocabe said.

In 2016, Davao City issued Executive Order 32 to institute mechanisms in the “storage, treatment, transport, export, processing, reprocessing, recycling, and disposal” of used cooking oil. Residents, vendors, and business establishments were instructed to comply with the order as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) classified used cooking oil as hazardous waste.

Used cooking oil in Davao City will be converted to biodiesel fuel through the Php 4 million technology awarded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency to the city. The converted biodiesel fuel is seen to power the dump trucks of the City Environment and Natural Resources and other city government vehicles.

“Numerous cities have already recognized this issue and the need for its resolution. This bill seeks a nationwide implementation of the prohibition of the selling of used cooking oil for human consumption, and provides for penalties for retailers who continue to sell them”, Batocabe said.