QUEZON CITY — The toxics watchdog group EcoWaste Coalition concluded its observance of the International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week (ILLPW) by duly acknowledging the local paint industry’s participation in the third-party Lead Safe Paint certification program.
Established by the International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN) and managed by SCS Global Services, the Lead Safe Paint certification program guarantees that a paint's lead content does not exceed 90 parts per million (ppm), meeting the tightest global legal limits.
Under the Chemical Control Order (CCO) issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the use of lead and lead compounds is strictly prohibited in paints as a pigment, drying agent, or for some intentional purposes. The CCO set a legal limit of not more than 90 ppm for lead in all paints. It also phased out lead use from 2013 to 2016 for decorative paints, and from 2013 to 2019 for industrial paints.
The paint industry's commitment to eliminating lead went far beyond its active involvement in crafting the CCO, together with the government and civil society, and meeting the 2016 and 2019 phase-out deadlines. By partnering with IPEN and the EcoWaste Coalition, local manufacturers actively championed the creation and rollout of the independent Lead Safe Paint Certification program.
Today, seven leading paint companies representing 90 to 95% of the Philippine paint market have applied and passed the rigorous Lead Safe Paint verification procedures, confirming compliance with the lead paint standard; four of these companies obtained their certificates in 2024-2025. Certified products include decorative, architectural, and industrial paints and coatings.
Although the Lead Safe Paint certification program is voluntary, it has gained strong backing from top paint manufacturers within the Philippine Paint and Coatings Association, Inc. (PPCAI), including Asian Coatings Philippines, Inc.; Davies Paints Philippines, Inc.; A-Plus Paints - FH Colors & Coatings Corp.; Pacific Paint (Boysen) Philippines, Inc.; Treasure Island Industrial Corp.; Triton Paints - Roosevelt Chemical Inc.; and Sycwin Coating & Wires, Inc.
Obtaining Lead Safe Paint certificates authorizes companies to display the Lead Safe Paint logo on paint cans and promotional materials, signalling their commitment to public health and safety and guiding consumers in picking products that will not pose lead exposure risks.
Certificates are valid for three years and must be renewed before the expiration date. Halfway through the certification’s validity period, surveillance testing is conducted involving a limited number of samples to verify ongoing compliance. The samples are collected by the EcoWaste Coalition, prepared by the Philippine Institute of Pure and Applied Chemistry (PIPAC), and tested by the designated laboratory in the USA. Asian Coatings Philippines, Inc. and the Pacific Paint (Boysen) Philippines, Inc. are currently undergoing surveillance testing.
SCS Global Services, the US-based certification body, also offers a wide portfolio of environmental certification services, providing bundled service discounts for indoor air quality, material transparency, and life cycle assessment services, including: Health Product Declarations (HPDs); Recycled Content; Indoor Air Quality; and Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs).
Although its toxicity is well-known, lead remains common in paints produced and sold across low- and middle-income countries, endangering health, particularly in children. To fight this major source of childhood lead exposure, IPEN and its members around the globe are campaigning for strong regulations banning lead in all paints. The groups also advocate for lead chromates to be listed in the Rotterdam Convention to control the global trade of these common lead-based pigments and paints containing them.
Lead is a "systemic toxicant" that can affect the neurological, hematological, cardiovascular, renal, reproductive, and immune systems. A potent neurotoxin, it can damage the brain and central nervous system, resulting in decreased IQ, learning and developmental disabilities, poor school performance, reduced educational attainment, and behavioral problems, such as shorter attention spans, increased hyperactivity, impulsivity, aggression, and violence.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), "there is no level of exposure to lead that is known to be without harmful effects." As reiterated by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the Partnership for Lead-Free Future (PLF), "exposure to even small amounts of lead over time can have lifelong effects on children, inflicting irreversible damage to their developing bodies and brains." PR