The Philippine Inventory of Chemicals and Chemical Substances (PICCS) is a list of existing manufactured and imported chemical substances available in commerce. Compilation of the list is an essential early step in determining whether a nominated chemical substance is new to the Philippines. The list is required to support operation of the Pre-Manufacturing. Pre-Importation Notification (PMPIN) or the national chemical notification and assessment scheme of the Philippines Legal mandate is authorized under Republic Act 6969 “Toxic Substances and Hazardous and Nuclear Waste Control Act of 1990”.

The PICCS includes all chemicals imported into or manufactured in the Philippines by an individual importer or manufacturer in any twelve month period between 1 January 1988 to 01 January 1993. All naturally occurring substances are considered existing chemicals and will not be subject to notification.

Chemicals in the PICCS need to be identified only by their approved name molecular formula (where available) IUPAC nomenclature and the uniquely identifying Chemical Abstracts Service Registry Number Similar format with US or EEC registries. The PICCS will greatly assist manufacturers and importers nominating chemicals for inclusion.

For simplicity, development of the local registry was done in three stages completion of the initial core inventory was done by the Environmental Management Bureau in 1994 to 1995. As published, the core Inventory and quality control was performed to check on the veracity of the CAS numbers submitted and to standardized chemical names submitted and into IUPAC nomenclature. During the second phase the Core Inventory document was widely circulated to all potential participants to provide an opportunity for re-nominations subject to specific criteria of other eligible chemicals announcement of the first formal release of PICCS was made in 1999.

For the third phase, a Memorandum of Agreement was made with Chemical Abstract Service to match the chemical with the correct CAS Registry number and corresponding IUPAC or CAS Registry Name.

Occasionally, information provided to assist in the compilation of the Inventory will be classified as commercially confidential. Where the competent authority is satisfied that significant commercial disadvantage would occur, the substances may either be included in the published inventory or public version or be filed in a confidential section of Confidential Business Inventory (CBI). Potential notifiers who wish to confirm that a chemical substance is in the CBI would seek advice directly from the Environmental Management Bureau.

The Pre-Manufacturing, Pre-Importation Notification (PMPIN) scheme for new chemicals will prevent further increase in the number of chemicals in the Philippine commerce for which inadequate information is available on toxicological properties, human health effects and environmental hazards. Subject to resource availability, the application of chemicals of similar procedures to selected existing chemicals of particular concern will make a valuable contribution to the control of chemicals.

The several thousand industrial chemicals presently in use in the Philippines, only the highest priority substances or the more toxic chemicals will be selected for strict control. The priority will be determined for each chemical based on the greatest intrinsic toxicity, highest potential for nature of uses and lack of reliable hazard evaluation.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------