In the Philippines, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (formerly the Bureau of Food and Drugs) created under the Department of Health, is responsible for regulating cosmetic products and ensuring the safety, purity, and quality of cosmetics in Philippines market. Being a prominent member of ASEAN, Philippines formally adopted the ASEAN Harmonized Regulatory Scheme and the ASEAN Common Technical Documents into the National Requirements on April 2005 and allowed the cosmetic industry a transitory period to 31 Dec 2007. Since then, a notification scheme has been implemented in Philippines.

All cosmetic companies shall obtain a License to Operate (LTO) prior to engaging in manufacturing, importation, distribution and sale of cosmetics. The LTO is also an essential requirement to be able to notify cosmetic products. All companies are asked to ensure that their notified products meet the requirements of the ASEAN cosmetic Directive, its annexes and appendices.

Submission of the notification application shall be done using the FDA E-Portal, accessible through FDA official website https://ww2.fda.gov.ph. To file an application, follow the procedure below:

a) Secure a CCRR User Account by sending a request to info@fda.gov.ph following with the following information:

• Email address (preferably company email address)
• Name
• Position
• Contact No.
• Company name
• Company address
• Product classification: cosmetics

b) After securing the CCRR user account, log in at the FDA e-Portal (https://ww2.fda.gov.ph)
c) Select “New Case” and accomplish the ASEAN Notification Form.
d) Download the Order of Payment and assign the task to FDA Cashier.
e) Pay the fee at any Landbank Branch or thru online Bancnet payment and wait for the Result of Application.
h) If approved, download and print the notice of acknowledgement.

Companies with correct application documentation will be issued a Notification Certificate. For initial submissions, the notification shall be valid for a period of 1 to 3 years maximum at the option of the applicant. Those with insufficient documentation will receive a Notice of Deficiencies, asking for clarification or further explanation of some details. Any company declaring false or misleading information will get a Denial Letter. The FDA lists all of its decisions on notification applications on its website.