A cheap report on cheap toys

TV Patrol World did a disservice to its viewers last night (Nov. 21) when it failed to provide answers to larger questions with its report on China-made cheap toys.

According to the story from TV Patrol World‘s resident comic-reporter, cheap toys made from China are now flooding the market in time for the Christmas season. The program showed the abundance and cheap cost of these toys in a mall in the metropolis.

The bigger question however was: With recent reports about the alleged high lead content in toys made from China, how safe are the toys?

The report however did not explore this safety angle much. Except for a quote from a mall representative who merely said the mall “screens” the toys coming in, nothing in the report did tackle this critical issue against China-made toys. The report did not even ask the mall representative to explain the quality of its “screening” process of toys.

And what is the response of the local toy business sector on the issue? Or the process by which these China-made toys come to the Philippines and flood the market?

Interestingly, it was the same program that the PJR Reports commended in its issue last month for explaining the dangers of high lead content in toys. “The Sept. 6 news report (of TV Patrol) said high lead content in the paint used on toys could cause mental and kidney disorders and affect other parts of the nervous system as well,” PJR Reports noted in its Oct. 2007 issue. “If accidentally swallowed, toys with high lead content paint could result in mental retardation among children.”

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