Different groups expressed opposition to the approval of the proposed LPG cylinder swapping operational guidelines.

The oppositors are LPG Industry Groups such as : National LPG Alliance of the Philippines, Inc. (NLAP), Pryce Gases, Inc. (PGI), and the Independent LPG Dealers Association of the Philippines (ILDAP).

Based on the Joint Position Paper submitted to the Department of Energy (DOE) copy furnished to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) on 25 August 2026, the group opposed the approval of the proposed LPG Cylinder Swapping Center Operational Guidelines because the proposed guidelines have no sufficient legal basis and until now, there is no formulated and published LPG Cylinder Exchange and Swapping Program and the LPG Cylinder Improvement Program. These two programs were mandated under Sections 31 and 32 of Republic Act No. 11592.

The two programs : LPG Cylinder Exchange and Swapping Program and the LPG Cylinder Improvement Program are intended to work together and must include, among others, procedures and timelines for the exchange, swapping and buyback of LPG cylinders; mechanisms for establishing accredited LPG cylinder swapping centers; and the creation, funding, utilization, access and audit procedures for the LPG Cylinder Improvement Program Fund.

The group also emphasized that under the law, the Department of Energy (DOE), together with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), is required to formulate and publish both programs in consultation with LPG industry participants, consumer groups, and other public and private stakeholders.

But there have been no consultations specifically conducted for the formulation of the said two mandated programs involving all LPG industry participants, consumer groups and other relevant stakeholders, including the Philippine Competition Commission, the DTI Consumer Protection and Advocacy Bureau, the Department of the Interior and Local Government, local government units, and the Bureau of Fire Protection.

The groups said the consultations must specifically address the procedures and timeline for cylinder exchange, swapping and buyback; the establishment of accredited swapping centers; the LPG Cylinder Improvement Program fund; the fund's sources, authorized uses, access and audit procedures; and the creation of a task force solely to assist in implementation.

According to NLAP, PGI and ILDAP, these requirements have not been fulfilled.

“They should stick to what the law requires to make sure all details were defined and truly aligned first, for the benefit of not only of LPG industry groups but for the end-consumers as well,” said NLAP President Jojo Cruz.

The group also questioned the creation and functions of the National Program Policy Task Force (NPPTF) and Regional Program Implementation Task Force (RPITF) under various DOE-DTI issuances, saying Sections 31 and 32 of RA 11592 authorize a task force only to assist in the implementation of the programs—not to act as a policymaking body.

They called for the immediate abolition of the NPPTF and RPITF and urged the DOE and DTI to strictly follow the requirements of RA 11592.

The LPG industry organizations also stressed that Section 31 and Section 32 of RA 11592 expressly provide that the safety of LPG cylinders shall be paramount toward the protection of all end-consumers.

The formulation and implementation of the programs are therefore matters of public interest and public purpose and should not be altered merely to accommodate the interests of an individual or business organization.

The groups also emphasized that claims about the long overdue implementation of LPG cylinder swapping guidelines (from 2022 to 2026) are misleading, since the legally mandated programs themselves have not yet properly formulated and nor published.

“For as long as no published and formulated LPG Cylinder Exchange and Swapping Program and the LPG Cylinder Improvement Program, they should not approve the LPG Cylinder Swapping Center Operational Guidelines,” cited by NLAP President Cruz.