05/09/2026
Last Friday, at my sister's house, my aunt was showing everyone the massage gadget she bought online.
Pretty box. Nice remote. Six pressure settings, she said.
The seller told her it is FDA approved.
I asked her, approved saan?
She did not know.
I turned the box around.
No FDA registration number anywhere. No certification mark.
Just the word "FDA" printed on a sticker.
The way "leather" gets printed on a bag that is not leather.
My aunt got quiet for a second.
Then she laughed a little and said, "Basta gumagana naman, ang sarap sa likod."
I did not argue with her about that part.
I just opened my phone and showed her how to check a real FDA registration number. The one that's supposed to be on every legitimate product, supplement or gadget.
Took less than two minutes.
She squinted at her own box after. Turning it over twice, like she was seeing it for the first time.
She still has the massage gadget. She still uses it every night.
But now she knows exactly what she is holding, and what she is not.
Comment "FDA" and I will send you exactly where to look. 👇