MCGI HYDROGEN WATER SCAM: FDA COMPLAINT EXPOSES MARCID BLUE AS CENTRAL SUPPLIER
- Shiela Manikis
- Nov 14
- 2 min read
New details intensify scrutiny on the church’s banned “healing water”
A newly acknowledged complaint before the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has intensified scrutiny on the Members Church of God International (MCGI) following allegations that its so-called “Hydrogenated Water” continues to circulate despite a 2024 ban and the complete absence of verified laboratory testing.
The product is sold at 60 pesos per 500ml bottle, four times the cost of a standard Nature’s Spring bottle. It is promoted inside MCGI as a “hydrogenated” cure-all for hypertension, cancer and even sleep disorders—claims unsupported by any scientific evidence. The FDA banned the product in September 2024 for unproven medical claims and for being produced in a facility without an FDA license.
Despite the ban, the drink continues to be distributed off-label across MCGI chapters locally and internationally. Promotional videos shown after worship services feature members sharing anecdotal testimonies, including one woman who claimed she was cured of hypertension and uric acid after consuming three boxes of the water.
Concerns escalated further when a testimony surfaced from an attendee who said an MCGI Church Worker prescribed the banned Hydrogen Water as an eye wash during a medical checkup. The complaint described the incident as dangerous and negligent, adding to the mounting safety issues surrounding the product.
Marcid Blue, owned by Bro. Don Capulong—the brother-in-law of MCGI leader Daniel Razon—is identified as the primary local bottler and supplier of the so-called Hydrogenated Water. This connection places the company in direct line with the product’s mass distribution within MCGI and raises questions on the involvement of leadership in sustaining the scheme even after the FDA ban.
Overseas, Capulong allegedly instructed trusted members of MCGI Foreign Ministry to act as repackers. Ordinary bottled water was reportedly purchased in bulk, stripped of its original labels and rebranded as “MCGI Hydrogen Water.” Documentation from Ireland supports this, showing relabeled supermarket water being sold at up to four times its retail price.
Sample bottles were collected from Lokal ng Muñoz and Lokal ng San Fernando, Pampanga. A division officer in Cebu City submitted an affidavit alongside the samples, strengthening the case filed before the FDA.
The FDA has logged the complaint under DocTrack No. 20251113155114, now accessible through the agency’s DocTrack system for public monitoring.
One may check the status of the case through the DocTrack Status at the FDA website using this link: https://www.fda.gov.ph/kiosk/
MCGI faces intensifying questions on why an unregistered and untested product continues to be endorsed and sold inside its chapters. Selling an off-label, unverified and previously banned product carries legal implications and places thousands of members at risk.
Requests for comment have been sent to Marcid Blue and MCGI leadership. Their responses will be published once received.
This story is developing.