Buy inexpensive toys for kids with caution

Christmas, indeed, is in the air! Christmas songs are everywhere—in jeepneys and other public utility vehicles, streets, schools, homes. People from different walks of life are frequently seen in malls, markets or bazaars buying ingredients for dishes to be prepared, new clothes to wear, presents for loved ones. With only a few days left before Christmas, many Filipinos are busy doing their last-minute shopping and buy what they ought to buy or think they do.
For the crammers out there, be careful on what products to purchase, especially gift items for kids, because you absolutely cannot err on the side of danger and end up marking less than happy holidays.

Toxic toys
Inexpensive toys can be found in some public markets and malls, including those in Manila’s Divisoria area. It is alleged that some of them are being sold there because licensing problems prevent such toys from being sold in legitimate stores.

Helen Ocampo, an engineer with the Bureau of Health Devices and Technology (BHDT) under the Department of Health, told The Manila Times during a recent interview that there are products that are banned or had been removed from the market because they exceed the amounts of Lead (Pb), Cadmium (Cd), Chromium (Cr), Mercury (Hg), Selenium (Se), Antimony (Sb), Arsenic (As) and Barium (Ba) in them.

When the quantities of these chemicals in the inexpensive toys exceed the allowable limit, negative health effects among children are highly possible, BHDT said.

For instance, Lead might cause mental and physical retardation, behavioral problems and learning disorders and it drastically reduces attention span.

Cadmium causes stomach irritation, which leads to vomiting and diarrhea and possible kidney diseases.

Chromium might bring on stomach upsets and ulcers, convulsions, kidney and liver damage.

Mercury can cause brain damage, as indicated by changes in vision or hearing and lapses in memory problems, lung damage, increases in blood pressure/heart rate, skin rashes and eye irritation.

Selenium gives children brittle hair and deformed nails and causes them to lose feeling in and control of their arms and legs.

Antimony might cause vomiting and Arsenic can be behind lower IQ and increased mortality in young adults.

Enter phthalates in children’s toys.

Phthalates (pronounced as THAL-ates) are a class of chemicals that are made from alcohol and phthalic anhydride.

These also are organic chemicals produced from oil and used as plasticizers and softening agents for Polyvynyl Chloride (PVC).

There is a wide range of products with phthalates such as building materials, cosmetic products, medical devices, vynyl upholstery, floor tiles, food containers and wrappers, cleaning materials and children’s toys.

Thony Dizon, the coordinator of EcoWaste Coalition’s Project PROTECT (People Responding and Organizing against Toxic Chemical Threats), said during a recent interview that infants’ or kids’ toys with phthalates are carcinogenic and may cause serious health problems such as kidney, liver and respiratory diseases—which may develop depending on how often a child or a person is exposed to phthalate-containing products.

According to Dizon, such toys with phthalates could weaken the immune system.

He said that disposal of phthalate-containing products such as kids’ toys poses an environmental problem in that these products do not easily decompose.

Just throwing them away could compromise the health of people who will have contact or exposure to the phthalate-containing products.

Thermal decomposition or burning phthalates may release oxides of carbon and other gases or vapors that will be hazardous to health.

Govt warning
The government has warned the public about negative health effects of the phthalates since 1999.

The warning, apparently, has been unheeded, as indicated by the continuous selling of phthalate-containing toys allegedly in some of the Divisoria malls.

The Health department has advised manufacturers and retailers to voluntarily stop selling soft PVC toys and infant-care products containing phthalates.

EcoWaste Coalition, a “green” organization, last month bought assorted toys with prices ranging from P18 to P150 last month from stores in Divisoria.

It had these toys, all imported from China, analyzed for phthalates at Intertek Thailand through Intertek Testing Services Philippines Inc.

Laboratory tests proved that the batch contained phthalates and showed that six out of seven toys exceeded the 0.1-percent mass limit set by the US Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 for children’s toys and child-care articles.

The only sample that passed the test was a doll containing .04 percent of Diethyl Hexyl Phthalate (DEHP).

A squeeze ball toy contains 10.81 percent DEHP and 15.75 Di-iso-nonyl Phthalate (DINP); a shrilly chirping chicken toy, 19.11 percent DEHP; a floating-duck toy, 18.97 percent; a tiger toy, 4.27 percent DEHP and 2.27 DINP; a “Super Mario” toy, 17.08 percent DEHP; and a squeaky “Winnie the Pooh” toy, 33.16 percent.

EcoWaste Coalition data also show that none of the assorted toys was labeled as containing phthalates and only one was labeled as being made from PVC.

Furthermore, the laboratory-test results proved high levels of DEHP and DINP.

The European Union has banned phthalate-containing toys since 1999 and the United State, since 2008.

Japan will ban such toys starting 2011.

Here, there are pending bills filed in the Senate and the House of the Representatives seeking to prohibit selling of phthalate-containing toys.

In choosing toys for kids, read first the safety precautions and see if the toys are phthalate-free or not.

Have yourself a Merry—and safe—Christmas!

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EcoWaste Coalition: “Say 'thank you' to your neighborhood recyclers this Christmas."

In the last few days of merrymaking and partying before Christmas Day finally arrives, the EcoWaste Coalition, a waste and pollution watchdog, called on all Filipino families to say "thank you" to those who reclaim and recycle the discards that our throwaway culture generates.

“In this season of giving, let us not forget to thank the waste pickers and other recyclers for doing such a difficult, but extremely beneficial, job,” said Roy Alvarez, president of the EcoWaste Coalition. “They deserve our utmost respect for their efforts to recover the resources that we so carelessly throw away and for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from waste disposal."


To show our appreciation, the EcoWaste Coaltion suggests segregating household and workplace discards and giving the clean recyclables directly to community recyclers instead of dumping them all into one garbage can.


It also suggested clearing drawers and cabinets of clutter such as old but still useable clothes, books, school supplies and other necessities which could be given to recyclers as gifts.


“We could also show our appreciation for their services that are too often ignored by sharing home-cooked dishes or desserts with them, or by offering to shoulder the cost of fixing any recycling carts (kariton) that need to be repaired,” said Alvarez.


Concerned citizens could also offer gifts to protect waste pickers from the elements or from occupational hazards. The EcoWaste Coalition suggests giving umbrellas, rain coats, used rubber or utility shoes and dust masks for this purpose.


For its part, the EcoWaste Coalition will be providing noche buena packs to the families of 11 waste pickers from Pier 18 in Tondo, Manila. The 11 waste pickers are collaborating with the coalition on a study regarding the informal recyclers’ exposure to mercury in the course of their work.


“Just a little bit of effort from us citizens can give a lot of comfort to this marginalized sector of society,” said Alvarez. “Even the smallest of gifts can go a long way towards putting a smile on the waste pickers’ faces this Christmas.”

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Government, eco-group push ‘green’ Christmas

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) on Tuesday joined calls for a nature-friendly Christmas season.

“We enjoin each Filipino to be responsible enough, especially in disposing their trash, so as not to wreak further havoc to our already degraded environment,” said Environment Secretary Ramon Paje.

For gift-giving, Paje advised the public of reusing Christmas wrappers; using recycled paper and reusable bags or “bayong” to put gifts in; giving live plants as gifts; and patronizing products of companies or organizations known to implement green practices.

Aside from keeping parties clean, Paje also proposed segregation of biodegradable, recyclable and unusable wastes as well as holding activities that would promote environmental causes such as tree-planting.

“The less trash we generate, the less we clog our waterways, and the healthier and cleaner our environment,” he said.

Metro Manila alone dumps between 6,000 to 7,000 tons of garbage everyday.

EcoWaste Coalition, for its part, suggested using regular chinaware, metal cutlery, and glass that can be washed and used over and over again for various Christmas parties.

“Let’s not lose sight of the bigger environmental picture, even in the midst of our holiday activities. A little creativity can go a long way to making this a greener and Earth-friendly Christmas for all of us,” the group said.

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EcoWaste Coalition tells Filipinos be grateful with recyclers this Christmas

The Ecowaste Coalition on Tuesday called on all Filipino families to say "thank you" to those who reclaim and recycle the discards that our throwaway culture generates in the last few days of merrymaking and partying before Christmas Day finally arrives.

“In this season of giving, let us not forget to thank the waste pickers and other recyclers for doing such a difficult, but extremely beneficial, job,” said Roy Alvarez, president of the EcoWaste Coalition.

“They deserve our utmost respect for their efforts to recover the resources that we so carelessly throw away and for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from waste disposal," Alvarez said.

To show appreciation, EcoWaste Coalition suggests segregating household and workplace discards and giving the clean recyclables directly to community recyclers instead of dumping them all into one garbage can.

The group suggested clearing drawers and cabinets of clutter such as old but still usable clothes, books, school supplies and other necessities which could be given to recyclers as gifts.

“We could also show our appreciation for their services that are too often ignored by sharing home-cooked dishes or desserts with them, or by offering to shoulder the cost of fixing any recycling carts (kariton) that need to be repaired,” said Alvarez.

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Legarda tells Filipinos: Be frugal and eco-friendly in celebrating Yuletide season

As millions of Filipinos celebrate the holiday season organizing and attending numerous parties and holiday events, Senator Loren Legarda has urged everyone to be mindful of the environment.

Legarda said that enjoying the season does not entail sacrificing the environment through tons of trash if celebrations are made frugal and eco-friendly.

"Every holiday season, from the abundance of gifts and food we exchange, we also generate heaps of trash from leftovers, gift wrappers, containers and utensils. At a time when our environment has become more fragile, as we feel in the impacts of climate change, it is best if we practice being thrifty and eco-friendly," she said.

"We should refrain from preparing an excessive amount of food or getting more than what we can consume to avoid wastage. Instead of using disposable food ware we can just use our washable plates and regular cutlery. We can also recycle the wrappers, boxes and ribbons from gifts that we receive. These are just simple acts, which if we practice would be a great gift to Mother Earth," she added.

Legarda also supported the EcoWaste Coalition's call to use banana leaves on bamboo woven plates instead of polystyrene plastic (Styrofoam) to reduce plastic trash.

The Senator noted the group's waste audit of Manila Bay last November 28 which showed that 75.55% of the trash collected in the area was composed of plastic discards, 20.47% of which are polystyrene plastic.

Data from the National Solid Waste Management Commission also showed that an individual generates about 0.7 kilo of garbage on an average day, but it increases up to 1.2 kilos during the holiday season.

"There's nothing wrong with enjoying the season through grand celebrations, but if we want to enjoy our future holidays, too, we have to be mindful of the effects of our actions. In the end, what happens to our environment will ultimately affect us, too," Legarda stressed.

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Cancer-causing chemical found in most tap water in U.S.: Report

Hexavalent chromium, a cancer-causing chemical, is found in the tap water of 31 cities out of a total of 35 tested by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), it was reported on Monday.

The chemical was detected when EWG researchers made the first nationwide analysis of hexavalent chromium in tap water in the U.S., according to USA Today.

It is estimated that at least 74 million people in 42 states regularly drink chromium-tainted water, and a considerable proportion of it is in the carcinogenic hexavalent form, the report quoted the EWG as saying.

Analysis showed that highest levels were present in the tap water in Norman of Oklahoma, Honolulu of Hawaii, Riverside of California, Madison of Wiscosin and San Jose of California, the report said.

Hexavalent chromium, also known as chromium-6 in drinking water shows "clear evidence of carcinogenic activity" in animal studies, significantly raising the likelihood of the development of gastrointestinal tumors, according to EWG.

In 2008, the U.S. National Institutes of Health deemed chromium a "probable carcinogen." The chemical has been linked to leukemia and other cancers in animals, as well as liver and kidney damage, according to the report.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is weighing whether to set a limit on levels of hexavalent chromium in tap water, the report said.

Despite growing evidence of the dangers of hexavalent chromium in tap water, the EPA has done nothing about legal limit requirements, while water utility companies don't even have to test for levels in their tap water, scientists say.

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Priest pushes 'green' gifts for holidays

A Catholic prelate has called on the public to go “green” this Christmas by giving eco-friendly products as gifts.

“We recommend that they give eco-friendly stuff,” Caloocan Bishop Deogracias Iniguez said in an interview.

He particularly urged the public to give plants to their loved ones.

“It’s not only eco-friendly, it is also cheaper since you can get it from your own backyard,” said Iniguez.

The Public Affairs Committee chairman of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines also encouraged last minute shoppers to do away with plastic bags and replace them with “bayong,” a hand-woven native bag made of buri palm leaves or other locally available plant materials.

“We should avoid using plastic and this is one good opportunity for people to learn,” Iniguez said.

The prelate together with the pro-environment group Ecowaste Coalition earlier lauded the move by the Samahang Pagkakaisa ng mga Tindera sa Talipapa (SPTT) to observe every Monday beginning October 11 as “No Plastic Bag Day” to cut unrestrained consumption and disposal of plastic bags.

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Christmas won't be blue if you go green

With the Christmas countdown down to a scant few days, you must be done with your Christmas shopping. Or are you down with a fever (for ’tis the season for colds and flu)? While some are already panic shopping, I can only panic as shopping is not really on my to-do list these days, what with so many deadlines to beat at work. But there are people (like me) who thrive on the 11th hour.

With toys selling like proverbial hotcakes, the EcoWaste Coalition, an environment watchdog, has appealed for government assurance on toy quality and safety, even as shopping malls and vendors in Divisoria are enjoying brisk sales.

“The government is responsible for recalling toys that have not passed quality and safety standards, including product labeling requirements,” says Roy Alvarez, EcoWaste Coalition president. “Toys that pose choking, laceration, poking, strangulation, burning and chemical poisoning threats to young children should be withdrawn from store shelves without delay.”

He adds, “We want to see the authorities ordering product recalls as a precaution against children’s potential exposure to physical, mechanical and chemical hazards in toys.”

The group reveals that in the US, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recalled 50 kinds of toys in 2009 and 44 kinds just this year.

Alvarez points out, “Government authorities in Europe and the US issue toy recall orders from time to time to rid the market of dangerous toys. Our own government should do the same in order to save our children from harm. At the same time, it should also ensure that recalled toys from abroad do not get dumped into the country’s ports and markets.”

Also, all ye consumers, you’d better watch out for those giant puzzle mats (or carpets) made of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) foam that contains formamide. These were recently banned by the Belgian and French governments. Formamide is a reproductive toxicant, a chemical that is classified as toxic to the reproductive system, posing harm to fetuses and infants.

“This latest toxic scare in Belgium and France involving formamide-laced foam puzzle mats or carpets, which are also quite popular in the Philippines, should be enough incentive to move the authorities into withdrawing the product from the local market,” says Thony Dizon, coordinator of the EcoWaste Coalition’s Project PROTECT (People Responding and Organizing against Toxic Chemical Threats).

Last Friday, the Belgian Minister for Consumer Protection Paul Magnette ordered the withdrawal of foam puzzle tapestries, which were found to contain high levels of formamide.

Following the Belgian action, French Secretary of Consumer Affairs Frederic Lefebvre ordered the Directorate General for Competition, Consumption and Fraud to “proceed without delay to control the toxicity of carpet puzzles for children and (their) sale on the French market.”

So, what’s on top of people’s Christmas lists?

Richard Gutierrez (not the actor), executive director of Ban Toxics, says that a quick check at Amazon.com shows that seven out of the top 10 to-die-for gifts for Christmas are electronic gadgets. But before dashing to the store to buy a shiny new MP3 player for yourself or the latest gaming console for your kids, stop and take a few minutes to learn a little more about responsible gift-giving this Christmas season. He promises you may not have a white Christmas this year, but it certainly won’t be blue if you go green.

Fact is, Ban Toxics , the EcoWaste Coalition, and Greenpeace Southeast Asia have banded together (the more, the merrier) to come up with the Greener Gadgets Gift Guide for consumers.

Richard explains, “E-waste is an urgent topic of concern, especially for countries such as the Philippines, where discarded electronics from countries such as Japan and South Korea are exported as secondhand goods. These e-wastes contain toxic substances which may be released through improper use and recycling. It’s our responsibility to make sure that we don’t add to the growing mountain amount of e-waste in the country by buying gadgets which may potentially harm both human health and the environment.”

Hark! Here are the disturbing facts: E-waste contains a cocktail of toxic chemicals that’s added to various parts of electronics. Phthalates, brominated flame retardants (BFR), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) are often added to gadgets’ plastic housing and electrical wiring. Aside from possibly damaging the liver, lungs, and kidney, phthalates are also suspected to cause infertility in males. On the other hand, both BFR and PVC are cancer-causing substances. In addition, poisonous metals like mercury and lead, both of which damage the nervous system and cause developmental disorders, are found in some television and computer screens.

Think green this Christmas. Here are the Greener Gadgets Gift Guide tips to guide you as you comb the store shelves and check your list twice:

• Know your brands. Get to know which companies produce safe and environmentally sustainable electronic gadgets. Greenpeace recently updated its Guide to Greener Electronics, which ranks the top electronics manufacturers according to their policies on toxics, recycling, and climate change. The guide is available at the Greenpeace website.

• Know what harmful toxic materials are commonly used in electronic gadgets. Avoid products that have these, or purchase the item with the least amount. A product marked “RoHS-compliant” means that it complies with the European Union’s Restriction of Hazardous Substances directive. In other words, they do not contain mercury, lead, cadmium, chromium, polybrominated biphenyls, and polybrominated biphenyl ethers, common toxins found in electronic gadgets.

• Buy energy-efficient electronic products. Look for the Energy Star or the energy efficiency ratio (EER) — the higher the number, the more efficient your electronic device. An air conditioner with an EER of 15 cools more efficiently and inexpensively than one with an EER of 11.

• Look for brands with good warranty and take-back policies. Chances are, the better the warranty policy, the higher the product quality.

For example, an inkjet printer with a one-year warranty is likely to be more durable and long-lasting than one with a three-month warranty.

Also, getting a brand with a take-back policy helps ensure that your DVD player, laptop, or mobile phone will be recycled instead of dumped into landfills.

• Go for quality, not quantity. Avoid buying very cheap items in bulk. Most of these items will wear out after a few months.

Did you know that the EcoWaste Coalition’s Project PROTECT found that six out of seven cheap toys from bargain centers contain toxic plastic? Cheap may save you money but not tears in the end. Buying a product with good quality is a much better investment, and better for the environment, too.

• Look for electronics with rechargeable rather than disposable batteries. Rechargeables may be more expensive initially, but they can be recharged and used many times, eliminating the need to purchase and throw away disposable batteries constantly.

• Think of alternatives to giving electronics to your loved ones. A personalized, handmade present can mean just as much, if not more, than a store-bought gadget. But if you absolutely must buy an electronic gadget for a gift, make sure it’s worth your money by following tips 1-6.

Don’t forget to keep a mental list of this guide as you do your last-minute do-or-die shopping. By doing so, you’re sending a message to manufacturers, reminding them of their responsibility to consumers.

“Manufacturers have the responsibility to eliminate toxins in their products, and our government should create regulations to ensure that this behavior is adopted,” stresses Beau Baconguis, toxics campaigner of Greenpeace Southeast Asia.

“The spirit of Christmas is not about things that are new, but things that have meaning,” notes Rei Panaligan, coordinator of the EcoWaste Coalition. “It’s the thought that counts — and in buying electronic gifts, a little thinking goes a long, long way in protecting our loved ones’ health, and preventing more toxic e-waste from piling up in our already ailing environment.”

So, have yourself a merry little green Christmas!

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Bishop asks the people to give eco-friendly gifts this Christmas

An official of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has encouraged the people to give eco-friendly gifts this holiday season.

“We recommend that they give eco-friendly stuff,” said Bishop Deogracias Iniguez, chairman of the CBCP Public Affairs Committee.

He urged the public to environment friendly gifts such as plants, to their loved ones this Christmas, which also persuades the receiver to care for the environment.

“It’s not only eco-friendly it is also cheaper since you can get it from your own backyard,” Iniguez said.

Likewise, he urged holiday shoppers not to use plastic bags and instead carry “bayong”, a hand-woven native bag made of buri palm leaves or other locally available plant materials.

“We should avoid using plastic and this is one good opportunity for people to learn,” Iniguez said.

The prelate’s call coincides with the pro-environment group Ecowaste Coalition that supports the previous move of the Samahang Pagkakaisa ng mga Tindera sa Talipapa (SPTT) to observe every Monday beginning October 11 as “No Plastic Bag Day” to cut unrestrained consumption and disposal of plastic bags.

“Let us take pride in using the ‘bayong’ in the ‘palengke’ and even in shopping malls knowing that we are saving the planet, ourselves and the future generations by cutting our craving for plastic bags and the ensuing emissions,” the prelate earlier said.

Government data revealed that plastic comprises 15 percent of Metro Manila’s solid waste, with food and kitchen waste accounting for about 45 percent, paper 16 percent, glass and wood 9 percent and other discards 15 percent.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources data also showed that some 756,986 kilos of garbage were collected during the coastal cleanup operations in 2009 with plastic bags constituting 300,176 kilos or almost half of the retrieved garbage from shorelines and waterways.

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Parada vs paputok sa gas leak area

Bilang suporta sa ordinansa kontra sa paputok ng pamahalaang lungsod ng Makati, nagmartsa kahapon ang mga miyembro ng EcoWaste Coalition, Advocates for Environmental and Social Justice at Barangay Bangkal Council dala ang sarili nilang Sta. Claus sa lugar ng “gas leak” sa Brgy. Bangkal upang manawagan sa pag-iwas sa pagpapa­putok sa mga residente.

Bukod sa panganib na magmitsa ng isang trahedya sa itinuturing na “timebomb” na lugar dahil sa kemikal sa hangin at naimbak na gas sa West Tower Condominium, sinabi ni Aileen Lucero ng EcoWaste na nakakadagdag rin sa lason sa ha­ngin ang mga paputok.

Sa datos ng DOH, nakakadagdag sa mga lason tulad ng carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulfur compounds at iba pang organic compounds ang mga pinasabog na paputok..

Ipinagbabawal ang pag­bebenta, paglikha, pag-iimbak, posesyon at paggamit ng anumang uri ng paputok o iba pang sumasabog na bagay sa mga barangay Bangkal, Pio Del Pilar at Magallanes.

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Ban on firecrackers in Makati

A ban on the use of firecrackers in areas traversed by the gas pipeline of the Lopez-owned First Philippine Industrial Corporation (FPIC) in Makati City has gotten the support of environmental group EcoWaste Coalition.

"Firecrackers are the last thing anyone needs to celebrate the season, especially since these have already been proven to be toxic to humans, animals and the environment," said Aileen Lucero of the EcoWaste Coalition's Project PROTECT (People Responding and Organizing against Toxic Chemical Threats).

"They're even more of a threat in Makati City, especially since the FPIC has yet to complete the remediation work and the clean-up of West Tower and surrounding villages affected by the massive spill underneath the ground. We, therefore, laud and support the precautionary ban on firecrackers adopted by the City Council and signed by Mayor Jun-Jun Binay," she added.

To dramatize their appeal, members of the group and the Advocates for Environmental and Social Justice joined hands with the Barangay Council of Bangkal, where a leak in the FPIC pipeline used to transport petroleum from Batangas to the Pandacan oil depots, in staging a parade around the area to call attention to the danger of using firecrackers.

The parade was led by a man dressed as Santa Claus who held a friendly reminder that said "Sabi ni Santa: Kaligtasan Muna, Iwas-Paputoxic."

Participants also carried 10 oversized mock triangulos bearing the word "NO!" while blowing whistles to get the attention of passersby and bystanders.

"It's hard enough that we have to worry about toxic fumes from firecrackers every year," said Barangay Bangkal chair Fermin Eusebio. "It's outrageous to think that we have to add the very real possibility of starting destructive fires in the city to our list of woes."

"One misplaced firecracker thrown by a careless reveler could place hundreds of lives in danger. It's always better to be safe than sorry, especially during the holidays. We call on all concerned citizens to abide by the city ordinance and to make sure their neighbors do so as well," Lucero said.

The Makati City Council approved last December 7 an ordinance banning the sale, manufacture, storage, possession or use of all types of firecrackers, pyrotechnic devices, and other explosive materials in the areas of Bangkal, Pio Del Pilar, and Magallanes.

The ordinance was issued amid fears of fire starting in the mentioned barangays, which are traversed by the FPIC pipeline.

Results of vapor tests

Mayor Binay also took note of the results of vapor tests conducted by the Occupational Safety and Health Center of the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) showing that vapors inside the West Tower "have a high explosive limit."

Among those prohibited by the ordinance are baby rocket, bawang, small triangulo, pulling of strings, paper caps, el Diablo, watusi, Judah's belt, sky rocket (kwitis), "and other types equivalent to the foregoing in explosive content".

Pyrotechnic devices such as sparklers, luces, fountain, jumbo regular and special, mabuhay, roman candle, trompillo, airwolf, whistle, butterfly, all kinds of pyrotechnic devices (pailaw), "and other types equivalent to the foregoing devices," are also banned.

Apart from the threat of explosion and fire due to the damaged pipeline, the EcoWaste Coalition is also concerned about the toxic burden that firecrackers and other pyrotechnics release into the atmosphere.

Citing information provided by the health department, the coalition said these devices generate many pollutants, including carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulfur compounds, particulate matter, metal oxides and organic compounds, when burned. These pose health risks to infants and young children and those with respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.

"Why do we need to use these dangerous and toxic items when there are more creative alternatives available?" asked Lucero. "Is it really worth putting our families' lives in danger for a few short-lived bursts of light in the sky?"

Instead of firecrackers, fireworks and similar devices, the group is promoting the use of substitute noisemakers that will not cause injuries, fire, and pollution.

Lucero cited as an example shakers that could be made by filling discarded soap and toothpaste boxes with pebbles. Beverage cans and plastic bottles could also be used for this purpose.

Maracas can be made from tin cans, while flattened metal bottle caps could be strung together to create a makeshift tambourine. Pots and pans may serve as cymbals and drums. Toy horns (torotot) are also used to make some noise.

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Ecology group pushes for safer toys this Xmas

With just days to go before Christmas, an ecological group asked the government to take steps to ensure only safe toys are sold in bargain centers and stores.

EcoWaste Coalition noted shops and vendors in Divisoria and shopping malls enjoy a brisk sale ahead of Christmas next week.

“The government is responsible for recalling toys that have not passed quality and safety standards, including product-labeling requirements. Toys that pose choking, laceration, poking, strangulation, and chemical-poisoning threats to young children should be withdrawn from store shelves without delay," EcoWaste president Roy Alvarez said in an article posted on the group's blog site.

“We want to see the authorities ordering product recalls as a precaution against children’s potential exposure to physical, mechanical and chemical hazards in toys," he added.

Citing data from the European Union’s Rapid Alert System for Non-Food Products (RAPEX), the group said that in 2009, 476 kinds of toys had already been recalled by the 27-country bloc.

It said in 2010, an additional 478 kinds of toys were recalled.

The group added that in the United States, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recalled 50 kinds of toys in 2009 and 44 kinds in 2010.

“Government authorities in Europe and the US issue toy recall orders from time to time to rid the market of dangerous toys. Our own government should do the same in order to save our children from harm. If they don’t, who will?" Alvarez said.

"The government should also ensure that recalled toys from abroad will not get dumped into the country's ports and markets," he added.

Toxic puzzle tapestries, mats, or carpets

Meanwhile, EcoWaste alerted the public to a recent move by the Belgian and French governments to impose a ban on giant puzzle mats or carpets made of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) foam because of concern with formamide.

Formamide is a reproductive toxicant, or a chemical classified as toxic to the reproductive system, which can pose harm to fetuses and infants. Exposure to the chemical can also cause eye, nose, throat, and skin irritation.

“The latest toxic scare in Belgium and France involving formamide-laced foam puzzle mats or carpets, which are also quite popular in the Philippines, should be enough incentive to induce the authorities into withdrawing the product from the local market," said Antonio Dizon, coordinator of the EcoWaste Coalition's Project PROTECT (People Responding and Organizing against Toxic Chemical Threats).

Last Friday, Belgian Minister for Consumer Protection Paul Magnette ordered the withdrawal of foam puzzle tapestries which were found to contain high levels of formamide.

Following the Belgian action, Frederic Lefebvre, the French Secretary of Consumer Affairs, ordered the Directorate General for Competition, Consumption and Fraud to “proceed without delay to control the toxicity of carpet puzzles for children and [their] sale [in] the French market."

In 2009, consumer groups in Belgium, Italy, Portugal, and Spain reported the presence of formamides in foam mat puzzles.

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Environmentalists back precautionary ban on firecrackers in Makati City

In support of the firecracker ban enacted by the Makati City government in the area near a damaged petroleum pipeline, the EcoWaste Coalition, a waste and pollution watchdog, took to the streets of Barangay Bangkal to call on citizens to avoid toxic and dangerous firecrackers this holiday season.

The combined representatives of the EcoWaste Coalition, Advocates for Environmental and Social Justice, and the Barangay Council, joined the parade which was led by a man dressed as Santa Claus. Santa Claus held a friendly reminder that said “Sabi ni Santa: Kaligtasan Muna, Iwas-Paputoxic.” Participants also carried 10 oversized mock triangulos bearing the word “NO!” while blowing whistles to get the attention of passersby and bystanders.

“Firecrackers are the last thing anyone needs to celebrate the season, especially since these have already been proven to be toxic to humans, animals and the environment,” said Aileen Lucero of the EcoWaste Coalition’s Project PROTECT (People Responding and Organizing against Toxic Chemical Threats).

“They’re even more of a threat in Makati City, especially since the First Philippine Industrial Corporation (FPIC) has yet to complete the remediation work and the clean up of West Tower and surrounding villages affected by the massive spill underneath the ground. We therefore laud and support the precautionary ban on firecrackers adopted by the City Council and signed by Mayor Jun-Jun Binay,” she added.

The Makati City Council approved last December 7 City Ordinance 2010-A-020, banning the sale, manufacture, storage, possession or use of all types of firecrackers, pyrotechnic devices, and other explosive materials in the areas of Bangkal, Pio Del Pilar, and Magallanes. The ordinance was issued amidst fears of fire starting in these barangays which are traversed by the FPIC pipeline.

“It’s hard enough that we have to worry about toxic fumes from firecrackers every year,” said Barangay Bangkal Chair Fermin Eusebio. “It’s outrageous to think that we have to add the very real possibility of starting destructive fires in the city to our list of woes.”

“One misplaced firecracker thrown by a careless reveler could place hundreds of lives in danger,” said Eusebio.

“It’s always better to be safe than sorry, especially during the holidays,” said Eusebio. “We call on all concerned citizens to abide by the city ordinance and to make sure their neighbors do so as well.”

The EcoWaste Coalition agrees. “Let’s not forget the welfare of our fellows this Christmas,” said Lucero. “A safe and merry holiday celebration is the most precious gift that we can give to everyone this year. Let’s not lose sight of that in our excitement over the season.”

Apart from the threat of explosion and fire due to the damaged pipeline, the EcoWaste Coalition is also concerned about the toxic burden that firecrackers and other pyrotechnics release into the atmosphere.

Citing information provided by the Department of Health, the coalition said these devices generate many pollutants, including carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulfur compounds, particulate matter, metal oxides and organic compounds, when burned. These pose health risks to infants and young children and those with respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.

“Why do we need to use these dangerous and toxic items when there are more creative alternatives available?” asked Lucero. “Is it really worth putting our families’ lives in danger for a few short-lived bursts of light in the sky?”

Instead of firecrackers, fireworks and similar devices, the EcoWaste Coalition is promoting the use of substitute noisemakers that will not cause injuries, fire and pollution.

For example, shakers could be made by filling discarded soap and toothpaste boxes with pebbles. Beverage cans and plastic bottles could also be used for this purpose.

Maracas can be made from tin cans, while flattened metal bottle caps could be strung together to create a makeshift tambourine. Pots and pans could also be used as cymbals and drums. Toy horns (torotot) could also be used to make some noise.

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Poisonous silver cleaners easily found in MM stores

Silver cleaners, apparently the preferred poison of Filipinos committing suicide is still easily found in Metro Manila stores despite the ban on the agent.

Alarmed by the suicide trend involving the jewelry cleaner, environmental group Ecowaste Coalition said the cleaner containing the toxic chemical cyanide is still sold in seven malls in Metro Manila, some in unlabelled containers. Ecowaste noted that cyanide can kill instantly even in small amounts.

“We find it alarming that despite a joint ban from the Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), unlabelled and unregistered silver jewelry cleaners are so easily available to anyone with the cash to buy them,” said Thony Dizon of Ecowaste.

The University of the Philippines-National Poison Management and Poison Control Center said silver cleaner is among the top three toxicants found in patients admitted in the Philippine General Hospital and the East Avenue Medical Center Poison Control Unit. It is also the third agent most commonly swallowed by children.

Last July, a one-year-old child died of silver cleaner poisoning.

“Government regulators should exercise utmost vigilance in enforcing strict compliance of the ban on death-causing jewelry cleaners,” said Ecowaste secretary Dr. Leah Primitiva Samaco-Paquiz.

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'Holitrash' bawasan ngayong kapaskuhan

Umapila ang environmental group na EcoWaste Coalition sa publiko na bawasan ang kanilang “Holitrash” o holiday trash ngayong panahon ng kapaskuhan.

Ayon kay Roy Alvarez, presidente ng EcoWaste, ang “Holitrash” ang isa sa pinakamalaking contributor ng mga bundok ng basura sa bansa na nakasisira sa kalikasan, kaya’t dapat lamang itong bawasan.

Naniniwala ang grupo na makatutulong sa pagbabawas ng Holitrash ang hindi paggamit ng mga disposable na food containers at utensils, partikular na ang mga gawa sa styrofoam at polystyrene.

Dagdag pa nito na habang nagsasaya ang lahat sa kabi-kabilang party, ay hindi naman dapat na kalimutan ng mga ito ang makapagpapasaya sa kapaligiran.

Batay sa waste audit ng Manila Bay noong Nobyembre 28, lumilitaw na 75.55% ng 728 liters ng basura na nakolekta mula sa lugar ay mga plastic discard, at 20% nito ay styrofoam food at beverage containers.

Sinabi ni Alvarez na hindi naman kailangang gumamit ng disposable items sa Christmas parties, dahil mayroon namang mga alternatibong maaaring gamitin tulad ng regular chinaware, metal cutlery at mga baso, na maaaring hugasan at muling gamitin.

Hinikayat pa ng grupo ang publiko na magdala na lamang ng sarili nilang container at utensil para sa mga Christmas party sa kanilang mga opisina.

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'Silver cleaner' sale rampant in Metro Manila, says group

Despite a government ban in the purchase and use of silver jewelry cleaners, known as “suicide cleaners,” a toxics and pollution watchdog learned that it is still rampantly sold in some malls in Metro Manila.

In a joint memorandum signed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Department of Health (DoH) last September, it warned all commercial establishments such as jewelry shops and other retail outlets and ambulant vendors from selling and/or dispensing unregistered and unlabeled silver cleaners solution/agents due to its “threat to (public) health and safety.”

However, in the test buys conducted by EcoWaste Coalition in seven malls in Metro Manila last December 12 and 14, it allegedly discovered that silver cleaners are still being sold profusely.

The group claimed it was able to purchase 30 unlabelled and/or unregistered silver cleaning solutions in some jewelry and watch stores in Grand Central Mall (five stores) and Victory Central Mall (four stores) in Caloocan City; Guadalupe Shopping Center (two stores) in Makati City; Manila City Plaza (two stores) in Quiapo, Manila; Starmall Alabang (11 stores) in Muntinlupa City; and Farmer’s Plaza (four stores) and SM North (two stores) in Quezon City.

Some cases of suicide have been reported in Metro Manila through ingestion of cyanide-containing silver cleaning solutions.

From January to September 2010 alone, 11 have already died (6 adults and 5 children) from accidental and deliberate intake of poisonous silver cleaners.

“We find it alarming that, despite a joint ban from DoH and DENR, unlabelled and unregistered silver jewelry cleaners are so easily available to anyone with the cash to buy them,” Thony Dizon, coordinator for EcoWaste’s Project PROTECT (People Responding and Organizing against Toxic Chemical Threats), said.

The University of the Philippines-National Poison Management and Poison Control Center at the Philippine General Hospital and the East Avenue Medical Center Poison Control Unit consider silver jewelry cleaning agents as one of the top three toxicants among patients admitted for the past two years. They were also the third most commonly swallowed poison among children.

According to the DENR-DoH joint advisory on silver cleaners, “laboratory analysis of samples of silver cleaners show elevated levels of cyanide clearly posing imminent danger or even death to humans particularly when accidentally or deliberately ingested.”

It also emphasized that penalties would be imposed on importers, retailers and commercial establishments selling and dispensing unregistered and unlabeled silver cleaners. “Government regulators should exercise utmost vigilance in enforcing strict compliance of the ban on death-causing jewelry cleaners. Offenders must be punished to the full extent of the law,” Dr. Leah Primitiva Samaco-Paquiz, EcoWaste secretary, said.

The group called for the aggressive enforcement of the joint ban and for government regulators to cut off the country’s supply chain to the poisonous product.

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Sale of 'suicide cleaner' continues

AN ENVIRONMENTAL group said some jewelry and watch stores in Metro Manila malls are still selling silver cleaning solutions despite a blanket ban on the poisonous substance.

The EcoWaste Coalition's AlerToxic Patrol said they were able to purchase 30 unlabeled or unregistered silver cleaners in Grand Central Mall (five stores) and Victory Central Mall (four) in Caloocan City.

The same product was also found in Guadalupe Shopping Center in Makati City (two); Manila City Plaza in Quiapo, Manila (two); Starmall Alabang in Muntinlupa City (11); and Farmer's Plaza (four); and SM North Edsa (two) in Quezon City.

"Despite the ban, silver jewelry cleaners are so easily available to anyone with the cash to buy them," said Thony Dizon, coordinator for the EcoWaste Coalition's Project PROTECT (People Responding and Organizing against Toxic Chemical Threats)

The University of the Philippines-National Poison Management and Poison Control Center at the Philippine General Hospital and the East Avenue Medical Center Poison Control Unit considered silver jewelry cleaning agents as one of the top three toxicants among patients admitted in the past two years.

It is also the third most commonly swallowed poison among children. Cyanide, a lethal ingredient found in silver cleaners, can kill instantly even in small amount.

A string of suicides using silver cleaners prompted the Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to issue a joint advisory against the sale of toxic cleaners.

The advisory specifically penalizes importers, retailers, and commercial establishments who are selling and dispensing unregistered, unlabeled silver cleaners.

However, the results of the coalition's market monitoring have shown that these items are still rampant in the market.

"Offenders must be punished to the full extent of the law. Ito ay kailangang gawin para hindi pamarisan," said Leah Primitiva Samaco-Paquiz, secretary of the EcoWaste Coalition.

"Cutting the supply off at the source is the only way to ensure that this 'suicide cleaner' is removed from the market," said Dizon.

"Manufacturers and retailers have no business selling a highly poisonous substance with such impunity," he added.

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Groups encourage gift-givers: “Go for greener gadgets!”

Two weeks before Christmas Day, malls and appliance stores are experiencing the shopping rush that comes with the advent of the Christmas season. Shoppers are flocking to these shops to take advantage of the numerous sales that offer the latest electronic devices and high-tech gadgets at heavily discounted prices. At this time last year, a quick check at Amazon.com showed that seven out of the top ten gifts are electronic gadgets—and the trend seems to be keeping up in 2010.



Before giving in and joining the mad dash for a shiny new MP3 player for yourself or the latest gaming console for your kids, take a couple of minutes to learn a little more about responsible gift-giving this Christmas season. Ban Toxics[1], the EcoWaste Coalition and Greenpeace Southeast Asia have joined forces to create the Greener Gadgets Gift Guide for consumers.



“E-waste is an urgent topic of concern, especially for countries such as the Philippines, where discarded electronics from countries such as Japan and South Korea are exported as secondhand goods,” explains Richard Gutierrez, Executive Director of Ban Toxics. “These e-wastes contain toxic substances which may be released through improper use and recycling. It’s our responsibility to make sure that we don’t add to the growing mountain amount of e-waste in the country by buying gadgets which may potentially harm both human health and the environment.”



E-waste contains a cocktail of toxic chemicals that are added to various parts of electronics. Phthalates, brominated flame retardants (BFR) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) are often added to gadgets’ plastic housing and electrical wiring. Aside from possibly damaging the liver, lungs and kidney, phthalates are also suspected to cause infertility in males. On the other hand, both BFR and PVC are cancer-causing substances. In addition, poisonous metals like mercury and lead, both of which damage the nervous system and cause developmental disorders, are found in some television and computer screens



Here are several Greener Gadgets Gift Guide tips to help guide you as you check off your gift list this Christmas:



1. Know your brands. Get to know which companies produce safe and environmentally sustainable electronic gadgets. Greenpeace recently updated their Guide to Greener Electronics, a guide that ranks the top electronics manufacturers according to their policies on toxics, recycling, and climate change. The guide is available at the Greenpeace website: http://www.greenpeace.org/international/campaigns/toxics/electronics/how-the-companies-line-up/.
2. Know what harmful toxic materials are commonly used in electronic gadgets. Avoid products that have these, or purchase the item with the least amount. A product marked “RoHS-compliant” means that it complies with the European Union’s Restriction of Hazardous Substances directive – in other words, they do not contain mercury, lead, cadmium, chromium, polybrominated biphenyls, and polybrominated biphenyl ethers – common toxins found in electronic gadgets.
3. Buy energy-efficient electronic products. Look for the Energy Star or the energy efficiency ratio (EER) – the higher the number, the more efficient your electronic device. An air conditioner with an EER of 15 cools more efficiently and inexpensively than one with an EER of 11.
4. Look for brands with good warranty and take-back policies. Chances are, the better the warranty policy, the higher the product quality. For example, an inkjet printer with a one-year warranty is likely to be more durable and long-lasting than one with a three-month warranty. Also, getting a brand with a take-back policy helps ensure that your DVD player, laptop, or mobile phone will be recycled instead of dumped into landfills.
5. Go for quality, not quantity! Avoid buying very cheap items in bulk. Most of these items will wear out after a few months. Also, the EcoWaste Coalition’s Project PROTECT has found that 6 out of 7 cheap toys from bargain centers contain toxic plastic. Cheap does not necessarily mean good. Buying a product with good quality item is a much better investment, and better for the environment, too.
6. Look for electronics with rechargeable rather than disposable batteries. Rechargeables may be more expensive initially, but can be recharged and used many times, eliminating the need to purchase and throw away disposable batteries constantly.
7. Think of alternatives to giving electronics to your loved ones. A personalized, handmade present can mean just as much, if not more, than a store-bought gadget. But if you absolutely must purchase an electronic gadget for a gift, make sure it’s worth your money by following tips 1-6.



This Christmas, keep these tips in a mental list as you do the last-minute rounds of shopping malls and gift shops. By doing your part, you are sending a message to manufacturers, reminding them of their responsibility to the consuming public. “Solutions ultimately rely not simply on consumers, but also on manufacturers,” asserts Ms. Beau Baconguis, Toxics Campaigner of Greenpeace Southeast Asia. “Manufacturers have the responsibility to eliminate toxics in their products, and our government should create regulations to ensure that this behavior is adopted.”



Lastly, don’t forget that the meaning for the season lies beyond our endless shopping lists. “The spirit of Christmas is not about things that are new, but things that have meaning,” says Mr. Rei Panaligan, Coordinator of the EcoWaste Coalition. "It’s the thought that counts – and in buying electronic gifts, a little thinking goes a long, long way in protecting our loved ones’ health, and preventing more toxic e-waste from piling up in our already ailing environment. “

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Continued sale of 'suicide cleaner' hit

An environmental group said some jewelry and watch stores in Metro Manila malls are still selling silver cleaning solutions despite a blanket ban on the poisonous substance.

The EcoWaste Coalition’s AlerToxic Patrol said they were able to purchase 30 unlabelled or unregistered silver cleaners in Grand Central Mall (five stores) and Victory Central Mall (four) in Caloocan City.

The same product was also found in Guadalupe Shopping Center in Makati City (two); Manila City Plaza in Quiapo, Manila (two); Starmall Alabang in Muntinlupa City (11); and Farmer’s Plaza (four) and SM North Edsa (two) in Quezon City.

“Despite the ban, silver jewelry cleaners are so easily available to anyone with the cash to buy them,” said Thony Dizon, coordinator for the EcoWaste Coalition’s Project PROTECT (People Responding and Organizing against Toxic Chemical Threats)

The University of the Philippines-National Poison Management and Poison Control Center at the Philippine General Hospital and the East Avenue Medical Center Poison Control Unit considered silver jewelry cleaning agents as one of the top three toxicants among patients admitted in the past two years.

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Safe toys advocacy group asks for govt assurance that only good toys are sold in the market‏

As the grand day of gift-giving nears, a group campaigning against toxins in toys asked the Aquino government to ensure that only safe items will be sold in bargain centers as well as in upmarket stores.

The EcoWaste Coalition voiced its appeal for government assurance on toy quality and safety, especially as shops and vendors in Divisoria and shopping malls enjoy a brisk sale ahead of Christmas next week.

“The government is responsible for recalling toys that have not passed quality and safety standards, including product labelling requirements,” said Roy Alvarez, president of the EcoWaste Coalition.

“Toys that pose choking, laceration, poking, strangulation, burning and chemical poisoning threats to young children should be withdrawn from store shelves without delay.”

“We want to see the authorities ordering product recalls as a precaution against children’s potential exposure to physical, mechanical and chemical hazards in toys,” he added.

Citing data from the European Union’s Rapid Alert System for Non-Food Products (RAPEX), the coalition reported that in 2009, 476 kinds of toys were recalled by the 27-country bloc. An additional 478 kinds were recalled in 2010.

The EcoWaste Coalition also revealed that in the US, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recalled 50 kinds of toys in 2009 and 44 kinds in 2010.

“Government authorities in Europe and the US issue toy recall orders from time to time to rid the market of dangerous toys,” Alvarez pointed out.

“Our own government should do the same in order to save our children from harm. If they don’t, who will?”

"The government should also ensure that recalled toys from abroad will not get dumped into the country's ports and markets," he added.

The coalition also alerted the public to a recent move by the Belgian and French governments to impose a ban on giant puzzle mats or carpets made of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) foam because of concern with formamide.

Formamide is a reproductive toxicant, or a chemical that is classified as toxic to the reproductive system, which can pose harm to fetuses and infants. Exposure can also cause eye, nose, throat and skin irritation

“The latest toxic scare in Belgium and France involving formamide-laced foam puzzle mats or carpets, which are also quite popular in the Philippines, should be enough incentive to induce the authorities into withdrawing the product from the local market,” said Thony Dizon, coordinator of the EcoWaste Coalition's Project PROTECT (People Responding and Organizing against Toxic Chemical Threats).

Last Friday, the Belgian Minister for Consumer Protection, Paul Magnette, ordered the withdrawal of foam puzzle tapestries which were found to contain high levels of formamide.

Following the Belgian action, Frederic Lefebvre, the French Secretary of Consumer Affairs, ordered the Directorate General for Competition, Consumption and Fraud to “proceed without delay to control the toxicity of carpet puzzles for children and (their) sale on the French market.”

In 2009, consumer groups in Belgium, Italy, Portugal and Spain reported the presence of formamides in foam mat puzzles.

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Boy dies after drinking silver cleaner solution

A two-year-old boy died in a Manila hospital late Wednesday afternoon several hours after accidentally ingesting a silver cleaner solution.

Manny Bacani, of Creeksite, Sucat, Muntinlupa City, was pronounced dead at around 2:30 p.m. by doctors at Mary Johnston Hospital, where he was rushed by his parents Mario Bacani and Mary Ann Andaya.

The couple executed an affidavit waiving an autopsy and an investigation into the death of their son.

Senior Police Officer 2 Henry Ignacio, of the Manila Police District (MPD) homicide section, said his office initially received information on the boy’s death at around 3 p.m. from the hospital.

Ignacio said that according to the parents’ statement, they were buying goods from a store selling silver jewelry stall along Ilaya Street in Divisoria with their son got hold of a glass on the counter containing a solution for cleaning silver, apparently mistaking it for water.

An accident

Upon discovering that the boy had accidentally ingested the poisonous substance, his parents immediately brought him to the nearest hospital for treatment.

Ignacio said the parents chose to waive an investigation, claiming that they could not remember the stall where their son got the silver cleaner nor could they identify its owner.

Warning

The Department of Health as well as the Departnment of Environment and Natural Resources had earlier issued a joint advisory on the sale of cyanide-laced silver cleaners.

The advisory reminded importers, vendors and other commercial establishments on the penalties following the sale or distribution of the substance, particularly “unregistered and unlabeled silver cleaners.”

It was issued to prevent cases of accidental poisoning or deaths due to ingestion of the substance.

Based on data from the Eco-Waste Coalition, three adults and eight children out of 235 cases of silver cleaning poisoning brought to the Philippine General Hospital died in 2009.

From January to September this year, 11 persons have died after drinking the substance, according to the same study.

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Despite ban, OTC sale of jewelry cleaner persists

Despite the supposed ban on the sale of silver jewelry cleaners, over-the-counter sale of this toxic chemical continues unabatedly, a local waste and pollution watchdog revealed.

The EcoWaste Coalition conducted the test buy on December 12 and 14 and found out that “suicide cleaners" could still be easily bought over-the-counter.

The latest victim of silver jewelry cleaner was Rea Patricio, a 14-year old student from Navotas City who fatally ingested the toxic chemical last week.

Silver jewelry cleaners contain cyanide, the same deadly chemical used by unscrupulous fishermen in their illegal fishing activities.

The coalition’s AlerToxic Patrol managed to buy with receipts 30 unlabelled and/or unregistered silver cleaning solutions in some jewelry and watch stores in the following malls: Grand Central Mall (in 5 stores) and Victory Central Mall (4) in Caloocan City; Guadalupe Shopping Center (2) in Makati City; Manila City Plaza (2) in Quiapo, Manila; Starmall Alabang (11) in Muntinlupa City, and Farmer’s Plaza (4) and SM North (2) in Quezon City.
“We find it alarming that, despite a joint ban from the DOH and the DENR, unlabelled and unregistered silver jewelry cleaners are so easily available to anyone with the cash to buy them,” said Thony Dizon, coordinator for the EcoWaste Coalition’s Project PROTECT (People Responding and Organizing against Toxic Chemical Threats).

“Rea Patricio’s suicide is only the latest in a chain of deaths involving silver cleaners. How many more people need to die before this poison is finally banished from the market?”
The University of the Philippines-National Poison Management and Poison Control Center at the Philippine General Hospital and the East Avenue Medical Center Poison Control Unit consider silver jewelry cleaning agents as one of the top three toxicants among patients admitted for the past two years. They were also the third most commonly swallowed poison among children.
A string of suicides and the accidental death last July of a one-year-old victim from silver cleaner poisoning prompted the Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), with input from the EcoWaste Coalition, to issue a joint advisory against the sale of toxic silver cleaners.

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Environmental watchdog says “Magplato, Di Styro” this holiday season

Barely two weeks to go before Christmas Day, and already the annual holiday frenzy has grown to epic proportions. Unfortunately, this is also the time when the country’s use of disposable goods such as Styrofoam and other polystyrene containers and plastic spoons and forks rises alarmingly.

In a timely eco-plea called “Magplato, Di Styro”, the EcoWaste Coalition, a waste and pollution watchdog, urged all consumers to keep their use of single-use party wares to a minimum in a bid to reduce the country’s “holitrash” (holiday trash).

“’Holitrash’ is one of the biggest contributors to the mountains of garbage that the country has to contend with,” said Roy Alvarez, president of the EcoWaste Coalition. “We may be having the time of our lives running from one party to the next, but the environment will certainly pay the price for our merriment.”

“There really is no need to use disposable items in Christmas parties when clearly there are many alternatives out there,“ continued Alvarez.

A waste audit of the heavily-polluted Manila Bay conducted last November 28 by the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, Greenpeace and the EcoWaste Coalition showed that 75.55% of the 728 liters of waste collected from the area was composed of plastic discards. 20.74% of these plastic discards were composed of Styrofoam food and beverage containers.

“The amount of Styrofoam discards floating in the bay has more than tripled since the last waste survey we did in 2006. Back then, polystyrene plastic made up 5% of the trash collected,” observed Gigie Cruz of the EcoWaste Coalition’s Task Force Plastics.

"While there are ongoing government as well as private sector initiatives to cut plastic bag consumption, not much is being done to control the wild use of polystyrene containers and other disposable cutlery,” said Cruz.

The coalition suggested using regular chinaware, metal cutlery, and glass that can be washed and used over and over again. Using banana leaves laid on reusable wicker or bamboo woven plates can also help reduce the amount of plastic discards that we generate this season.

For office parties, the EcoWaste Coalition suggested asking employees to bring their own sets of plates and utensils. Companies could also set aside a small budget for stocking their office pantries with reusable cutlery instead of issuing disposables for everyday use.

The money saved from buying disposables, according to the coalition, could instead go towards rewarding green employees. It could also be used to provide food for the less fortunate, such as the itinerant and dumpsite-based waste pickers, as part of a corporate social responsibility program.

The coalition also exhorted consumers to bring their own containers when buying cooked food in bulk, or request that items be packaged using biodegradable materials.

“Let’s not lose sight of the bigger environmental picture, even in the midst of our holiday activities,” the EcoWaste Coalition pointed out. “A little creativity can go a long way to making this a greener and Earth-friendly Christmas for all of us.”

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High heavy metal levels in toys, lipsticks

Children's toys and lipsticks are at the centre of a Ministry of Consumer Affairs investigation which has found a toy that contains lead 314 times over the allowable limit.

Investigators, who found the toys during random sampling in Auckland, were stunned by their findings and are working to discover how widely the products have been sold. But it is understood some are being sold nationally in discount stores.

The toxic substance, which can cause vomiting and death, was found in the paint of several children's toys - one of them an imitation version of the popular Bakugan Battle Brawlers.

A Combat Mission Gun was found with 28,280mg of lead per kilogram in its yellow paint. The legal limit is 90mg.

Another toy, the Super Motivity Truck, was 292 times the limit.

Other toys found to have too much lead were a Kinder-Gartengerate-set gardening set, Team Quick Stunt Moto and Action Team Assault Rifle.

Outlets selling the toys include Coin Save, Bargain City, Golden House, Dollar City and Fashion Leader stores.

The Coin Save products are understood to be in stores nationwide but investigators are awaiting public responses to media coverage last night and today before to gauge the scale of the problem.

If children put the toys in their mouths, lead poisoning could cause vomiting, stomach pains, difficulty sleeping, constipation and appetite loss.

However, Commerce Commission enforcement manager Greg Allan said yesterday no one was thought to have become unwell from the toys.

The commission, which took over the investigation after the Ministry of Health sampling, cannot issue a recall until it has found a distribution network for the toys.

In the meantime, it is advising anyone who has bought the toys to return them urgently or throw them out.

"These products, while not targeted specifically at small children, would pose a significant health risk to a small child if they were to chew or suck on them. The migratable lead in some of the products is at alarmingly high levels. Parents and caregivers need to immediately remove these toys from the household."

A company found to have breached regulations can be fined $200,000 and an individual $60,000.

The random testing also uncovered four brands of children's lipstick which were recalled yesterday after being found with small amounts of lead and barium and barely detectable levels of antimony, arsenic, cadmium and chromium - which are prohibited from use in cosmetics.

It is not known yet how widely these lipsticks are distributed.

The Ministry of Health has taken over the lipstick investigation because there are different laws for toys (governed by the Commerce Commission) and for cosmetics.

Ministry of Health spokesman Dr John Holmes said the lipstick recall was a precautionary measure.

"These lipsticks contain low levels of toxic substances which should not be used in cosmetics at all. People who have purchased these products should immediately dispose of them or return them to the retailer."

Although exposure to the metals at these low levels is unlikely to cause adverse health effects for most people, Dr Holmes said people could react differently. Anyone with concerns should contact their family doctor.

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Mga Produktong Toksiko, Mag-Ingat Kayo

Sunod-sunod ang paalala ng EcoWaste Coalition, isang grupong aktibong nagbabantay sa mga toksikong prokduto sa merkado, hinggil sa pagbili at paggamit ng mga bagay-bagay na delikado sa kalusugan dahil sa taglay na mga mapanganib na kemikal.

Unang nagbabala ang grupo sa pagbili ng mga laruang gawa sa plastik na PVC o polyvinyl chloride dahil sa sangkap nitong pampalambot na kemikal na kung tawagin ay phthalate na ipinagbabawal na Estados Unidos at Europa sa mga laruan at kagamitang pambata.

Anim sa pitong laruan na binili ng EcoWaste Coalition sa Divisoria at pinasuri sa isang pribadong laboratoryo sa Thailand ang nakitaan ng 2.27% hanggang 33.16% phthalate na lampas-lampas sa itinakdang limitasyon na 0.1% sa Estados Unidos.

Dahil sa gawi na ng mga bata na magsubo ng anumang bagay sa kanilang bibig ay mabilis nilang nakakain ang phthalate sa plastik na ayon sa mga pananaliksik ay nakakapinsala sa "reproductive system” at “immune system.”

Kasunod nito ay nagbabala naman ang grupo sa muling paglitaw ng mga kosmetikong pampaputi ng balat na ipinagbawal ng Food and Drug Administration (FDA) dahil sa kanilang matataas na antas ng kemikal na asoge o mercury, isang “toxic metal.”

Sa kanilang “test buy” ay madaling nakabili ang EcoWaste Coalition ng 10 sa 28 mga ipinagbabawal na pampapaputi sa mga tindahan sa Baclaran, Binondo, Divisoria, Guadalupe at Quiapo. Kabilang dito ang “Jiao Li” na ipinagbawal na noon pang Enero at Pebrero 2010.

Matapos ang ginawang paglalantad ng EcoWaste Coalition sa lantarang paglabag sa kautusan ng FDA ay nagsagawa ng “raid” ang FDA, katuwang ang ABS-CBN, na kung saan ay nakasamsam sila ng mahigit 100 kosmetikong may asoge.

Matapos ang paglalantad sa mga peligrosong laruan at kosmetiko ay muling ibinunyag ng EcoWaste Coalition ang walang habas na pagtitinda ng mga iligal na pampalinis ng mga pilak na alahas (silver jewelry cleaner) na may cyanide at iba pang mapanganib na sangkap.

Sa kautusang inilabas ng Kagawaran ng Kalusugan (DOH) at Kagawaran ng Kapaligiran at Likas Yaman (DENR) ay mahigpit na ipinagbawal ang pagtitinda ng hindi rehistrado at hindi markadong panglinis ng mga alahas na pilak.

Bagamat ipinagbabawal ay nakabili pa rin ang EcoWaste Coalition ng mga iligal na produktong lason sa ilang mga tindahan ng alahas at relo sa mga mall gaya ng Farmers’ Plaza, Grand Central Mall, Guadalupe Commercial Shopping Center, Manila City Plaza, SM North, Starmall Alabang at Victory Mall.

Isinagawa ng grupo ang kanilang tinatawag na “test buy” matapos mapabalita ang pagpapatiwakal ni Rea Patricio, 14, ng Navotas City, gamit ang silver cleaner.

Ang mga toksikong produktong ito (mga laruang may phthalate, mga kosmetikong may mercury at mga panglinis na may cyanide) ay mga seryosong banta sa kalusugan na kailangang bantayan at tanggalin sa merkado.

Ang mga “test buy” na isinagawa ng EcoWaste Coalition ay paghamon sa lahat, laluna sa pamahalaan, na mahigpit na ipatupad ang batas upang puksain ang produksyon at kalakalan ng mga toksikong produkto para sa pampublikong interes at kagalingan.

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Residents complain of illegal dumpsite

Residents of Barangay Wawa in Taguig City are disgruntled over the continued operation of a dumpsite and transfer station along C6 Road, not far from a residential area and about only 20 meters away from the Laguna Lake.

An estimated 200 families who have been affected by the illegal dumping site are now planning to take legal action against the garbage contractor utilizing the facility.

Residents have repeatedly complained about the operation of the facility due to elevated cases of asthma, allergy, coughs, and colds. The management of garbage contractor reportedly has not shouldered any medical bills or offered any monetary compensation to the affected residents.

In addition, issues of water pollution and pest infestation have also aggravated conditions of residents living in flood-prone areas who are using deep wells as their water source.

In a formal hearing of the Committee of Environmental Protection and Ecology, representatives of the garbage contractor admitted that they have failed to secure pertinent documents for their operations from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the Solid Waste Management Department and Health and Sanitation permits from both the local government and Barangay Wawa.

Under the Article 6, Sec.38 of the Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 - Permit for Solid Waste Management Facility Construction and Expansion – "No person shall commence operation, including site preparation and construction of new solid waste management facility or the expansion of an existing facility until the person obtains an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) from the Department pursuant to P.D. 1586 and other permits and clearances from concerned agencies.”

The CEPE, together with the Solid Waste Management Department and the Health and Sanitation Department, has not pressed criminal charges against the contractor, recommending only the transfer of their operations to the unused and former transfer station in Barangay Bagumbayan.

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McDonald's sued for Happy Meal toys

A class action lawsuit was filed against McDonald's here on Wednesday, alleging that the fast food chain's practice of giving toys with children's meals is deceptive to children.

A mother of two from California and the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) filed the suit in California Superior Court in San Francisco on Wednesday morning.

According to Monet Parham, the main reason her six-year-old daughter asks to go to McDonald's is to get toys like Barbie and Shrek. The food seems almost beside the point to the kids because the toy monopolized the attention of the two kids, she said.

The CSPI said in a press release that the Parham family's experience is not accidental but entirely by design of McDonald's marketing strategy.

McDonald's "gets into the parents' wallets via the kids' minds," according to an online presentation by Martin Lindstrom, who advises McDonald's on branding and "neuromarketing."

Documents cited by the CSPI show that fast-food companies -- with McDonald's by far in the lead -- spent over 520 million U.S. dollars in 2006 on advertising and toys to market children's meals while toy premiums made up almost three-quarters of those expenses, totaling over 350 million.

The CSPI said that according to the Institute of Medicine and the American Psychological Association, kids as young as Parham's daughter do not have the cognitive maturity to understand the persuasive intent of advertising.

"Every time McDonald's markets a Happy Meal directly to a young child, it exploits a child's developmental vulnerability and violates several states' consumer protection laws, including the California Unfair Competition Law," said CSPI litigation director Steve Gardner.

Last month, San Francisco became the first U.S. city to prohibit fast-food restaurants from giving toys with children's meals that don't meet nutritional guidelines.

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Study links increased BPA exposure to reduced egg quality in women

A small scale University of California, San Francisco-led study has identified the first evidence in humans that exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) may compromise the quality of a woman's eggs retrieved for in vitro fertilization (IVF).

The chemical BPA, which makes plastic hard and clear, has been used in many consumer products such as reusable water bottles. It also is found in epoxy resins, which form a protective lining inside metal food and beverage cans.

In the study, BPA levels and fertilization rates were analyzed for 26 women undergoing IVF during 2007 and 2008 at the UCSF Center for Reproductive Health. The women were a subgroup of a larger study evaluating the effect on reproductive health of trace exposures to toxic metals -- mercury, cadmium and lead.

As blood levels of BPA in the women studied doubled, the percentage of eggs that fertilized normally declined by 50 percent, according to the research team.

The findings were published online Wednesday in the journal Fertility and Sterility.

"While preliminary, the data indicate the negative effect of BPA on reproductive health and the importance of allocating more funding to further investigate why such environmental contaminants might be disrupting fertility potential," said Victor Y. Fujimoto, lead study author and professor in the UCSF Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences.

BPA is gaining global attention as an environmental contaminant that impacts health owing to its widespread exposure and endocrine-disrupting properties, according to the researchers. An endocrine disruptor is a synthetic chemical that when absorbed into the body either mimics or blocks hormones and interferes with the body's normal functions.

Previous studies in mouse models have indicated that BPA levels alter the DNA of eggs, and a 2010 study in humans demonstrated BPA urinary concentrations to be inversely associated with the number of eggs retrieved during an IVF cycle.

"Unfortunately, at this time there is no clinically-available test to determine BPA levels in women," Fujimoto said. "Despite the limited evidence, a cautious approach for women who are considering IVF treatment would be to reduce their exposure to BPA through modifications in lifestyle and diet."

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Avoid using plastic partyware this Christmas season

Environmentalists yesterday urged all consumers to avoid using disposable party wares this Christmas season in a bid to reduce the country’s holiday trash.

“We may be having the time of our lives running from one party to the next, but the environment will certainly pay the price for our merriment. There really is no need to use disposable items in Christmas parties when clearly there are many alternatives out there,” said EcoWaste president Roy Alvarez.

A waste audit of the heavily polluted Manila Bay conducted last Nov. 28 by the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, Greenpeace and the EcoWaste Coalition showed that 75.55 percent of the 728 liters of waste collected from the area was composed of plastic discards. Out of these plastic discards, 20.74 percent are Styrofoam food and beverage containers.

“The amount of Styrofoam discards floating in the bay has more than tripled since the last waste survey we did in 2006. Back then, polystyrene plastic made up five percent of the trash collected,” said Gigie Cruz of the EcoWaste Coalition’s Task Force Plastics.

“While there are ongoing government as well as private sector initiatives to cut plastic bag consumption, not much is being done to control the wild use of polystyrene containers and other disposable cutlery,” she added.

The coalition suggested using regular chinaware, metal cutlery, and glass that can be washed and used over and over again. Using banana leaves laid on reusable wicker or bamboo woven plates can also help reduce the amount of plastic discards that we generate this season.

For office parties, the EcoWaste suggested asking employees to bring their own sets of plates and utensils. Companies could also set aside a small budget for stocking their office pantries with reusable cutlery instead of issuing disposables for everyday use.

The money saved from buying disposables, according to the coalition, could instead go towards rewarding green employees. It could also be used to provide food for the less fortunate, such as the itinerant and dumpsite-based waste pickers, as part of a corporate social responsibility program.
The group also exhorted consumers to bring their own containers when buying cooked food in bulk, or request that items be packaged using biodegradable materials.

“Let’s not lose sight of the bigger environmental picture, even in the midst of our holiday activities. A little creativity can go a long way to making this a greener and Earth-friendly Christmas for all of us,” Alvarez said.

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Help reduce holiday trash, public told

It is holiday gift-giving again, but unfortunately this is also the time when the country’s use of disposable goods such as Styrofoam and other polystyrene containers and plastic spoons and forks increases alarmingly.

Green advocates led by the EcoWaste Coalition, pleaded to the public to keep their use of disposable party wares to a minimum to reduce the country’s holiday trash.

The coalition suggested the use of regular chinaware, metal cutlery, and glass that can be washed and used over and over again.

Likewise, using banana leaves laid on reusable wicker or bamboo woven plates can also help reduce the amount of plastic discards that we generate this season, it said.

For office parties, EcoWaste asked employees to bring their own sets of plates and utensils, while companies could also set aside a small budget for stocking their office pantries with reusable cutlery instead of issuing disposables for everyday use.

It said the money saved from buying disposables could instead go towards rewarding green employees or could be used to provide food for the less fortunate, such as the itinerant and dumpsite-based waste pickers, as part of a corporate social responsibility program.

The group also asked consumers to bring their own containers when buying cooked food in bulk, or request that items be packaged using biodegradable materials.

“’Holitrash (holiday trash) is one of the biggest contributors to the mountains of garbage that the country has to contend with,” EcoWaste president Roy Alvarez said.

“There really is no need to use disposable items in Christmas parties when clearly there are many alternatives out there,” he added.

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Filipinos dreaming of a green Christmas

Health and pro-environment groups are calling on Filipinos to celebrate Christmas free of waste, noise and pollution.

The EcoWaste Coalition yesterday launched a campaign to persuade the public, particularly young people, to refrain from letting off firecrackers this holiday season.

The group said there are more creative means of celebrating Christmas and ushering in the New Year that will not endanger life, limb, property and ecosystems.

In the southern Luzon province of Albay, residents will celebrate a “green Christmas” with a 58-foot Christmas tree fashioned from used fuel drums painted green and decorated with flickering solar-powered Light Emitting Diode (LED) lights.

Albay province, which has been declared by the United Nations as a global model for climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction, launched the “Green Christmas Initiative” to sustain its campaign for environment protection, climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction.

LED Christmas lights are highly favored by environmental advocates because they last longer, use less electricity and reduce risks of fire.

In Quezon City, at least a thousand pupils at Kamuning Elementary School demonstrated yesterday for a safe and environment-friendly holiday celebration by holding a noise barrage inside their campus.

Instead of using firecrackers, the children use noisemakers crafted from items commonly found at home.

“Firecrackers are putting our children’s health and safety in danger, as the bloody statistics show,” said Roy Alvarez, president of EcoWaste Coalition.

“As responsible adults, it is our shared duty to safeguard our children from toxic exposure and injuries that could jeopardize their health and development,” he added.

“A little creativity can go a long way toward keeping our children and environment healthy,” Alvarez said.

Aileen Lucero of the EcoWaste Coalition’s Project PROTECT (People Responding and Organizing against Toxic Chemical Threats) said every firecracker that is lit this season “contributes to the already worrisome cocktail of toxins in our bodies and environment.”

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Students pledge to mark Christmas, New Year sans firecrackers

At least over a thousand students committed themselves to celebrate Christmas and New Year without polluting the environment and damaging themselves with pyrotechnics.

Over 1,000 students of Kamuning Elementary School in Quezon City today performed an animated welcome of the new year by holding a noise barrage in their campus.

Led by Principal Salvacion Salve, the students generated sounds from noisemakers made from various items found at home.

After the noise barrage, the students made a pledge to celebrate the holidays "in a clean and safe manner that will not bring harm to themselves, to other beings or to the environment."

The activity was held as a re launch of environmental watchdog EcoWaste Coalition's "Iwas Paputoxic" drive.

The campaign, which is already on its fifth year, aims to persuade the people, particularly the youth, to refrain from blasting firecrackers during Christmas and New Year.

Among those present at the launch were representatives of the Department of Education, Department of Health and the Quezon City Public Library from the government sector, and the Alaga Lahat, Ang Nars, Citizens Organization Concerned with Advocating Philippine Environmental Sustainability, Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, Miss Earth Foundation, and Zero Waste Philippines from the civil society.

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Eco group's 'Papu-toxic' campaign warns children vs fireworks

The EcoWaste Coalition, an environmental group, has been going around schools to warn school children about the dangers of using fireworks.

Radio dzBB's Manny Vargas reported that EcoWaste members visited the Kamuning Elementary School in Quezon City on Monday as part of their "Papu-Toxic" campaign.

The EcoWaste members urged the pupils to use alternatives to fireworks.

The group said children can create noise by using filled cans and bottles or banging on pots and pans.

Shopping tips

Meanwhile, as the Christmas shopping rush peaks this week, EcoWaste offered tips for earth-friendly shopping.

The group said the shopping extravaganza can be stressful not only for shoppers and motorists but for Mother Earth as well.

“With the huge amounts of fossil fuels spent, greenhouse gases emitted and trash created during the most festive time of the year, Christmas can be ‘traumatic,’ instead of fun, for the climate and Mother Earth," said EcoWaste president Roy Alvarez, on the group’s blog site.

The group said the extraction, transportation, processing, manufacturing, marketing and advertising of products and eventual disposal will consume much energy.

All these activities result in greenhouse gas emissions that are warming the planet, it added.

“We make the holiday pollution worse by our failure to embrace the 3Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle) as core practices in our personal, family and community lifestyles," Alvarez said.

“"If we don’t watch our waste size over the joyous holidays, we’ll surely end up with another stinking garbage disposal crisis that can ruin the yuletide spirit," he added.

The group warned Metro Manila’s garbage can go up by one-third, or even double in some areas, during the Christmas holidays due to the widespread consumption binge.

It cited figures from the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority that Metro Manila can generate some 6,000 metric tons of trash daily.

“Bins and bags overflowing with plastic garbage, packaging materials, kitchen discards and party leftovers are common sights in the neigborhood during the jolly season, while ugly and smelly dumps thrive on street corners and around market areas," the group said.

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Environment watchdog warns government of pollution effects of unsustainable tourism plan

A waste and pollution watchdog has warned the Department of Tourism (DOT) that an open skies policy would have an enormous impact on the environment as it would allow unlimited flights by foreign airlines into the country.

EcoWaste Coalition member Rene D. Pineda, Jr., president of the Citizens’ Organizations Concerned with Advocating Philippine Environmental Sustainability (COCAP), said the targeted six million tourists by the DOT is also alarming considering the huge waste that these visitors would be leaving behind and the destruction on ecology.

Pineda said DOT Secretary Alberto Lim, an advocate of open skies, clearly disregarded the tourism industry’s additional burden to the country’s solid waste woes and completely ignored the mandate of DOT Memorandum Circular No. 2005-04 declaring “Zero Tourism Waste” as a goal and direction for sustainable tourism and development.

He said the planned six million tourist arrivals annually, projecting that each would stay an average of one week, would translate to additional 21 million kilos of waste requiring 7,000 truck-trips to existing environmentally critical dumpsites.

At current P500 per capita appropriation for hauling and dumping waste, he added, about P58 million worth of public funds is required to manage the projected waste.

Pineda, also president of the Partnership for Clean Air (PCA) and member of the executive committee of the Metro Manila Airshed Governing Board, emphasized that the volume of added pollution and greenhouse gases emitted into the air due to the planned increase in aviation traffic due to open skies will inevitably render the National Capital Region uninhabitable.

“It’s frightening that Secretary Lim, in his efforts to attract more tourists, is blindly courting danger and putting the health of the nation at risk for advocating an aviation policy without first studying its impact on the environment,” he said.

Pineda explained that aircraft emissions, air-side support vehicles and airport related traffic contribute to the accumulation of deadly gases like oxides of nitrogen, carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds and ozone.

They also produce particulate matter (PM) sized at 2.5-10 microns that are not visible to the eye as a singular unit and can easily penetrate the lungs.

He said clinical studies conducted at the School of Public Medicine, University of Illinois-Chicago, estimated that as many as five-million people’s health could be affected as a result of just one airport, O’Hare.

The United Nations has released a report that aviation is responsible for over half of the pollution caused by transportation.

The European Union’s (land) transport emissions are up 34 percent since 1990, while its aviation emission has since gone up by 110 percent due mainly to increased aviation traffic resulting from open skies, he added.

Pineda pointed out that the aviation sector is no different from EDSA’s current situation in terms of lethal level of pollution, chaos, cutthroat competition, and near-empty buses during off peak hours.

He quoted aviation pollution studies that said “one aircraft take-off can burn thousands of pounds of fuel; air pollution levels from one 747 takeoff is similar to setting the local gas station on fire and then flying it over your head; and the pollution from just one, two-minute 747 takeoff is equal to operating 2.4 million lawnmowers simultaneously.”

He said this information is frightening considering the National Air Quality Status Report of 2008 disclosing the life-threatening level of air pollution in Metro Manila, particularly in EDSA, where the allowable level set by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has been breached by more than 300 percent.

The report said the total suspended air particulates (TSP) in Metro Manila stood at 138 micrograms per normal cubic meter, way above 90 micrograms set by the DENR under the Clean Air Act.

And during the first six months of 2010, air pollution in Metro Manila worsened with TSP rising at 163 micrograms, with EDSA reaching a level of 282.

The 2009 World Bank study stated that “over 1.5 million Filipinos of varying ages afflicted with respiratory illnesses annually are due to air pollution in urban areas, notably Metro Manila.

The aggregate annual cost of air pollution related illnesses is close to P1 billion, with productivity losses accounting for P502 million, personal costs for diseases treatment accounting for P360 million and government health care subsidiaries accounting for P88 million.”

A Department of Health study in 2004 said that considerable morbidity and mortality due to respiratory and cardiovascular disease could have been prevented if the air quality in Metro Manila is not higher than 50 micrograms of pollutants per normal cubic meter.

“Other countries, particularly the US and European Union, are moving aggressively to limit carbon emissions in the aviation industry yet here we are encouraging more flights on the misguided notion of attracting more tourists,” Pineda stressed.

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FDA confiscates illegal whitening products, sex pills

Operatives of the Food and Drug Admiistration (FDA) on Friday seized more than a hundred boxes of prohibited whitening products and sex pills during a raid conducted on several Chinese drugstores in Metro Manila.

The seized whitening products carried names like Jiao Li, Doctor Bai Skin Revitalizing Cream, and Beauty Girl Double White, among others, have already been prohibited by the FDA since early this year for possessing excessive amounts of mercury.

One of the seized products, FDA said, is Jiao Li which is prohibited due to its high mercury content.

Ecowaste Coalition, a public interest network, said the the banned product contains 3,800-13,000 parts per million of mercury. The safe level of mercury for any medication is only 1 part per million.

"Ang mercury ay nakakamatay kasi ang tama nito ay sa utak ng tao," said Aileen Lucero of Ecowaste Coalition.

The sex pills, meanwhile, are also among the list of prohibited and dangerous drugs from the FDA.

But even after several such raids, drugstores still sell them because they are cheap and popular. FDA raided drugstores in Ongpin, Recto, and Carriedo, Manila.

"Hindi naman kami nagpupumilit magbenta eh. 'Yong mga customer ang makukulit, hinihingi," says Edwin Sy, owner/manager of the Lam Kang Drugstore in Carriedo where boxes of banned products were seized.

It is FDA's third time to raid Lam Kang, and they said this time around they were actually able to seize more boxes of prohibited items than in previous raids.

Meanwhile, drugstore owner Alfredo Lee of Benson Drugstore in Recto repeatedly tried to block the camera as FDA operatives searched his establishment.

He shouted at the cameraman in more than one occasion. In halting Filipino, he denied knowing that some of their products are prohibited, despite that fact that this is also FDA's third time to raid the Benson Drugstore.

FDA personnel also found mercury-laced cosmetics in his store, as well as suspiciously-labelled products that bear a different name but resemble other creams under the FDA blacklist.

They said that manufacturers maybe trying to confuse authorities by printing out different boxes and names for the same product.

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Greens Call on the Commission on Human Rights to Affirm Chemical Safety as a Basic Human Right

The EcoWaste Coalition, a waste and pollution watchdog, today staged the first ever "Human Rights Day March for Chemical Safety" with an urgent plea to the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to uphold the Filipino’s right to be protected against harmful chemicals.


Bearing a large yellow banner with the words “Right to Chemical Safety, Right to a Toxic-Free Future,” over one hundred members of the Coalition in magenta shirts marched from Quezon City Hall to the CHR headquarters along Commonwealth Avenue.

Actress and environmentalist Chin Chin Gutierrez pushed a “kariton” carrying a volunteer wearing a recycled paper globe depicting an ailing Mother Earth whose condition is worsened by the infusion of mock solution labelled “Toxic Chemicals Harm” held by fellow actor Roy Alvarez, the incumbent president of the EcoWaste Coalition.


The marchers presented CHR Chairperson Loretta Rosales with a letter exhorting the agency to issue a “Human Rights Advisory on Chemical Safety." The coalition called on the CHR to champion the unassailable right of every Filipino, including the unborn, to be protected against the risks and hazards caused by toxic chemicals throughout their life cycle.



“The EcoWaste Coalition believes that the CHR, as a national human rights institution, is in a unique position to push for reforms on how chemical safety should be approached in this country,” said Alvarez. “Many chemicals have now been linked to cancer and reproductive, birth and immune system defects. These are serious health issues that urgently need to be addressed.”


The group urged the CHR to underscore the following principles in the proposed chemical safety advisory: 1) precaution, 2) substitution, 3) no data, no market, 4) polluter pays, 5) public’s right to know, and 6) environmental justice.


The EcoWaste Coalition stressed that the Precautionary Principle (PP), a cornerstone of the environmental movement, must always apply. PP refers to the application of measures that can prevent or minimize potentially harmful effects of an activity on human or environmental health even if cause and effect relationships have not been fully scientifically established.



“We cannot afford to gamble with the lives of our people, especially those of future generations,” said Dr. Leah Primitiva Samaco-Paquiz, secretary of the EcoWaste Coalition. “As it stands, every child born from today will already carry a heavy burden of toxic chemicals in its body. How do we explain that to our children?”



The coalition also stressed that big business and industry should take responsibility for the safety of their products instead of passing the burden onto their consumers. As such, industries should only offer products that have been fully tested and proven safe and fully compliant with essential health and environmental requirements.



The group emphasized that mandatory labelling of chemical ingredients in products would be a strong first step towards educating people about the heath and environmental hazards that certain products may bring. It also pushed the CHR to make manufacturers fully responsible for their products from the point of creation up to the end of their products’ useful lives.



“The Filipino people have the right to know exactly what is being released into their environment,” said Thony Dizon, Coordinator of the EcoWaste Coalition's Project PROTECT (People Responding and Organizing against Toxic Chemical Threats).



“By making the right to chemical safety a basic human right, we stand a much better chance of ensuring that our people will be protected from the avarice of business-as-usual policies,” he added.



According to the EcoWaste Coalition, the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM), a global policy and strategy that the Philippines and other governments adopted in 2006, provides an excellent reference to the drafting of the proposed Human Rights Advisory.

When SAICM was adopted, the international community pledged to achieve “the sound management of chemicals throughout their life cycle so that, by 2020, chemicals are used and produced in ways that lead to the minimization of significant adverse effects on human health and the environment.”

Today's march for chemical safety drew the participation of representatives from EcoWaste Coalition partner groups such as the Advocates for Environment ang Social Justice, Alaga Lahat, Ang Nars, Arugaan, Buklod Tao, Cavite Green Coalition, Citizens' Organization Concerned with Advocating Philippine Environmental Sustainability, Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Alliance –Philippines, Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, Institute for the Development of Educational and Ecological Alternatives, Krusada sa Kalikasan, Kupkop Kita Kabayan Foundation, Miriam PEACE, Nagkakaisang Mangangalahig sa Dumpsite Area, Philippine Cancer Institute, Samahang Pagkakaisa ng Tindera sa Talipapa, Sining Yapak and Zero Waste Philippines.

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