ALU’s Anti-asbestos Campaign Saves Millions of Students, Teachers From Deadly Asbestos Dust in Philippine Schools

The Associated Labor Unions’ (ALU) ban asbestos campaign virtually saved millions of students, teachers, non-teaching personnel, and communities from primary and secondary exposure from asbestos dust following the recent decision of private colleges and state universities’ to ban the toxic wire gauzes from their campuses nationwide.
It can be recalled that in November last year, the Department of Education (DepEd) issued an order to all regional, provincial, city and municipal district superintendents to recall asbestos-containing wire gauzes from all elementary and high school laboratories.
The Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities (PACU) President Peter Laurel recently disclosed they will review the wire gauzes used in their schools. And if these contain asbestos, they will ban its use and replace them with non-asbestos wire gauze.

This was followed by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) who said that these asbestos-containing wire gauzes should be recalled and disposed of to avoid further contamination and/or exposure by students, faculty, and the entire academic communities.

“In support of your campaign against the total ban and phase-out of asbestos in the country considering the hazards it brings to our health with constant exposure with the said chemical, we have already sent a memorandum to all our regional offices so they can direct all HEIs (schools) in their respective jurisdictions to dispose all asbestos-containing materials used in chemistry and biology laboratories,” said Atty. Julito Vitriolo, CHED executive director, in his letter received by the campaign last week.

In a text message, Laurel, on the other hand, said: “we are behind you in the anti-asbestos campaign.”

These responses came after the Associated Labor Unions’ Ban Asbestos Philippines advocacy campaign met and gave CHED and PACU letters urging their officials to ban the toxic wire gauzes. PACU has 180-members private schools and colleges within their umbrella while CHED supervises more than 2,180 state and local universities, colleges including state university satellites all over the country.

“We are grateful that PACU and CHED positively answered our call and moves toward ban and recall of all asbestos-containing wire gauzes from their campuses. This is a huge victory for the campaign and very important preventive measure in protecting millions of students, teachers, non-teaching staffs, and immediate communities from incurable cancers and diseases caused by primary and secondary exposure from asbestos dust,” said Gerard Seno, ALU National Vice President and Ban Asbestos Philippines program coordinator.

Three per cent of the deadly Chrysotile asbestos was found in a wire gauze the ALU took from a school four months ago. In an analyses and tests conducted by a private laboratory using polarized light and dispersion staining technique, it was found out that it contains the deadly Chrysotile asbestos that causes various and incurable asbestos-related diseases and cancers such as asbestosis, pleural plaques thickening and effusions, and mesothelioma which destroys the linings that coat internal organs.

Asbestos-containing wire gauze is used in between a beaker or a flask from direct heat of the flame. Repeated exposure to high and direct flames, wire gauzes become brittle and crumbly. When disturbed, first and second-hand exposure from its dust begins. The dust is almost invincible to the naked eye because it is five thousand times smaller than hair in diameter.

Once inhaled or ingested, asbestos dusts are lodged in the lungs, larynx and other internal organs developing into cancer and other diseases 10 to 30 years later.
Since 1977, the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), and the International Labour Organization (ILO) maintained that exposure to all asbestos, even in small amount of its dust fibers, causes asbestos-related diseases.

Wire gauzes are used to separate the beaker or the flask from direct fire from Bunsen burner. Repeated exposure to fire, wire gauzes become fragile and crumbly. When the crumbly gauze is disturbed, first and second-hand exposure to its dust begins—jeopardizing the health of teachers, students, and their families at home.

The PACU is the oldest educational organization in the Philippines representing private higher educational institutions. PACU recognizes education’s responsibility to society and believes that access to relevant quality education is the cornerstone of a democratic society.

CHED was created in 1994 and acts as a collegial body in formulating plans, policies, and strategies relating to higher education.

The ALU, meanwhile, is the country’s pioneer in championing the ideals of free-trade unionism. It partners with the Building and Woodworkers International (BWI) in working towards ban and phase out of asbestos in public and private infrastructures including residences, schools, workplaces, churches, malls and power plants. Alan A. Tanjusay, ALU Policy Advocacy Officer

HIGH POWER RATE BUCK STOPS WITH DOE SECRETARY AND PSALM PRESIDENT

Trade Union Congress Party (TUCP) Representative Raymond Democrito C. Mendoza today challenged the leadership of the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corporation (PSALM) to categorically confirm or deny whether they would withdraw the PSALM petitions pending with the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to recover “stranded costs” which would raise power rates by 39 centavos per kWh.

“PSALM made commitments to the House Committee on Energy that PSALM would withdraw these rate increase petitions. I want Secretary Jose Rene D. Almendras and President Emmanuel R. Ledesma, Jr. to categorically either answer “yes” or “no”, on whether they will withdraw these petitions,” explained Rep. Mendoza.

Secretary Almendras had said that the matter of withdrawing the rate increase petitions lay with the JCPC because the JCPC has oversight over the proper implementation of the EPIRA. The TUCP solon expressed “incomprehension, bewilderment, and incredulity” with the “lame, intellectuallly bankrupt, mentally addled and morally snivelling excuses” of DOE Secretary Almendras and PSALM President Ledesma in seeking to now pass on responsibility for the demanded withdrawal of the pending rate increase petitions to the Joint Congressional Power Commission(JCPC).

“We have news for Messrs. Almendras and Ledesma. The buck stops with you when the issue is high power rates. It is PSALM that is still claiming US $15.8 billion in stranded costs notwithstanding the sale of 92% of the assets of the National Power Corporation (NPC) from whose proceeds PSALM should have already wiped out any stranded cost. It is the PSALM which filed a rate increase to recover this amount from all consumers as a 39 centavo per kWh rate increase. It is PSALM which can withdraw these petitions. So if these two gentlemen cannot stand the heat they should either resign or request the President to relieve them,” said Mendoza.

TUCP had earlier accused PSALM of bad faith in failing to comply with its representations to the House Committee on Energy. “Almendras and Ledesma are back-peddaling and are hair-splitting in a disgusting attempt to try to pass on the buck and evade command responsibility,” said Mendoza. Members of the Committee are mulling on whether or not to cite officials of PSALM for contempt.

“Instead of being the handmaidens of the “business-as-usual” philosophy, both the DOE Secretary and PSALM President should have drawn their inspiration from the “Matuwid na Daan” of the President to question many of the dealings of PSALM between 2001 and 2011 that properly should not be treated as stranded costs,” added Mendoza. “If these involved overpriced contracts or purchases, improper transactions and outright graft and corruption in the PSALM in the last two administrations, then people should be made accountable and sent to jail. PSALM was and is actually running the NPC. The new leadership could have cleaned up the stables. Instead PSALM continues to milk the cow,” explained Mendoza.

“The behavior of Sec. Almendras bears further comment in the matter of the upcoming termination of the IPPA contracts this December which had provided the special economic zones with discounted power rates. His answer apparently is that discounts will no longer be the norm and the industries will be free to source their electricity from higher-priced sources. Presumably this also means that these industries are also free to pack up and leave the country. Almendras cavalierly forgets that 230,000 Filipino workers and their respective families depend on these ecozones,” explained Mendoza.

“TUCP condemns the high-handed arrogance of an unfeeling energy technocracy that says we should leave the fate of the ecozones which face a rate increase to the vagaries of the market, but when the issue involves maintaining or lowering tariffs, oh we should refer that to the JCPC. This double standard is absolute rubbish,” said the TUCP solon. Louisivi Oliva, Media Relations Officer , Trade Union Congress Party (TUCP Party-List)

TUCP strongly supports PALEA (Cautions Palace on legal action against workers)

The Trade Union Congress Party (TUCP Party-List) strongly supports members of the Philippine Airlines Employees Association (PALEA) on their protest action against the impending termination of 2,600 employees.

President Benigno C. Aquino is being badly advised by functionaries and factotums on the possibility of bringing up criminal charges. Workers are merely exercising their legitimate rights which outsourcing will destroy. Philippine Airlines’ (PAL) management decision to terminate regular rank-and-file employees is on its face a blatant violation of the existing Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

The present difficulties in the airline is a labor dispute caused by unfair labor practices committed by the PAL management – a deliberate attack on the workers’ fundamental rights and core labor standards using the veil of corporate sustainability and competitiveness.

The Palace’s action will undermine the Constitution and create a chilling effect throughout the entire labor movement. PPP cannot be built on workers being the whipping boys, sacrificial lambs as government follows the path of least resistance to curry favor with capital and oligarchs.

What we have now is a two-faced government: liberal democrat with respect to fight against grafters and outright reactionary with respect to workers. President must not be captive to his advisers. It is the kind of gentler, kinder society that President Cory would wish that he places at risk. HON. RAYMOND DEMOCRITO C. MENDOZA, Trade Union Congress Party (TUCP Party-List)b>