ALU NEWS RELEASE: ALU Commends DepEd for Heeding Call to Remove Toxic Wire Gauzes from Schools Nationwide

[Associated Labor Unions-TUCP]

ALU NEWS RELEASE

Date Released: 24 November 2011

Posted at www.alu.org.ph

Facebook: Ban Asbestos Philippines       

Figure 1 Asbestos-containing wire gauze

 

ALU Commends DepEd for Heeding Call to Remove Toxic Wire Gauzes from Schools Nationwide

 

24 November 2011, Quezon City—The Associated Labor Unions (ALU) today commended the Department of Education (DepEd) for heeding an advocacy call last month to remove asbestos-containing wire gauzes from public high schools, stopping further exposure of millions of students and teachers nationwide.

 

On October 27, ALU National Vice President Gerard Seno wrote and informed DepEd Secretary Armin Luistro about ALU’s Ban Asbestos Philippines discovery of a wire gauze similarly used in schools, colleges, and universities that contains 3 per cent Chrysotile asbestos. The same letter also called on Luistro to ban and phase out wire gauzes laden with the cancer-causing asbestos mineral.

 

All asbestos are already banned in 54 countries, especially in the UK and other European countries due to its proven carcinogenic effect among exposed citizens particularly construction workers.

 

“We highly commend Education Secretary Luistro and DepEd’s Health and Nutrition Center officer-in-charge Dr. Dumlao for heeding and acting swiftly on our call to save millions of students, teachers, non-teaching personnel, and communities from primary and secondary exposure to the very dangerous asbestos dusts that causes cancers and other incurable diseases,” Seno said in reaction to DepEd’s reply.

 

“This is indeed a progressive response from DepEd which reflects the quality of leadership in our primary and the largest educational institution today. Because of this, the ALU family is even more inspired to continue to contribute and collaborate with public and private entities to bring about a healthy, permanent, and genuine change in our community,” Seno added.

 

The DepEd’s Health and Nutrition Center reply dated November 17 to ALU’s October 27 letter, Dr. Maria Corazon Dumlao, the officer-in-charge, said: “In view of these developments, we are taking the necessary steps toward the phasing out of the use of wire gauze and other equipment and materials, that may be found laden with this hazardous mineral in our classrooms.”

 

“Toward this end, we are considering the issuance of a memorandum to all schools on the proper handling and disposal of wire gauzes and hope to be able to include the list of suggestions you have forwarded to us in this regard. Said issuance shall be guided by the ultimate purpose of preventing further exposure of our teachers, non-teaching personnel, and students to this health hazard,” Dumlao said.

 

Wire gauzes are used in between the beaker or flask and fire from the Bunsen burner. It absorbs and spreads the direct heat of the flame to prevent the glass from breaking. This system is used in chemistry and biology classes nationwide. However, repeated exposure to fire, wire gauzes become brittle, crumbly, and fragile. When crumbly wire gauze is disturbed, first and second-hand exposure from its dust begins. The dusts are invincible to the naked eyes because each dust is five thousand smaller than a piece of hair in diameter.

 

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the International Labour Organization (ILO) maintained that there is no safety threshold level to exposure to asbestos dust. It means, even in small amount of exposure will cause different cancers and various other incurable diseases ten to thirty years later.

 

The ALU’s Ban Asbestos Philippines advocacy objective is to responsibly ban and phase out asbestos and asbestos-containing materials in the country. It partners with Building and Wood Workers International (BWI) in sending its message across communities and sectors. ###

 

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FOR MORE INFORMATION & INTERVIEWS, CONTACT:

Alan A. Tanjusay, ALU Policy Advocacy Officer
Mobile Phone: (63) 920.669.9187 / Landline: (63-2) 922.2575 local 122
Office Address: Associated Labor Unions is located at Elliptical Road corner  Maharlika Street, UPVillage Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines                Website: www.alu.org.ph

ABOUT ALU-TUCP-BWI

Founded by dock workers in 1954, the Associated Labor Unions (ALU) had since been the country’s pioneer in championing the ideals of free trade unionism. Along with its affiliates, partners here and abroad, and alliance with the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP), ALU has been steadfast advocate of the plight of the toiling masses working in various industries and sectors.

The ALU-TUCP partners with Building and Woodworkers International (BWI) in working towards asbestos ban and phase out in the Philippines. The partnership works to eliminate asbestos-related diseases found in public and private infrastructures and buildings such as homes, schools, work places, churches, malls, including power plants.

As a pioneering unions in the Philippines, we work toward ensuring the rights, interests and welfare of regular and non-regular workers and makes sure these are promoted and protected i.e. security of tenure, freedom of association and collective bargaining or collective negotiation and providing limits in the duration and renewal of employment contracts of non-regular workers to enable them enjoy the benefits accorded to regular worker.