Update on the bills banning asbestos in the Philippines

The House Committee on Health approved to consolidate three bills banning the importation, manufacture, processing, use, or distribution in commerce of asbestos and asbestos-containing products in a hearing held on 9 September 2009. The House of Representatives is the Lower House of the Philippine Congress.

A Technical Working Group based on the Inter-Agency Technical Advisory Council in two of the bills was tasked to consolidate the three bills. The Committee approved a motion to make the Representatives present in the hearing as co-authors of the consolidated bill. The Committee Chair stated that the consolidated bill would be approved by the end of the month.

In his sponsorship speech, TUCP Partylist Representative Raymond Democrito Mendoza, author of one of the bills and the only author present in the hearing, urged the passage of a law banning asbestos to protect workers and their families and the public against the hazards of asbestos.

The Department of Health (DOH) expressed support to the passage of the bills in line with the ILO and WHO position that the best way to eliminate asbestos related diseases is to cease asbestos use. The President of the Philippine College of Occupational Medicine (PCOM) lauded the House of Representatives for its initiative and expressed support to ban asbestos in the Philippines.

The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) presented a position paper on the issue. TUCP presented the position paper prepared in cooperation with the ALU/BWI Ban Asbestos Campaign. Another labor organization – the Philippine Seafarers Union (PSU) – supported the TUCP position. PSU is an affiliate of ALU.

The issue of alternatives and their costs was raised. DOH mentioned some alternatives and said that asbestos is cheaper but more expensive in the long run because of high costs of asbestos-related diseases. Rep. Mendoza read the alternatives and their costs compared with asbestos mentioned in the paper of the International Social Security Association.

There were no representatives from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the asbestos industry. A member of the Committee proposed that the consumers be invited in the next hearing for broader consultation.