Water pollution dirty killer

WATER pollution is claiming the lives of 18 to 25 Filipinos a day.

In a year, 4 million people die from water-related diseases, which make up 31 percent of all illnesses in the country. One child dies every 20 seconds because of dirty and polluted water.

How much does the country spend annually for water-related diseases? P3 billion.

In a bid to educate Filipinos on harsh impacts of water pollution, Greenpeace Philippines has stepped up its drive against ignorance by exposing figures and data printed in stickers and educational materials.

“The aim is to persuade public officials to enact laws that will cover people’s right to know, what substances are being dumped into our water bodies, and for industry to disclose their emissions to the public,” the group said in a recent statement.

Its members boarded jeepneys, buses and tricycles to distribute materials “that highlight the effects of water pollution” and handed them out to students and passers-by in a jeepney terminal in the Philcoa area of Diliman, Quezon City.

According to Beau Baconguis, toxics campaigner of Greenpeace, water pollution has grave impacts on many countries, with “1.5 billion people [having] no access to clean and safe water.”

“In other countries, information has been a factor in the lowering of toxic discharges,” Baconguis said.

He added that through the campaign, “Ano ang nasa tubig mo [What is in your water]?” the environmental watchdog makes people “informed and involved.”

The Philippine economy loses P67 billion because of water pollution.

Annually, fisheries production is hurt by P17 billion and the tourism industry by P47 billion. –JOHN CONSTANTINE G. CORDON REPORTER, Manila Times