House panel approves bill seeking to ban use of asbestos

A HOUSE panel yesterday approved a bill that seeks to ban the importation, manufacture, processing and use or distribution in commerce of asbestos and asbestos-containing products.

The still-unnumbered substitute bill to House Bills (HB) 5931, 6544, and 3079, authored by party-list Reps. Ana Theresia N. Hontiveros-Baraquel (Akbayan), Raymond Democrito C. Mendoza (Trade Union Congress of the Philippines or TUCP), and Narciso D. Santiago III (Alliance for Rural Concerns) was approved by the committee on health.

Committee chairman and South Cotabato Rep. Arthur Y. Pingoy, Jr. said he will push for the bill’s approval at the plenary by December.

“I will try to schedule this bill’s approval at the floor on second reading by December and work on getting this approved before the end of the 14th Congress because there is an urgent need for the implementation of this measure,” he said in a telephone interview yesterday.

Congress will go on a break from Nov. 20-30 for the filing of certificates of candidacy for next year’s elections, and Dec. 19-Jan. 17 for the holiday break. The 14th Congress will end on June 5.

At present, the Philippines bans the use of brown asbestos or amosite used as fire retardant in thermal insulation products and ceiling tiles and blue asbestos or crosilodite which is found in structures where the materials need to be safe from heat. However, white asbestos or chrysolite is permitted in the country in certain high density products such as fire proofing, roofing felts, asbestos cement roofing and flat sheet, and high temperature textile products.

Ana T. Rivera, supervising health program officer of the Health department’s Environmental and Occupational Health Office said that lung cancer, mesothelioma, and asbestosis are some of the fatal diseases attributed to exposure to asbestos.

“Even though the serious effects on people’s health of exposure to asbestos can [manifest] 15 years after the initial exposure, the effects are still deadly,” she said during yesterday’s committee hearing.

Ms. Rivera said the Lung Center of the Philippines has recorded 567 cases of asbestos-related diseases.

Dominador M. Tuvera, TUCP research officer, said asbestos use has harmful effects on workers in industries that have direct contact with asbestos.

“Workers in shipbuilding facilities and in construction are [the ones] most exposed to asbestos. The workers’ families are not spared from the risk because the workers bring home from work [exposed] clothes and protective equipment. We suggest a four-year phase-out period that will give ample time for the stakeholders to prepare for the eventual ban on the use of asbestos,” he said at the same event.

Federation of Philippine Industries President Jesus L. Arranza was not immediately available for comment. – JHOANNA FRANCES S. VALDEZ, Reporter, Business World (http://www.bworldonline.com)