DENR wins international award for policy vs lead

by Elizabeth Marcelo (The Philippine Star), 5 Jul 2021

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has won an international award for its policy against the use of lead and lead compounds.

In a virtual announcement on June 29, the Germany-based international body World Future Council (WFC) named the Philippines, through the DENR, among the five winners of the Future Policy Award 2021.

A total of 55 policies from 36 countries were nominated for the award. Only 12 were shortlisted by the WFC in May. The awardees were later narrowed down to five.

The Philippines is the first Southeast Asian country to receive the award.

“We cannot be any happier with this news. This is a landmark achievement of the DENR as we campaign for a lead-free country,” Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu said yesterday.

Cimatu said the award is an indication that the Philippines is on the right track in regulating, phasing out and banning chemicals that pose threats to human health and the environment.

The WFC recognized the DENR for its Administrative Order No. 2013-24 or the Chemical Control Order for Lead and Lead Compounds.

The order mandates the prohibition on the use of lead and lead compounds in the production of packaging for food and drink, fuel additives, water pipes, school supplies, cosmetics and paints.

The policy specifically ordered the phaseout of lead in architectural, decorative and household paints on Jan. 1, 2017. The use of lead in industrial paints was phased out on Jan. 1, 2020.

The DENR has also banned the production of paints as a pigment, drying agent or for some other uses with more than 90 parts per million, which is set as the threshold limit.

The Philippines is among the three recipients of the special award along with Sri Lanka and Colombia for their policies against highly hazardous pesticides and environmentally persistent pharmaceutical pollutants, respectively.

Winning the Gold Awards were Kyrgyzstan for its resolution on the approval of chemical hazard classification system and hazard information requirements, and Sweden for its phaseout lists for chemicals hazardous to the environment and human health.

Environmental watchdog EcoWaste Coalition has lauded the efforts of the Philippine government, private stakeholders and civil organizations in the successful implementation of the policy.

Dubbed the “Oscar on best policies,” the Future Policy Award is the only international-level award that recognizes legislation and policies that benefit the current and future generations.

The five winning policies will be recognized during an online awarding rites at 10 p.m. tomorrow.