Latest news with #AteneodeManilaUniversity
GMA Network
8 hours ago
- Business
- GMA Network
Experts urge PH power sector overhaul, exit plans for transition to renewables
"The idea is that energy policy cannot be distinct from climate policy," said an expert. File photo Experts on Thursday stressed the need for a structural overhaul of the Philippine power industry, saying that President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) failed to fully address the issue. In a press conference on Thursday, economist and Ateneo de Manila University Professor Leonardo Lanzona said that while Marcos addressed some issues in the power sector, there was no mention of the system that, he says, works against consumers and innovation. He added that if the government was indeed planning on using the power sector to develop flood control, giving out subsidies and solar handouts would not be a full-time solution. 'The idea is that energy policy cannot be distinct from climate policy… A full structural overhaul of the power supply sector is needed, starting with transparency, competition, and consumer empowerment. Floods are not just natural events, they are symptoms of infrastructure and governance failures,' he said. 'Unless understanding is matched by structural reform, the Philippines risks building a green agenda on an outdated and dysfunctional foundation. You cannot fix a flood-prone country by going after product contractors while subsidizing the emissions that cause the floods, and you cannot develop inclusive energy by giving subsidies but simultaneously relying on a system designed to exclude competition and consumer choice,' he added. Meanwhile, Center for Energy, Ecology, and Development (CEED) executive director Gerry Arrances said that the government was lacking in the implementation of the renewable energy law. Arrances said that while there were key strategies that could be implemented from other successful countries, these plans were not supported and were not implemented by the government. He also noted that the President was able to actually tackle the increasing costs of electricity, and acknowledged his call against 'corrupt officials' in the government. 'It is true that it is shameful that all the corrupt officials of the ERC, so many cases have been filed, sobrang dami na ng pronouncement of gaming, of manipulation and everything, and even announced by the President and the Department of Energy. Wala po lumalabas na findings sa lahat sa lahat ng investigation na iyon. Kung meron man na pinataw ang Energy Regulatory Commission ay mumo doon sa, in comparison sa ano ang kinikita ng mga korporasyon sa gaming na ginagawa nila o manipulation na ginagawa nila,' he shared. Lanzones had said that their claims were not 'new critique,' and had long since been identified as key reasons for the Philippines being named the most expensive power supply in Southeast Asia. Both Lanzona and Arrances called for limiting the Philippines' dependence on coal energy for flood control, and an acknowledgement that the Philippines is not yet ready for a fully-renewable energy supply. They both also called the government to prepare exit strategies for the country's transition to renewable energy. 'If we're going to tie up all of this flooding, energy, all of this environmental climate change, then it's important that we really have a program, a comprehensive program that will tie up all of these issues… At this time, parang we have to go through a transition kasi we're not yet ready to have fully renewable sources of energy. But we need to have some kind of exit plan. At what point, at when can we begin to realize this cleaner and cheaper sources of energy?' Lanzona asked. 'Why is that the law doesn't have an exit strategy? And that's the law. And that's the challenge here. We all know already that coal, gas, and other fossil fuels will be stranded assets in economics, meaning it will not be more productive. Because of numerous reasons, it will be more expensive. Dahil una, iniimport mo siya eh. So the policies in those countries can actually change and be stricter. It means you will bear the cost of higher resources… Yes, we are going to transition. And there has to be an exit strategy. Wala po yun,' Arrances added. — BM, GMA Integrated News
Kuwait Times
2 days ago
- Health
- Kuwait Times
‘Food on table' outweighs health risks for Philippine e-waste dismantlers
MANILA, Philippines: Dexter Barsigan has spent the past 13 years making a living with his bare hands and a pair of pliers, stripping scrapped laptops and air conditioners for metal he can sell to junk shops in the Philippines. But since his hands began aching and his vision started to blur three years ago, there have been days he can only watch his wife and nephew do the job for him. The 47-year-old father of three is a 'mambabaklas', the Filipino word for informal dismantlers who scavenge electronic waste for the nickel, aluminum and copper inside. 'Dismantling helps us put food on the table. It provides the money to send my kids to school,' Barsigan told AFP while sitting along a kilometer-long stretch of Onyx Street, home to hundreds of fellow 'e-waste' dismantlers. Their work frequently involves burning away rubber wire casings, releasing a toxic brew of chemicals including lead, mercury and cadmium into the air. Both the Philippine government and the Basel Convention, a global waste management treaty signed by 191 countries, consider e-waste hazardous. 'It poses serious threats to human health and the environment,' said Irvin Cadavona, a hazardous waste management officer with the environment department, citing health risks ranging from cancer and neurological diseases to respiratory illnesses and birth defects. The World Health Organization said last year exposure to e-waste chemicals can lead to incidents of asthma and reduced lung function in children, while pregnant women are at higher risk for stillbirths and premature delivery. 'It's very hard to recycle these (chemicals). When you dismantle (e-waste), you must intricately break it down. It can be very hazardous,' Gelo Apostol, an environmental health specialist from Ateneo de Manila University, told AFP. Exposure to the substances can lead to anemia, kidney and thyroid diseases, and nerve damage, he said. The Philippines is among the top e-waste generators in Southeast Asia, according to the United Nations' Global E-waste Monitor, accounting for 540 million kilograms (about 600,000 tons) in 2022. Dismantlers who work at the country's accredited facilities are required to follow stringent guidelines. But their informal counterparts lack the training, regulations and protective equipment needed to properly protect themselves. 'I strongly believe that some Filipinos are getting sick because of the exposure to e-waste,' Cadavona said. Barsigan, who doesn't wear a mask while working, prefers dismantling computer circuit boards with aluminum and copper because they fetch as much as P470 ($8) per kilogram. But circuit boards have especially high concentrations of toxic metals that can cause nerve damage when breathed in, Apostol said. While illegal, Onyx Street's e-waste dismantlers also routinely burn wires to extract copper, which is faster than peeling them by hand. Rosana Milan, physician-in-charge at Manila's Pedro Gil Health Center, said her clinic has diagnosed half of the 12,000 people living along the street with respiratory issues, most of them children. – AFP
Malay Mail
2 days ago
- Health
- Malay Mail
'Food on table' outweighs health risks for Philippine e-waste dismantlers
MANILA, July 29 — Dexter Barsigan has spent the past 13 years making a living with his bare hands and a pair of pliers, stripping scrapped laptops and air conditioners for metal he can sell to junk shops in the Philippines. But since his hands began aching and his vision started to blur three years ago, there have been days he can only watch his wife and nephew do the job for him. The 47-year-old father of three is a 'mambabaklas', the Filipino word for informal dismantlers who scavenge electronic waste for the nickel, aluminum and copper inside. 'Dismantling helps us put food on the table. It provides the money to send my kids to school,' Barsigan told AFP while sitting along a kilometre-long stretch of Onyx Street, home to hundreds of fellow 'e-waste' dismantlers. Their work frequently involves burning away rubber wire casings, releasing a toxic brew of chemicals including lead, mercury and cadmium into the air. Both the Philippine government and the Basel Convention, a global waste management treaty signed by 191 countries, consider e-waste hazardous. 'It poses serious threats to human health and the environment,' said Irvin Cadavona, a hazardous waste management officer with the environment department, citing health risks ranging from cancer and neurological diseases to respiratory illnesses and birth defects. The World Health Organization said last year exposure to e-waste chemicals can lead to incidents of asthma and reduced lung function in children, while pregnant women are at higher risk for stillbirths and premature delivery. 'It's very hard to recycle these (chemicals). When you dismantle (e-waste), you must intricately break it down. It can be very hazardous,' Gelo Apostol, an environmental health specialist from Ateneo de Manila University, told AFP. Exposure to the substances can lead to anemia, kidney and thyroid diseases, and nerve damage, he said. The Philippines is among the top e-waste generators in Southeast Asia, according to the United Nations' Global E-waste Monitor, accounting for 540 million kilograms (about 600,000 tons) in 2022. Dismantlers who work at the country's accredited facilities are required to follow stringent guidelines. But their informal counterparts lack the training, regulations and protective equipment needed to properly protect themselves. 'I strongly believe that some Filipinos are getting sick because of the exposure to e-waste,' Cadavona said. Burning rubber Barsigan, who doesn't wear a mask while working, prefers dismantling computer circuit boards with aluminum and copper because they fetch as much as P470 (RM34.7) per kilogram. But circuit boards have especially high concentrations of toxic metals that can cause nerve damage when breathed in, Apostol said. While illegal, Onyx Street's e-waste dismantlers also routinely burn wires to extract copper, which is faster than peeling them by hand. Rosana Milan, physician-in-charge at Manila's Pedro Gil Health Center, said her clinic has diagnosed half of the 12,000 people living along the street with respiratory issues, most of them children. 'It's very risky for the babies, the toddlers and even the school children... they're sitting beside their father while the father is... burning the rubber,' Milan told AFP. 'Mostly they have pneumonia, upper and lower respiratory illness, even if they have vaccines.' Dismantler Sammy Oligar said his one-year-old grandchild had been diagnosed with pneumonia that a doctor attributed to pollution caused by the burning. 'The smoke would enter from our window and the child would inhale it,' Oligar told AFP, adding that many of his neighbors were dealing with lung illnesses. 'What are we waiting for?' Medecins du Monde (MdM), a French humanitarian organisation providing gloves, masks and safety orientations for the dismantlers of Onyx Street, is calling for the recognition of informal e-waste workers. 'Health is clearly not their first priority. Their priority is to have food on the table,' Eva Lecat, general coordinator of MdM, told AFP. 'If (their work) was legal and recognised and regulated, there would be ways to protect people and communities.' Cadavona, the waste management officer, said the informal nature of the picker-junkshop relationship made it 'very hard' to establish formal recognition for the community. Apostol, the faculty researcher, said an 'evidence gap' created by the lack of studies specific to dismantlers might be contributing to a lack of urgency. 'But remember, many of the chemicals found in e-waste already have extensive studies on their health effects,' Apostol said. 'What are we waiting for? To have nationwide data of people who died from e-waste before we take action?' Worried he will be unable to afford treatment, Barsigan told AFP he has avoided doctors, instead putting ointment on his hands and taking a cheap, over-the-counter pain reliever. Once his hands feel a little better, he said, he will put them back to work. 'If I stop dismantling, it's as if I have also given up the hope of a better life for my children.' — AFP
New Straits Times
3 days ago
- Health
- New Straits Times
'Food on table' outweighs health risks for Philippine e-waste dismantlers
DEXTER Barsigan has spent the past 13 years making a living with his bare hands and a pair of pliers, stripping scrapped laptops and air conditioners for metal he can sell to junk shops in the Philippines. But since his hands began aching and his vision started to blur three years ago, there have been days he can only watch his wife and nephew do the job for him. The 47-year-old father of three is a "mambabaklas", the Filipino word for informal dismantlers who scavenge electronic waste for the nickel, aluminum and copper inside. "Dismantling helps us put food on the table. It provides the money to send my kids to school," Barsigan told AFP while sitting along a kilometre-long stretch of Onyx Street, home to hundreds of fellow "e-waste" dismantlers. Their work frequently involves burning away rubber wire casings, releasing a toxic brew of chemicals including lead, mercury and cadmium into the air. Both the Philippine government and the Basel Convention, a global waste management treaty signed by 191 countries, consider e-waste hazardous. "It poses serious threats to human health and the environment," said Irvin Cadavona, a hazardous waste management officer with the environment department, citing health risks ranging from cancer and neurological diseases to respiratory illnesses and birth defects. The World Health Organisation said last year exposure to e-waste chemicals can lead to incidents of asthma and reduced lung function in children, while pregnant women are at higher risk for stillbirths and premature delivery. "It's very hard to recycle these (chemicals). When you dismantle (e-waste), you must intricately break it down. It can be very hazardous," Gelo Apostol, an environmental health specialist from Ateneo de Manila University, told AFP. Exposure to the substances can lead to anemia, kidney and thyroid diseases, and nerve damage, he said. The Philippines is among the top e-waste generators in Southeast Asia, according to the United Nations' Global E-waste Monitor, accounting for 540 million kilogrammes (about 600,000 tons) in 2022. Dismantlers who work at the country's accredited facilities are required to follow stringent guidelines. But their informal counterparts lack the training, regulations and protective equipment needed to properly protect themselves. "I strongly believe that some Filipinos are getting sick because of the exposure to e-waste," Cadavona said. Barsigan, who doesn't wear a mask while working, prefers dismantling computer circuit boards with aluminum and copper because they fetch as much as P470 (US$8) per kilo. But circuit boards have especially high concentrations of toxic metals that can cause nerve damage when breathed in, Apostol said. While illegal, Onyx Street's e-waste dismantlers also routinely burn wires to extract copper, which is faster than peeling them by hand. Rosana Milan, physician-in-charge at Manila's Pedro Gil Health Centre, said her clinic has diagnosed half of the 12,000 people living along the street with respiratory issues, most of them children. "It's very risky for the babies, the toddlers and even the school children... they're sitting beside their father while the father is... burning the rubber," Milan told AFP. "Mostly they have pneumonia, upper and lower respiratory illness, even if they have vaccines." Dismantler Sammy Oligar said his one-year-old grandchild had been diagnosed with pneumonia that a doctor attributed to pollution caused by the burning. "The smoke would enter from our window and the child would inhale it," Oligar told AFP, adding that many of his neighbours were dealing with lung illnesses. Medicins du Monde (MdM), a French humanitarian organisation providing gloves, masks and safety orientations for the dismantlers of Onyx Street, is calling for the recognition of informal e-waste workers. "Health is clearly not their first priority. Their priority is to have food on the table," Eva Lecat, general coordinator of MdM, told AFP. "If (their work) was legal and recognised and regulated, there would be ways to protect people and communities." Cadavona, the waste management officer, said the informal nature of the picker-junkshop relationship made it "very hard" to establish formal recognition for the community. Apostol, the faculty researcher, said an "evidence gap" created by the lack of studies specific to dismantlers might be contributing to a lack of urgency. "But remember, many of the chemicals found in e-waste already have extensive studies on their health effects," Apostol said. "What are we waiting for? To have nationwide data of people who died from e-waste before we take action?" Worried he will be unable to afford treatment, Barsigan told AFP he has avoided doctors, instead putting ointment on his hands and taking a cheap, over-the-counter pain reliever. Once his hands feel a little better, he said, he will put them back to work. "If I stop dismantling, it's as if I have also given up the hope of a better life for my children."
The Star
3 days ago
- Health
- The Star
'Food on table' outweighs health risks for Philippine e-waste dismantlers
MANILA: Dexter Barsigan has spent the past 13 years making a living with his bare hands and a pair of pliers, stripping scrapped laptops and air conditioners for metal he can sell to junk shops in the Philippines. But since his hands began aching and his vision started to blur three years ago, there have been days he can only watch his wife and nephew do the job for him. The 47-year-old father of three is a "mambabaklas", the Filipino word for informal dismantlers who scavenge electronic waste for the nickel, aluminum and copper inside. "Dismantling helps us put food on the table. It provides the money to send my kids to school," Barsigan told AFP while sitting along a kilometre-long stretch of Onyx Street, home to hundreds of fellow "e-waste" dismantlers. Their work frequently involves burning away rubber wire casings, releasing a toxic brew of chemicals including lead, mercury and cadmium into the air. Both the Philippine government and the Basel Convention, a global waste management treaty signed by 191 countries, consider e-waste hazardous. "It poses serious threats to human health and the environment," said Irvin Cadavona, a hazardous waste management officer with the environment department, citing health risks ranging from cancer and neurological diseases to respiratory illnesses and birth defects. The World Health Organization said last year exposure to e-waste chemicals can lead to incidents of asthma and reduced lung function in children, while pregnant women are at higher risk for stillbirths and premature delivery. "It's very hard to recycle these (chemicals). When you dismantle (e-waste), you must intricately break it down. It can be very hazardous," Gelo Apostol, an environmental health specialist from Ateneo de Manila University, told AFP. Exposure to the substances can lead to anaemia, kidney and thyroid diseases, and nerve damage, he said. The Philippines is among the top e-waste generators in South-East Asia, according to the United Nations' Global E-waste Monitor, accounting for 540 million kilogrammes (about 600,000 tonnes) in 2022. Workers removing copper from industrial wiring inside a recycling shop in Manila. - AFP Dismantlers who work at the country's accredited facilities are required to follow stringent guidelines. But their informal counterparts lack the training, regulations and protective equipment needed to properly protect themselves. "I strongly believe that some Filipinos are getting sick because of the exposure to e-waste," Cadavona said. Barsigan, who doesn't wear a mask while working, prefers dismantling computer circuit boards with aluminum and copper because they fetch as much as P470 (US$8) per kilo. But circuit boards have especially high concentrations of toxic metals that can cause nerve damage when breathed in, Apostol said. While illegal, Onyx Street's e-waste dismantlers also routinely burn wires to extract copper, which is faster than peeling them by hand. Rosana Milan, physician-in-charge at Manila's Pedro Gil Health Center, said her clinic has diagnosed half of the 12,000 people living along the street with respiratory issues, most of them children. "It's very risky for the babies, the toddlers and even the school children... they're sitting beside their father while the father is... burning the rubber," Milan told AFP. "Mostly they have pneumonia, upper and lower respiratory illness, even if they have vaccines." Dismantler Sammy Oligar said his one-year-old grandchild had been diagnosed with pneumonia that a doctor attributed to pollution caused by the burning. "The smoke would enter from our window and the child would inhale it," Oligar told AFP, adding that many of his neighbors were dealing with lung illnesses. Medicins du Monde (MdM), a French humanitarian organisation providing gloves, masks and safety orientations for the dismantlers of Onyx Street, is calling for the recognition of informal e-waste workers. "Health is clearly not their first priority. Their priority is to have food on the table," Eva Lecat, general coordinator of MdM, told AFP. "If (their work) was legal and recognised and regulated, there would be ways to protect people and communities." Cadavona, the waste management officer, said the informal nature of the picker-junkshop relationship made it "very hard" to establish formal recognition for the community. Apostol, the faculty researcher, said an "evidence gap" created by the lack of studies specific to dismantlers might be contributing to a lack of urgency. "But remember, many of the chemicals found in e-waste already have extensive studies on their health effects," Apostol said. "What are we waiting for? To have nationwide data of people who died from e-waste before we take action?" Worried he will be unable to afford treatment, Barsigan told AFP he has avoided doctors, instead putting ointment on his hands and taking a cheap, over-the-counter pain reliever. Once his hands feel a little better, he said, he will put them back to work. "If I stop dismantling, it's as if I have also given up the hope of a better life for my children." - AFP
