Clapper, Patti, Schweizer and Mason

Senate Bill 741 proposes to ban the use of asbestos in the construction and manufacturing industries in the Philippines. The Joint Foreign Chambers, the Trade Union Congress (TCU), the Associated Labor Unions (ALU), and the Building and Woodworkers Unions International (BWI), have launched an email campaign in efforts to get Congress to pass Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago’s Senate bill.

 

Asbestos, a mineral once widely mined and then added to thousands of industrial and construction products, is now banned or highly regulated in many countries, including the United States. Asbestos, although highly insulating and fire resistant, is now known to cause serious diseases, such as mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer. Mesothelioma is the most serious of all the diseases caused by exposure to asbestos as it is very difficult to diagnose, does not respond well to current treatments, and has very low survival rates.

 

Many organizations in the Philippines have banned together to campaign for the passage of Bill No. 741 to ban the use and importation of asbestos in the country. Despite the known health risks, asbestos is still being imported and added to many construction materials. The bill seeks to ban asbestos from being imported, manufactured, processed, used or distributed commercially.

 

To add to the efforts to ban asbestos and due to the urgency given the upcoming February 5^th end of the official Congressional Session, an email campaign was started. It has subsequently been reported that the emails in support of the Bill are being blocked from delivery and returned to senders. 

 

The evidence is clear that asbestos kills. It causes the incurable, painful disease of mesothelioma plus many other illnesses. There is no safe level of exposure to asbestos for workers or the public, and the only real protection is complete avoidance. The passage of this bill would be a first step in protecting the people from this known hazard.