TOXIC TOYS A member of Ecowaste Coalition shows toys tested for hazardous and toxic substances like lead. —FILE PHOTO
A coalition of environment groups has asked the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to take a more active role in protecting Filipinos’ rights against hazardous substances, coinciding with global efforts to address the full and toxic life cycle of plastic.
In a letter initiated by EcoWaste Coalition and endorsed by over 35 organizations, the groups urged the CHR to review and update its 2014 Human Rights Advisory where it had called for a “health-based, human rights-based policies on chemicals in the Philippines.”
The 8-year-old, 15-point agenda crafted by then CHR chair Loretta Rosales mandated the government to, among others, fully implement all related laws protecting against hazardous substances; strengthening existing institutions; as well as increasing research and risk awareness.
While the country has made significant strides in advancing Filipinos’ right to chemical safety in the past eight years, “much more needs to be done” to ensure people’s rights to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment. Among others, the Philippines has yet to ratify the 2019 Basel Convention that seeks to control transboundary movement of plastic waste, or establish a mandatory and publicly accessible database or inventory of chemicals or pollutants released to air, water and soil.
It has also yet to adopt alternative agricultural practices using natural and organic materials and processes or Zero Waste resource management. “For this reason, we [are] urging the CHR to review and update the 2014 Human Rights Advisory with the participation of rights-holders and duty-bearers and to have the revised document popularized among stakeholders,” said EcoWaste Coalition national coordinator Aileen Lucero. INQ
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