Spike in respiratory diseases in Batangas City blamed on LNG exposure
MANILA, Philippines — The regional office of the Department of Health (DOH) in Calabarzon has started investigating the rising cases of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases purportedly due to fossil fuel exposure from liquefied natural gas (LNG) power plants operating in Batangas City.
The DOH’s Center for Health Development in the region finally took action nearly seven months after climate groups raised concern over the health situation in five affected barangays where around 4,000 people had been reported ill with various respiratory illnesses, such as bronchial asthma, acute respiratory infection and pulmonary tuberculosis.
The DOH, however, pointed out that a direct link between the reported cases and fatalities to the LNG power plants in Batangas City has yet to be confirmed.
“It would still take some time to validate their claim. We will need to look at other relevant documents such as baseline data on air and water quality,” said Ariel Valencia, regional director of DOH Calabarzon.
The regional office also vowed to find any “potential health risks associated with exposure to LNG power plants.”
Batangas City is host to five operating LNG power plants located in five barangays, namely Ilijan, Sta. Rita Aplaya, Malitam, Tabangao Ambulong and Tabangao Aplaya. Most of those affected by fossil fuel emissions live in coastal areas.
In a statement on Friday night, Philippine Movement for Climate Justice (PMCJ) welcomed the move of the DOH to look into the matter.
But it said that an “impartial national task force” should instead lead the probe to avoid any “bias” from the city health office.
“We must remember that we filed a complaint last Jan. 23 at the Batangas City Health Office and there was no concrete investigation done by the office,” PMCJ said.
Citing figures from the city health office, the group earlier noted that more than half of the residents afflicted with respiratory conditions were children below five years old.
“We are worried about this because [various companies] are planning to build more [power plants] … and this will aggravate the problem and further increase the cases,” Larry Pascua, senior energy program officer of PMCJ, told a press briefing on Thursday.
Dr. Benito Molino, a medical consultant at the Philippine Network of Forensics, had stressed that the fossil fuel was “not only contaminating the air but also the water, land, and our [sources] of food.”
He also pointed out that some fisherfolk had complained of skin irritation from the rainwater, which they suspect was contaminated by pollutants from the LNG power plants.
