Prioritize public health and safety

Double thumbs up to EcoWaste Coalition and its dedicated team on their highly productive visit to Cebu recently. To Eileen Sison, Thony Dizon, Rey Palacio, Ochie Tolentino, Tin Vergara and Yhet Garcia: You have inspired Cebuanos to believe that the way to sustainability is in our hands. We are grateful.

The Ecowaste Coalition’s campaign to mainstream Zero-Waste in everyone’s consciousness, the focus on the hidden dangers posed by toxic substances such as lead in paint brushes used for food preparation, goods and even in refuse-derived fuel or RDF and the first-ever awareness-raising training and consultation with waste-pickers heightened the citizenry’s level of awareness in no small measure. The engagement with consumers, school principals and educators, civil society workers, waste pickers and government officials, drove home the point on the need to respond to the issues related to harmful and unsustainable modern-day behaviors.

Now, we know elevated level of lead lurks in paint brushes used by vendors in the Larsian and Carbon areas to apply basting sauce on chicken, pork, hotdog and isaw barbecues. Using a handheld X-Ray Fluorescence or XRF analytical device, Thony discovered that out of a sample of 19 paint brushes, 16 were found to contain lead in the range of 309 parts per million (ppm) to 10,500 ppm, way above the US limit of 90 ppm for lead in paints and surface coatings.

But no one in government is looking. It is pathetic and most unfortunate that our agencies do not even have the equipment to detect toxic substances in our midst.

Why can a watchdog like Eco Waste Coalition have the device and local government units with billions in revenues and the responsibility to protect public health and safety cannot?

I was told that in Cebu City, there is an approved budget for the purchase of XRF, which costs around P3 million, and for air and water quality monitoring equipment, but the Office of the Mayor has yet to release the amount. With a pollution level that is over the international standards in a prime tourist destination like Cebu, we wonder why our health, safety and the environment are still not top priorities.

As we sadly note, the Cebu City government allocated “P100 million last year to buy brand new vehicles for the city’s 80 barangays. Most, if not all the barangay captains already received their share of vehicles which consisted of brand new Toyota Hilux, Toyota Innova, Mitsubishi Strada and Mitsubishi Fuzion units. The city government is also giving barangay officials 100 to 150 liters of gasoline per month for the service vehicles (https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/426287/sticker-less-city-hall-cars-seized-from-brgy-officials#ixzz2aIT9cvlB).

Such misplaced prioritization prejudices the people’s welfare.

“Cebu tops malnutrition rate in Central Visayas” was the headline in the June 30 issue of some newspapers. Why? If it is rich and progressive, why are the most number of malnourished kids found in Cebu?

Dr. Parolita Mission of the National Nutrition Council was quoted as saying “Cebu now ranked number one based on the malnutrition rate of pre-school children as of 2012 with 7.66 percent. It now surpassed Negros Oriental which has been consistent in the top in the previous years and now has 7.13 percent followed by Siquijor with 6.56 and Bohol with 5.87. Among the cities and municipalities, Naga City ranked number one with 10.95 percent followed by Bais City and Guihulngan with 9.62 and 9.32 percent, respectively. (https://www.philstar.com/cebu-news/2013/06/30/959977/cebu-tops-malnutrition-rate-central-visayas).”

These facts reveal our continuing insensitivity to the immediate needs of our people, especially our children and the vulnerable sectors. The social and economic inequities will be further exacerbated by the devastating impacts of climate change.

The long overdue Bottom-up Planning and Budgeting (BuPB) should be mainstreamed in each agency, including barangays. Mayors, governors and congressional representatives should cease to think that they have the exclusive power to make decisions in behalf of the constituents. They should respect the constitutionally guaranteed right of the people to participate in decision-making.

The Local Government Code provides the mechanism for public participation through local sectoral representation, local development councils and special bodies where the citizenry and the marginalized sectors are supposed to be represented in each phase of policy-making. This is what inclusiveness and participation mean and this is where sincerity in rendering public service is tested.

The plan of Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella to establish a “Citizen’s Hour” in the City Council is a welcome step in the direction of making government closer to the people.

We need more public officials in the mold of Cebu City Councilors Nida Cabrera, Alvin Dizon and Nestor Archival. By being continuously in touch with their constituents, they know the needs of the times, prioritize public health and safety and our environment and are aware of the urgency of building the people’s resiliency in the era of climate challenges.

But, we, citizens have to do our share. The mindset of relying solely on government officials for resources and for them to perform their mandates and make miracles should be changed. Governance is effective only if people contribute their knowledge, skills and creativity with other stakeholders and make it work. We have seen that in the sterling initiatives and partnerships undertaken by the Movement for Livable Cebu, the UP Psychology Volunteers on Bike, Freedom from Debt Coalition and Eco Waste Coalition, to mention a few.

Our sustainable future lies in our hands. We better believe that.