As thousands of teachers and volunteers clean and prepare thousands of classrooms for the return to school of millions of Filipino students on June 6, the Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines call all concerned officials of the Department of Education to supplement its Brigada Eskwela (BE) program with extra precautionary and safety measures that will protect our teachers, students, parents and other volunteers from asbestos materials and products while they are cleaning, renovating or dismantling old classrooms and school-buildings in preparation for the June 6 school opening.
It is not the intent of this letter to dampen the bayanihan spirit that drives Brigada Eskwela. We want this program to succeed but, in the course of its implementation, we want everyone to be safe and protected against possible exposure to deadly and highly carcinogenic asbestos dust fibers.
Asbestos dust fibers are found in old school-building materials, especially the ones built in the 1970s. When asbestos is disturbed, dust fibers become very friable. And when these invisible dusts are inhaled even in small amounts, anyone exposed to them will likely suffer an incurable mesothelioma and other cancers. It could take 10 to 40 years before the problem is recognized.
We, therefore, call on concerned Department of Education officials to ensure that Brigada Eskwela is accompanied with measures that address asbestos issues and protect its volunteers.
—ALAN A. TANJUSAY,
policy advocacy officer,
Associated Labor Unions,
TUCP-PGEA Compound,
Maharlika cor. Masaya Streets,
UP Village, Diliman, Quezon City