Toxic and waste school campaign, alamin!
Toxic and waste school campaign, alamin!
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00:00 Toxic waste is not only harmful to our environment,
00:04 but also to people, to our health, to animals and plants.
00:09 That's why a campaign against this is being launched now.
00:12 And to talk about this, we will have with us Sir Tony Dizon, a toxic campaigner.
00:17 Good morning to you Sir Tony, or anti-toxic campaigner,
00:21 because we don't like toxic.
00:24 Good morning Sir.
00:25 Good morning Sir Tony.
00:27 Sir, even in the Parliament, the children are still not safe when it comes to toxic chemicals.
00:34 So, sometimes, this is in the things that you buy,
00:37 eraser, lapis, ball pen, lunch box and pencil case.
00:43 That's right.
00:44 That's why before the election, our group became very active
00:50 to buy some samples from our school supplies.
00:56 And we tested them to find out if they still contain toxic chemicals like lead and other toxic chemicals.
01:06 We know that we have been doing this for the previous years,
01:11 and we are still calling for this.
01:14 The good thing is that now, we have a law,
01:18 and it is prohibited, especially in school supplies.
01:23 And even in schools, it is mandatory to comply with the rules.
01:30 And that's what our group did, that's why we did a screening
01:35 in some schools to find out if the schools comply with the regulations that we have.
01:42 Did you find any violations?
01:45 It's a good thing because in the recent inspection that we did,
01:51 our schools complied with the regulations, especially in their supplies.
01:57 Here in our country, it is mandatory to use lead-safe paint.
02:04 This is for wallings, inside the classroom, and even in chairs and tables.
02:10 It's important because that's what you sit on in the afternoon.
02:15 Yes, you sit on it.
02:16 And even our teachers.
02:19 They complied with the regulations in the previous school,
02:24 the lead-safe paint.
02:26 And aside from the toxic chemicals that we are still looking at,
02:32 we also looked at other possible sources.
02:36 Aside from the paint that we are looking at,
02:40 we also looked at the school, because it is one of the most
02:44 discarded sources.
02:47 Of course, in every classroom, there are more than 10 that they use.
02:52 It's important because it's a possible source of exposure
02:56 from the mercury source.
03:01 Okay.
03:02 Let me go back to school supplies, Sir Tony.
03:05 Where do you usually see lead content?
03:08 Even in water bottles, there are crayons.
03:12 Let me ask my parents, how will I know or how will I check that the school supplies
03:17 that I use, that my son uses, are safe from toxic chemicals?
03:21 Toxic paint.
03:22 To be honest, it's not that easy.
03:24 Aside from being a bit careless, you do some research before you buy.
03:30 Let's just say that you buy from legitimate stores that really comply,
03:38 even manufacturers.
03:40 But in our ordinary households, it's not that easy.
03:43 Often, bargaining is still a price.
03:47 It's really a warning when buying.
03:49 It's not that careless.
03:52 That's what our group called for, that as much as possible,
03:56 we put proper labeling on every school supplies.
04:01 That's important.
04:02 It's not just the price that should be looked at, but the labeling is important.
04:07 That's how you'll know if it's made here or in other countries.
04:12 Second, is it legitimate or registered?
04:16 Is it manufactured?
04:18 Maybe it's not and it doesn't comply with safety standards here in our country.
04:23 Third, the ingredients are the most important.
04:26 It's not just food that you need to put ingredients.
04:30 You also need to put school supplies.
04:33 It's important to know what materials are used here
04:37 and if it's really non-toxic.
04:41 Because we'll see the label of non-toxic,
04:43 therefore, you'll be much more proud to disclose the ingredients you used
04:49 so we'll know that it's safe for our children.
04:52 Well, Sir Tony, the so-called lead content is dangerous,
04:57 especially for school supplies.
04:59 I remember that day, I was still licking my lapis.
05:04 You were doing a snap.
05:06 You were bored, right?
05:08 You were licking it while you were watching TV.
05:12 So for sure, there are paintings and lead content.
05:15 I'm okay with that.
05:16 Are there many reports or data that show that school supplies with lead content
05:23 are harmful for children or students?
05:26 That's a good question.
05:28 It's not that easy to correlate the possible source.
05:35 But the symptoms of lead exposure are similar to the ordinary symptoms we experience.
05:42 We have a runny nose, etc.
05:44 Now, you really need to go to the lab.
05:49 Especially if the behavioral changes,
05:53 the effect of lead exposure is neurotoxin,
05:58 which is the main thing that attacks the brain,
06:01 behavioral changes.
06:03 If we notice that the child is a bit clumsy,
06:08 not very active in school,
06:11 his behavior is a bit aggressive,
06:16 he's fighting, let's just say that.
06:18 He might need medical attention.
06:22 The child should be checked.
06:24 If there's a high possibility that he has lead exposure,
06:29 he should be subjected to blood lead
06:33 to determine how much or how high the concentration of lead is in his body.
06:39 This needs to be done early because this tendency will prolong.
06:45 This exposure is cumulative.
06:48 Especially if the exposure is continuous.
06:51 Let's just imagine that school supplies are used for a longer period of time.
06:59 The chances of them being exposed are higher.
07:03 Okay. In terms of waste management,
07:05 Sir Tony, what should our school staff do in terms of waste management?
07:11 Thank you for mentioning that because this is where our program,
07:15 Toxics Free and Waste Free School Program,
07:18 is where we invite schools to help and guide them
07:24 on the existing regulations that we have here in terms of toxics,
07:29 chemicals, and of course, waste management.
07:31 Waste management is important, especially in schools.
07:35 Why?
07:36 Our government is calling for the cleanliness,
07:41 for our second home, our children, to be safe.
07:45 Therefore, waste management is one thing that needs to be given attention to.
07:49 For example, one thing we noticed in our trips to schools
07:55 is that they don't have enough segregation bins.
07:59 Children need to learn right away.
08:02 We often see segregation bins, but they are still mixed.
08:07 The ones that are mixed.
08:08 The ones that are mixed.
08:09 The ones that are mixed.
08:10 Correct. They are not followed.
08:12 Aside from segregation bins, another thing that we promote here
08:17 is the material recovery facilities.
08:19 What's difficult about schools is that sometimes they have a lot of garbage.
08:23 Discards, trash cans, and other used items, especially in this school brigade.
08:30 You can see that it's almost all stacked in one corner of the school.
08:36 Material recovery facilities are important because
08:39 they segregate the school personnel.
08:44 They know what to reuse or repair.
08:50 If it's a waste, it's a waste.
08:54 Aside from the material recovery facilities,
08:57 we also promote urban gardening.
09:00 It's important to grow vegetables.
09:03 Every school has a portion of land for farming.
09:11 They can grow self-sustaining vegetables,
09:14 like the ones they cook in the canteen.
09:16 They can grow vegetables from there, etc.
09:18 And composting.
09:19 Waste management is not just about cleaning up the trash.
09:24 Rather, it's about cleaning up the management in the school.
09:30 To educate the parents and their children,
09:35 do you have programs for anti-toxic waste,
09:42 and garbage management?
09:44 Do you have projects and programs for that?
09:46 Yes.
09:47 One of our priorities is schools.
09:50 We have a program called Toxics Free and Waste Free School Program.
09:54 It's part of our campaign to help our schools,
09:58 schools, and teachers and students to be aware.
10:03 We have a law here called Environmental Education.
10:08 That's what's lacking.
10:10 We're proposing to our government and regulatory agencies
10:18 to infuse Environmental Education within the new curriculum.
10:24 It's really important.
10:25 We know that there are many subjects,
10:28 but it's about time,
10:30 it's high time that at an early age,
10:34 the children become aware of our environment.
10:37 Something to look forward to,
10:39 that it's included in the curriculum.
10:40 Because we'll never know when our environment will be destroyed
10:45 and we'll infuse it.
10:47 It's important.
10:48 While the children know about it.
10:49 That's right.
10:50 In fact, the children are practicing
10:52 earthquake drills, disasters, etc.
10:55 It's part of Environmental Education.
10:59 Meanwhile, we thank you for your advocacy
11:02 and your continuous efforts to make this campaign more extensive,
11:08 especially for schools and our students.
11:10 Thank you very much.
11:11 Thank you.
11:13 Thank you.