Workers’ pressure forced government to recognize Covid-19 as occupational disease

More than one year into the pandemic, and only after a consistent campaign waged by workers’ organizations, the Employees’ Compensation Commission has finally recognized Covid-19 as a work-related and occupational disease.

This is a small victory of the Filipino workers and workers’ organizations in the country, who had to fight, online and offline, for this most logical and human measure. Crucial to the implementation of this measure is the approval of Pres. Rodrigo Duterte of P30,000 compensation to workers. We at the Institute for Occupational Health and Safety Development (IOHSAD) unite with Filipino workers and workers’ organizations in calling on Pres. Duterte to approve and ensure the implementation of this measure.

We trust that Filipino workers and workers’ organizations will continue to be vigilant in keeping a close watch on, and securing the implementation of, this new government policy, and that workers will indeed benefit from it. We at IOHSAD will continue to collaborate with workers’ organizations to ensure that this will indeed be the case. At the same time, given the recognition of Covid-19 as an occupational disease, we will continue to fight for the Paid Pandemic Bill, a measure much-needed by the country’s workers at present.

This time last year during the International Workers’ Memorial Day, the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), the broadest alliance of workers’ organizations in the world, has called for the classification of Covid-19 as an occupational disease [1]. In the Philippines, ITUC affiliates recognized that while the disease cannot solely be contracted from the workplace, the reality is that workers face a high risk of getting infected due to working conditions. Compliance with occupational safety and health standards are often sacrificed to keep up with production and profit.

Filipino workers bore witness to the truth of this claim as multiple workplaces suffered from outbreaks last year [2-5], even with minimum health standards in place. Several factories located in special economic zones in Laguna recorded hundreds of Covid-19 positive cases last year that greatly affected workers’ health and livelihood. This situation brought more pressure on the government to classify Covid-19 as a compensable disease.

While the ECC has made Covid-19 compensable under the increased risk theory as early as February 2020 [6], workers have found it difficult to claim their benefits because of documentary requirements. It is difficult to prove that they contracted the infection at work when the country’s poor contact tracing and testing efforts have made it almost impossible to know whether any of their co-workers or any individual with whom they shared a common area are close contacts or asymptomatic yet infected. This has left much of the burden to the infected workers, who are already suffering from the disease and losing income from isolation.

Under the ECC Board Resolution No. 21-04-14, COVID-19 is considered both a work-related and occupational disease. This allows infected workers, regardless of the severity of their symptoms, to receive around Php 30,000 (pending approval by the President) if they contract the disease with any of the following conditions present [7]:

  1. A direct connection between the “offending agent or event” and the workers based on epidemiologic criteria and occupation risk (examples: health workers, contact tracing teams),
  2. The task assigned to the worker requires frequent face-to-face and proximity interactions,
  3. Transmission occurred in the workplace, and
  4. Transmission occurred while commuting to and from work.

Sources:

[1] International Trade Union Confederation (2020). COVID-19 should be classified as an occupational disease. Retrieved from https://www.ituc-csi.org/covid-19-occupational-disease

[2] San Juan, A. (2020). 4 more MRT staff have COVID-19; 202 now infected. Retrieved from https://mb.com.ph/2020/07/08/4-more-mrt-staff-have-covid-19-202-now-infected/

[3] CNN Philippines (2020). Over 300 workers in BGC construction site test positive for COVID-19. Retrieved fromhttps://cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/7/10/Over-300-workers-in-BGC-construction-site-test-positive-for-COVID-19.html?fbclid=IwAR36pamrE1W0cBtZK_MX1o-qffFEv3n7ANe5sek_3cybyb1IgTkIFcNdV3Y

[4]Casilao, J. (2020). 15 companies in QC being monitored due to 280 workplace-related COVID-19 infections. Retrieved from https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/metro/748876/15-companies-in-qc-being-monitored-due-to-280-workplace-related-covid-19-infections/story/?fbclid=IwAR0nrEJa2rOEyLoSpiPmjVNz8LrYkLDkzbB1iTbM9w10Ho94_3tpMBzM3-E

[5]Datu, D. (2020). Operasyon ng kompanyasa Laguna, sinuspindesadami ng COVID-19 cases. Retrieved fromhttps://news.abs-cbn.com/news/07/30/20/operasyon-ng-kompanya-sa-laguna-sinuspinde-sa-dami-ng-covid-19-cases?fbclid=IwAR2qxUw_phId9tDn_HrWIvjL7EqWYpguEIg0_-gOpAC-xnmOlOx0tOs9S6Y

[6] Employees’ Compensation Commission (2020). ECC reminds employees to be more cautious of COVID-19, apply EC benefits if applicable. Retrieved from http://ecc.gov.ph/ecc-reminds-employees-to-be-more-cautious-of-covid-19-apply-ec-benefits-if-applicable/

[7] Rey, A. (2021). Duterte asked to approve P30,000 per worker infected with COVID-19. Retrieved from

https://www.rappler.com/nation/duterte-asked-approve-compensation-per-worker-infected-covid-19

Governement ‘palpak’ in saving workers’ lives during pandemic



Workplace safety NGO Institute for Occupational Health and Safety Development (IOHSAD), together with workers, teachers, artists, urban poor and health workers lit candles at home and hospitals this evening to remember those who have died due to the Covid-19 pandemic and government negligence, as well as those who have laid their lives in the cause to improve and save workers’ lives.


IOHSAD, which led in posting photos of the activity on social media, claimed that the government has failed to protect workers’ safety and health, especially during the pandemic. It said that workers bore the brunt of reviving the country’s declining economy, and workers’ safety and lives have been traded off in the name of doing business under the “new normal.”

“We remember all workers who have died saving the lives of, and providing essential services to, Filipinos. We condemn the government for failing to provide sufficient protection to our workers. At the same time, we raise the alarm on the possibility of Covid-19 outbreaks in workplaces if the government refuses to immediately act on workers’ health and safety demands,” said Nadia De Leon, IOHSAD executive director.

“The government did not only fail in protecting workers’ health and safety. It also failed to provide sufficient cash aid to workers and their families during this pandemic. Not only is this inhumane, but it also weakened the bodies of workers and their family members,” she added.

De Leon said that the issue of workers’ health and safety goes hand-in-hand with workers’ livelihood. Workers’ health has become more vulnerable to Covid-19 due to meager wages, lack of cash aid from the government, and “no work, no pay” scheme. There are numerous reports of workers who have been close contacts with confirmed Covid-19 cases and need to undergo quarantine for 14 days and have been deprived of their wages. 


“No worker should have to choose between going to work or getting hungry. Safe workplaces and paid pandemic leaves should be ensured to protect our workers’ health and safety,” she added.

The activity was held to commemorate International Workers Memorial Day, a red-letter day for workers and labor groups since 1989, which aims to remember workers who have died due to unsafe work. 

“The annual theme of International Workers’ Memorial Day, ‘Remember the dead, fight for the living,’ is most relevant as we reiterate our health and safety demands to ensure workers’ health, safety, protection and welfare,” De Leon added. 

IOHSAD enumerated Filipino workers’ occupational safety and health demands:

  • Mass testing and aggressive contact tracing in workplaces.

We cannot fight this disease blindly. We have to catch the infection at its source to contain its spread. Testing those who are symptomatic and their close contacts and finding at least 37 close contacts per positive case should be the norm.

  • Free and safe vaccines for all workers.

Workers are the bloodlines of society. To keep the economy afloat, we must keep our workers protected and alive. As we face the onslaught of this pandemic, free and safe vaccines should be ensured, and made accessible and free!

  • Cash aid for all!  (10K subsidy for the poor! P100 daily wage subsidy for workers!)

The pandemic took a lot from our people: jobs, savings, mental health, social connection and, worst of all, many of our loved ones. As prices continue to increase given the 4.5% inflation rate and wages are kept at bare minimum, we have to support those who are still with us and are trying their hardest to survive. Let us give a fighting chance to those who are in need by providing cash aid that will allows them to afford their basic needs!

  • Pass the Paid Pandemic Leave Bill Now!

A year into the pandemic, the interconnections between health and livelihood, job security and wellbeing of the economy should no longer be in question. We need to support everyone affected by the pandemic—those who got sick, their caregivers, their close contacts including those who lost their jobs permanently or temporarily. Workers need not choose between their health and livelihood or between family and the economy. To control this pandemic, we have to put all of these at the same level of priority and we can do so by providing paid pandemic leaves now!

###

Remembrance and Resistance: Struggle for Health, Safety, Livelihood and Rights! (International Workers’ Memorial Day 2021 )

After more than a year of the longest lockdown in the world, Covid-19 cases in the Philippines continue to rise, peaking at 15,000 in just one day. The socio-economic conditions continue to worsen, while the country’s already weak healthcare system has completely broken down. As we near April 28 International Workers’ Memorial Day and May 1 International Labour Day, we strengthen our demands to save workers’ lives.   

The government has failed to strengthen the country’s healthcare system. Hospitals are overwhelmed and overran due to lack of facilities, equipment, and staff. Hospital beds are fully booked with Covid patients, leaving no room for other sick and even emergency cases. Last year, an estimate of 1,245 healthcare workers were infected, 27 of whom had died (21 doctors and 6 nurses). We have then demanded to fast-track and prioritize the protection of health workers and other front liners through production and distribution of personal protective equipment (PPE), and implementing hazard benefits and mass hiring. Yet, as of April 11 this year, the number of infected healthcare workers reached 16, 510 while a total of 86 had died.

The government has failed to protect workers’ safety and health. While countries all over the world underwent economic crisis due to work stoppage, workers bore the brunt of reviving the receding economies. In the name of doing business, workers’ safety and lives have been traded off.

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) recorded 7,781 confirmed Covid cases in 2,234 workplaces. While this does not present the actual total number of infected, especially due to lack of mass testing and aggressive contact tracing, the highest recorded cases belong to regions of big labor force population. In the recent surge of Covid cases, the National Capital Region (NCR), Region IV-A, Region III and Region VII recorded the highest cases. These regions have the greatest number of manufacturing ecozones and information technology parks and centers. According the data of Department of Health (DOH), the age group 20-49 recorded the highest number of positive cases, presenting a high probability of these belonging to the labor force population.

Last year, when companies and workplaces went back to full operation, cases of Covid outbreak occurred in occupation sites such as Taguig Construction Site (300 construction workers), Metro Rail Transit (200 employees), business-processing outsource sites in different regions (415 workers), companies in special economic zones of Laguna (more than 400 workers), manufacturing company in Central Luzon (more than 200 workers), and a food manufacturing plant in Cavite (more than 700 tested positive.) For returning overseas Filipinos, a total of 16, 233 were tested positive as of April 11, fourteen of whom had died.

Amid the pandemic, workers’ health has become more vulnerable due to the economic systems in place. Without free mass testing and treatment, workers are not convinced to take the necessary measures to ensure their health and safety. This coupled with meager wages, lack of cash aid from the government, and “no work, no pay” scheme, contributes to the workers’ fear of losing daily income.

The Filipino workers continue to strengthen demands for health, safety, and social protection.  Workers’ health and safety is government responsibility, yet our own government has brought us to the brink of death due to sickness and poverty.  On this year’s International Workers’ Memorial Day, also known as World Day for Safety and Health, we remember those who have died due to the pandemic and government negligence, those who have laid their lives in the cause to improve and save workers’ lives. We mourn the dead, consolidate our ranks, and collectively demand:

  1. Mass testing and aggressive contact tracing in workplaces!
  2. Free and safe vaccine for all workers!
  3. Classify Covid-19 as an occupational disease!
  4. Cash aid for all!
  5. Pass the Paid Pandemic Leave Bill now!

Join the national day of action on April 28, 2021. Wear black shirt and join the social media protest by posting on your individual and organizational social media pages with our demands. At 6:00 PM, join the nationally coordinated candle lighting protest in your homes or offices, and post photos or videos on your pages. These activities will serve as build up actions for the upcoming Labour Day.

Remember the Dead, Fight for the Living! Save Workers’ Lives!

Occupational Safety and Health is a Fundamental Right!

Workers’ Safety from Covid-19 is Government Responsibility!

#IWMD2021

#SaveWorkersLives

[Call for Contributions] Kwentong Covid/Kwentong Obrero: Karanasan ng mga Manggagawa sa Pandemya

Inaanyayahan ang lahat ng manggagawa: manggagawa sa manupaktura, manggagawang pangkalusugan, guro, empleyado ng BPO, manggagawang agrikultural, kawani ng gobyerno, jeepney drayber, migrante, manggagawang pangkultura at iba pang nais magsulat ng kanilang karanasan ngayong pandemya para sa inihahandang koleksyon o e-book. Maaaring ipadala ang inyong mga lahok hanggang 18 Abril 2021.

Layunin ng koleksyong itampok ang mga karanasan ng mga manggagawa mula sa iba’t ibang sektor ngayong pandemya at ibahagi ang naging epekto ng Covid-19 sa kanilang kalusugan, kabuhayan at karapatan.

Ang tentatibong pamagat ng magiging e-book ay “Kwentong Covid/Kwentong Obrero”

  1. Pumapaksa sa mga karanasan ng manggagawa ngayong pandemya, mga naging epekto ng Covid-19 sa kalusugan, kabuhayan at mga karapatan.
  • Maaaring magkwento tungkol sa alinman sa mga sumusunod:
  • Karanasan ng mga nagpositibo sa Covid-19
  • Nawalan ng trabaho dahil sa pandemya
  • Epekto ng pandemya sa pamilya (sa mga bata, kanilang pag-aaral, pag-unlad, mental health at iba pa)
  • Mga panganib na sinuong sa mga lugar-paggawa dahil sa Covid-19
  • Mga bagong karanasan, hilig, kaalamang nakuha at sinimulan nitong pandemya
  • Mga naisip noong unang lockdown at paano nagbago sa pagtakbo ng pandemya
  • At iba pang karanasan ngayong pandemya
  • Bukod sa sanaysay, maaari ring magsulat sa iba pang porma tulad ng tula, maikling kwento, at dagli  Kahit pormang mahabang post sa Facebook, maaari.
  • Maaari lang makapagpadala ng isang akda ang bawat manggagawa.
  • Ipadala ang inyong akda sa kwentongcovidsatrabaho@gmail.com.  Isama sa Word document ang 1-2 talata na nagpapakilala sa manunulat.
  • Tatanggap ng mga akda sa wikang Filipino, Taglish, English, o Bisaya. Ang mahalaga ay maisulat ang mga kwento.
  • Tatanggap ng mga akda hanggang 18 Abril 2021.

PATNUGOT: Teo S. Marasigan

Ang proyektong ito ay pinapangunahan ng Institute for Occupational Health and Safety Development (IOHSAD).

Southern Tagalog massacre abominable — labor safety NGO


The Institute for Occupational Health and Safety Development  (IOHSAD) condemns the massacre of nine activists, the arrest of four more, and the raids of their households. These are further proof of the blatant disregard of Filipinos’ right to life and to live in freedom and in safety under the Duterte government.

Everyone has the right to be treated equally by the law, and should be considered innocent until proven guilty, but uniformed personnel took it upon themselves to deliver their own verdict. Everyone has the right to ask for legal help when their rights are not respected, but these same men withheld the victims’ families access to legal aide. No one should be subjected to cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment, but these men used excessive force on unarmed civilians resting in their homes in the guise of following orders from higher-ups.

It is the government’s responsibility to uphold human rights for all and it should be made accountable for its actions. We support workers’ unions, pro-worker institutions and people’s organizations in general who are waging a struggle until justice for those massacred is served.

Unionists, labor leaders, union organizers, activists and labor rights defenders in general are the backbone of the fight for healthy and safe workplaces in the country. If workplace health and safety in the Philippines leave much to be desired, it is because these people have been under attack for years. Instead of ensuring the strict implementation of occupational health and safety standards to save the lives of workers, either in the short-term or the long-term, the Duterte government is busy in its killing spree of those people dedicated to fighting for workers’ right to a healthy and safe workplace and other labor rights. Indeed, the picture is that the government is killing these labor rights advocates so the big greedy corporations can go on killing workers in the workplace. Impunity in government upholds impunity in the workplace.

One Friday, President Rodrigo Duterte reiterated his order to kill communist rebels. Just two days after, a synchronized police operation was carried out against unionists and activists in Southern Tagalog region. His regime has long created an environment of danger for labor and human rights defenders and activists, claiming 318 lives from July 2016 to June 2020. With the International Criminal Court already having reasonable basis for trying crimes against humanity for the 20,000 lives lost from Duterte’s drug war, we amplify our call to the United Nations Human Rights Council to conduct an investigation on the human rights situation in Philippines.

For three years now, the Philippines has been listed by the International Trade Union Confederation or ITUC in its Global Rights Index as one of the 10 worst countries in the world for workers. This is not surprising as according to the Center for Trade Union and Human Rights (CTUHR),  53 workers and labor rights defenders have been victims of state-sponsored killings, 30 remain detained over trumped-up charges, 45 instances of union-busting have been recorded from June 30 to December 2018, and 14 violent picketline dispersals by the combined forces of the police, the military, goons, and company guards have been carried out by 2020.

These attacks on workers and labor rights defenders should stop. With these occurring on top of continued surveillance, harassment and intimidation of labor leaders, organizers and unions, IOHSAD challenges the government to accept the High-Level Mission of the International Labour Organization (ILO) to investigate the trade union and human rights violations against workers and labor rights defenders.

We are calling on fellow labor advocates and rights defenders to stand with our brothers and sisters who are no longer with us because of the Duterte regime’s policy of extra-judicial killings. They were taken too soon to become a statistic in this administration’s fight against the insurgency, one that fails to protect the very people it should be serving. Activism is not terrorism, but service to workers and the people. Through the rose-colored lenses of a man who wants to stay in power, however, everyone, except the COVID-19 virus, is a target.

Stop the Attacks! Stop the Killings!

Hands off Unionists!

Hands off Labor Rights Defenders!

Unionism is not Terrorism!

Junk Terror Law!

Defend Trade Union and Human Rights!

Justice for all Victims of Extrajudicial Killings!

Buan, L. (2020). Echanis case sparks new scrutiny of PH government probes into killings.Rappler. Retrieved from https://www.rappler.com/nation/echanis-case-sparks-new-scrutiny-ph-government-probes-killings

Flores, H. (2020). ICC sees crimes against humanity in Philippines drug war.Philippine Star. Retrieved from https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2020/12/16/2064113/icc-sees-crimes-against-humanity-philippines-drug-war

International Trade Union Confederations Global Rights Index (2016-2020)

Center for Trade Union, Inc (2020). Statement on Bloody Sunday Massacre.

COVID-19 vaccination: Workers’ Concerns

In response to the comprehensive national plan for immunization against COVID-19, the Institute for Occupational Health and Safety Development (IOHSAD) demands for the following: mandatory occupational safety and health education on vaccination in workplaces; free, safe, and effective vaccines; and prioritization of workers and other marginalized sectors over uniformed personnel in the vaccination program.


(1)  For the vaccination program to be successful, the government must uphold workers’ informed consent, not enforced vaccination. The pandemic has triggered volumes of new information at record speed, making anyone vulnerable to misinformation. Without enough time or resources, the public can fall into the catchy and convenient but unproven narratives rather than seek out accurate and evidence-based data. While there is a need for vaccination, this should be done through persuasion and education. Repression and forcing people to undergo vaccination will only play into the hands of paranoia and misinformation. The government should enforce mandatory education on vaccination in the workplace.

(2) The government should provide free, safe and effective vaccines regardless of employment status to genuinely protect the movers of the Philippine economy. It should ensure that the already-impoverished and embattled workers of the country will not pay the cost of vaccination from their own pockets. At the same time, it should create mechanisms for treatment and compensation for the vaccination’s possible adverse effects to assure workers that they are not gambling with their lives.

(3) The government should stay true to the values reflected in the prioritization list created by the World Health Organization SAGE1 and not leave the marginalized population behind. Sociodemographic groups at significantly higher risk than other senior citizens should take priority over uniformed personnel based on the principles of well-being, equal respect and equity1,2. Their situation predisposes them to suffer greater damage from the pandemic. Until the government can ensure equal access of vaccines to them, it cannot truly say that it was able to address the interests of its people with equal respect or provide everyone with equal opportunities.

The disadvantaged or persecuted ethnic, racial, gender, and religious groups and sexual minorities, people living with disabilities, people living in extreme poverty, homeless and those living in informal settlements or urban slums, low-income migrant workers, refugees, internally displaced persons, asylum seekers, populations in conflict settings or those affected by humanitarian emergencies, vulnerable migrants in irregular situations, nomadic populations, and hard-to-reach population groups such as those in rural and remote areas1 have long suffered from the inequalities of health and opportunities to develop ones’ self in society. They should not be left farther behind as the country moves forward and heal from the pandemic.

We are therefore calling out this government’s blatant favoritism of uniformed officers over those in greater need! In the middle of a global health crisis, it is unfathomablethat it provided the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict access to PhP 19-B of the national budget3 when only PhP 2.5-B of the PhP 72.5-B budget for vaccines is readily available4,5. It is also unacceptable that it allotted 33-B for modernization of the Armed Forces of the Philippines6 when only 4.7-B is allocated for enhancement of health facilities7. It is all the more frustrating that it altered prioritization to displace indigents and the rest of the marginalized community in favor of uniformed personnel. And, when the bar could not be set any lower, it allowed the compassionate use of vaccines without published safety and efficacy studies for the use of the Presidential Security Group amidst stringent regulations in place8.

Thus, together with the Solidarity of Health Advocates and Personnel for a Unified Plan to Defeat COVID-19 and Coalition for People’s Right to Health, we reiterate the call for the national government to ensure centralized planning, procurement, transport, distribution, and integrity of vaccines and technologies to ensure equity, accountability, and cost-effectiveness9. Furthermore, IOHSAD challenges the government to create a culture of trust by showing compliance with its own protocols, imposing due punishment for its violations, and serving as an example by having its officials take the first doses of the vaccines once available.

As more vaccines complete their phase 3 trials, the rest of the world grows hopeful in controlling the pandemic, but the Philippines has yet to see the end in sight. In the latest Pulse Asia survey, almost half of Filipinos, 47%, would prefer not to get vaccinated against COVID-1910. While the uncertainty of the safety, cost and need for a vaccine to combat COVID-19 are cited as reasons for vaccine hesitancy, the people did not come to these conclusions alone. The government has created an environment of mistrust with its lapses in the pandemic response, non-accountability in the Dengvaxia fiasco, perpetuation of fake news, and neglect of a health care system that has failed the Filipinos time and again. The little belief the public had has been converted into doubt and is hurting all efforts to control COVID-19. With safety as the primary concern of Filipinos in choosing to be vaccinated 11, a systemic change with timely and effective dissemination of correct vaccine information at its core is necessary for the country to work towards achieving herd immunity and put an end to this pandemic.

References

[1] World Health Organization (2020). WHO SAGE Roadmap For Prioritizing Uses of COVID-19 Vaccines in the Context of Limited Supply: An approach to inform planning and subsequent recommendations based upon epidemiologic setting and vaccine supply scenarios.

[2] World Health Organization (2020). WHO SAGE Values Framework for the Allocation and Prioritization of COVID-19 Vaccination

[3] CNN Philippines (2020). ₱19B NTF-ELCAC fund stays in Congress-approved budget. Retrieved February 12, 2021 from https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/12/10/P19-billion-NTF-ELCAC-stays-Congress-ratified-budget.html

[4] CNN Philippines (2020). Duterte signs ₱4.5-T budget for 202. Retrieved February 12, 2021 from https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/12/28/Duterte-signs-2021-budget.html

[5]Gotinga, JC (2020.) Why is much of the budget for COVID-19 vaccines wait-listed? Politics. Retrieved February 12, 2021 from

https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/in-depth/covid-19-vaccines-2021-budget-wait-listed-because-politics

[6] Department of Budget and Management (2021). National Expenditure Program 2021: Department of National Defense, General Headquarters, AFP and AFP Wide Service Support Units (AFPWSSUS)

[7] Department of Budget and Management (2021). National Expenditure Program 2021: Details of Health Facilities Enhancement Program Under DOH

[8] Luna, F. (2021). FDA approves compassionate use license on vaccines for PSG personnel. Retrieved February 12, 2021 from

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/02/11/2077017/fda-approves-compassionate-use-license-vaccines-psg-personnel

[9] SHAPE-UP COVID-19 and CPRH (2020).  8-point calls for a comprehensive, equitable, and transparent COVID-19 vaccine roll-out. Retrieved February 12, 2021 from https://fb.watch/2-YKTQtp-G/

[10] Deiparine, C. (2021). 47% of Filipinos unwilling to get COVID-19 jabs, worried of vaccine safety — survey. Retrieved February 11, 2021 from https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/01/07/2068852/47-filipinos-unwilling-get-covid-19-jabs-worried-vaccine-safety-survey

[11] ABS-CBN News (2021). Pinoys prioritize COVID-19 vaccine safety in decision to get inoculated: survey. Retrieved February 12, 2021 from

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/27/21/pinoys-prioritize-covid-19-vaccine-safety-in-decision-to-get-inoculated-survey

Probe ammonia-related incidents, penalize violators

The Institute for Occupational Health and Safety Development (IOHSAD) calls on the Labor Department to immediately release results of previous Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) inspections into workplaces involved in three recent ammonia-related incidents, conduct strict investigation into the incidents, and penalize the violators based on the provisions of the Occupational Safety and Health Law.

The incidents are further proof that regular workplace inspection should not have been discontinued despite the pandemic, as essential industries continue to operate. Workers not only risk getting infected by Covid-19, but also risk being injured, sick or even killed due to uncorrected hazards in workplaces.

Wear and tear in the ammonia storage tank in Navotas or the pipes in Malabon, and the improper disposal of ammonia in Batangas, as shown by the preliminary investigations, could have been avoided had there been strict employer compliance with and strict government implementation of guidelines on these matters.

In just two days, the country has witnessed three separate ammonia-related incidents near residential areas that resulted in the evacuation, injuries and death of workers and their families.

– 3,000 families were displaced, 96 people were hospitalized, and two workers died from the T.P Marcelo Ice Plant and Cold Storage tank explosion in Navotas.

– The Environmental Management Board or EMB cried foul as plants withered and fish died from Pantoja Ice Plant’s ammonia leak and dumping of ammonia into rainwater canals in Batangas.

– Residents complained as a strong, foul odor escaped from the Ice and Water Shop Tube Ice Maker ammonia pipe leak in Malabon.

Ammonia is a burn-inducing, moisture-absorbing, flammable and explosive chemical used as pesticide or refrigerant in ice plants. In small amounts, it can cause headaches, loss of sense of smell, nausea, and vomiting but in significant amounts (more than 50 parts per million), it can cause irritation to the nose, mouth and throat. It can even be fatal in concentrations as high as 300-500 parts per million.

As a hazardous chemical, ammonia’s use is guided by OSH Standards. Its waste management is covered by Republic Act 6969 or the “Toxic Substances and Hazardous and Nuclear Wastes Control Act” and its IRR, namely Department of Environment and Natural Resources Administrative Order No. 29-92.

The said rules state that tanks for anhydrous ammonia must be distant from other buildings, fire hazards and traffic, must be protected against solar heat and mechanical damage, and must not be more than 4/5 full.

The waste generator is considered responsible for the proper management and disposal of ammonia. He or she shall submit to the DENR contingency plans to mitigate and combat spills and accidents involving the chemical. The DENR will then evaluate these plans according to its guidelines. He or she shall also train personnel on the implementation of the said plan, as well as the hazards posed by improper management of the chemical substance. The employers’ accountability should also be investigated.

In addition, according to Republic Act 11058: An Act Strengthening Compliance with OSH Standards and Providing Penalties for Violations Thereof, all workplaces should be subjected to annual spot labor inspections. A daily fine of not more than PhP 100,000 shall then be imposed for willful failure or refusal until full compliance is met.

The incidents show that imposing fines is not enough to prevent work-related accidents from happening. Amidst these tragedies that claim workers’ lives, endanger the public and destroy the environment, workers advocates are calling for the criminalization of OSH standards violations. Money will never suffice to pay for lives lost because of preventable incidents.

It is unacceptable to lose lives over incidents that are preventable. It is even more enraging to see non-compliance tolerated by the law. The government should not wait for another tragedy as large as the Kentex factory fire in order to realize that stronger policies for worker protection should be implemented.

Workers’ health and safety cannot take a back seat in supporting the economy. A healthy and protected work force will boost productivity and keep industries running. As long as the government continues to neglect occupational health and safety, workers’ lives and the environment will continue to be at risk because of non-compliant corporations.

References:

  1. Cabico, GK (2021). Ice plant must shoulder victims’ hospitalization over ammonia leak — Navotas mayor retrieved Feb 5, 2021 from https://www.philstar.com/nation/2021/02/04/2075306/ice-plant-must-shoulder-victims-hospitalization-over-ammonia-leak-navotas-mayor
  2. Ganzon-Ozaeta, T. (2021). Environment Bureau investigates ammonia leak in Batangas ice plant. Retreieved February 5, 2021 from https://www.rappler.com/nation/environment-bureau-investigates-ammonia-leak-batangas-ice-plant
  3.  Balagtas, C. (2021) Another ammonia leak incident reported in Malabon. Retrieved Feb 5, 2021 from https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2021/02/05/another-ammonia-leak-incident-reported-in-malabon/
  4. US Environmental Protection Agency Region 7 (2015). Accident Prevention and Response Manual for Anhydrous Ammonia Refrigeration System Operators. Retrieved February 5, 2021 from https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-05/documents/accident_prevention_ammonia_refrigeration_5-20-15.pdf
  5. Canadian Centre of Occupational Health and Safety  (2017).  OSH Answers Fact Sheet: Ammonia. Retrieved February 5, 2021 from https://www.ccohs.ca//oshanswers/chemicals/chem_profiles/ammonia.html
  6. Occupational Safety and Health Standards as amended
  7. Department of Environment and Natural Resources Administrative Order 29-92: Implementing Rules and Regulations of Republic Act 6969
  8. Department of Labor and Employment Department Order 198: Implementing Rules and Regulations of Republic Act 11058
  9. Garcia, M. (2021). Ammonia leak incident leaves some Navotas folk traumatized. Retrieved February 5, 2021 from https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/metro/774669/ammmonia-leak-incident-leaves-some-navotas-folk-traumatized/story/

PhilHealth hike deferment, caused by widespread opposition

President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the deferment of the scheduled 3% hike in PhilHealth members’ contribution because of the widespread opposition of Filipino workers and the public. The Institute for Occupational Health and Safety Development (IOHSAD) credits the Filipino workers and people’s opposition, not this government’s supposed concern, for this action.

Workers and most Filipinos know that any rate increase is unacceptable during the present health and economic crises. Many migrant workers were laid off from work and are now at home, jobless. Many workers were also retrenched, while many workers who were retained face  wage cuts and work reduction. Those who go to work do so facing huge risks to their health and very lives.

More than 3.8 million Filipinos are unemployed. The prices of basic goods and services have increased with an inflation rate at 3.5%. The country is mired in debt: we will be paying for PhP 11.98 trillion in debt with 58.1% of the Gross Domestic Product this year, and preparing for the PhP 13.7 trillion of debt consuming 59.9% of the GDP in 2022.

PhilHealth does not deserve any increase in members’ contributions.
(1) PhilHealth members were almost left to fend for ourselves when financial assistance and social protection were insufficient during the lockdowns and continued company shutdowns.
(2) It did not lessen health care costs as out-of-pocket spending still covers nearly half of the country’s health expenditure.
(3) Despite receiving 25% of the PhP 278.5 billion health budget, it did not safeguard our contributions as its officials illegally released funds during the pandemic, misused its operating budget to pay off taxes using said funds, window-dressed their financial statements, and bloated their budget proposals for excess funding.
(4) Ultimately, it destroyed our trust as soon as its officials were exposed to have pocketed around PhP 15 billion. An increase in members’ contributions further removes the responsibility of health care provision from the government and transfers the burden to the already-vulnerable. Health is a right and should be a top priority of the government, especially during this pandemic. While the World Health Organization or WHO does not identify an absolute percentage of public spending needed to achieve health for all, it did recognize the significance of financial protection and service coverage.

The government should put the health of its workers and people first, relieving us of the burden to finance our health and ensuring access to quality health care anywhere in the country. Workers and Filipinos need a tax-funded health insurance with a well-connected health care system, not a privatization safety net scheme like PhilHealth.

Sancelan couple killing puts communities at risk, lack of health care

The Institute for Occupational Health and Safety Development (IOHSAD) condemns the killing of Dr. Mary Rose Sancelan and her husband, Edwin Sancelan, while on their way home last December 15, 2020. Despite serving as government employees in Negros Oriental, Dr. Sancelan was Number 1 in a list of persons who were accused of being communists by a supposed vigilante group in 2018 [1,2]. The Sancelan couple’s death shows that the government failed to protect them, or even abetted attacks against them.

At a time when everyone is placed in a vulnerable position by an evolving disease that our pre-existing health care system is struggling to contain, those who are helping people and serving at the frontlines were not spared from these attacks. This is unacceptable! Dr. Sancelan was the sole doctor in Guihulngan municipality, served 33 barangays and headed the inter-agency task force responsible for containing COVID-19 in their region. She was one of the many health workers trying to hold our disjointed health care system together amidst the unequal capacities of local governments to do so, while the national government continues to transfer the burden of controlling the pandemic to local governments.

By failing to protect — nay, possibly abetting the attacks against — Dr. Sancelan, the government did not only place a whole community at the risk of COVID-19 but also added that community in the rising list of Filipinos without access to health care at a time it is needed the most.

At a time when Filipinos should be united in acting against a common enemy that has taken lives worldwide, the Philippine government has taken advantage of the crisis caused by the common enemy for its narrow agenda.

When the very people trying to fill in the gaps of government incompetence are the ones put in a bad light and attacked, it is clear that the government is not for its people but rather for itself. We put such a high pressure on employers to control hazards and minimize risks to ensure the safety and health of employees at work. The government should do the same.

We have seen the length that this administration is willing to take to silence its critics and those it perceives as its critics: peddling fake news, dismissing people from positions, imprisoning and killing people. It has tried to prevent people from criticizing this government’s supposed “achievements” and its violations of the law and human rights. Calls for accountability are met with retaliation such as the arrest of six unionists and one journalist on International Human Rights Day, no less[3].

Killings in the guise of keeping peace and order are not new to this administration. The war on drugs claimed at least 27,000 lives[4] while Oplan Sauron in Negros caused at least 20 deaths[5]. Rodrigo Duterte’s term has also made the country the most dangerous place for environmental activists, with 113 deaths since he took office[6].

There is already a reasonable basis for the International Criminal Court or ICC to believe that crimes against humanity were committed by this administration[7] and the occurrence of a pandemic did not seem to slow the carrying out of these crimes.

[1]https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1372625/red-tagged-doctor-husband-slain-in-negros

[2]https://news.abs-cbn.com/blogs/opinions/12/16/20/dr-mary-rose-sancelan-she-saved-lives-and-murder-was-her-reward

[3]https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1370457/police-arrest-7-as-ph-marks-human-rights-day

[4]https://news.abs-cbn.com/focus/12/05/18/chr-chief-drug-war-deaths-could-be-as-high-as-27000

[5]https://www.rappler.com/nation/negros-killings-death-comes-unprovoked

[6]https://globalnation.inquirer.net/180127/113-environmental-activists-killed-since-duterte-assumed-office-intl-group

[7]https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2020/12/16/2064113/icc-sees-crimes-against-humanity-philippines-drug-war