Philippines: ‘Blue babies’ cry for clean water at the DENR

Greenpeace demands clean water for all

Manila, 27 November 2007–Greenpeace water patrol activists today
deposited thirty ‘blue babies’ at the doorsteps of the Department of
Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to highlight the urgency of
protecting the country’s dwindling clean water resources from
continuing toxics pollution.

The baby dolls were painted blue to represent ‘blue baby syndrome’ or
methemoglobinemia, a fatal disease which occurs in infants who ingest
nitrates-polluted water associated with excessive fertilizer use. The
environment group is demanding that the government uphold the right to
clean water, following findings that freshwater resources in parts of
the country are contaminated with toxic pollutants from both industrial
and agricultural sources.

Last week, Greenpeace revealed that nitrates from excessive fertilizer
use have contaminated groundwater used for drinking in major
agricultural areas in Benguet and Bulacan. Aside from blue baby
syndrome, nitrates-laden water also presents serious health implications
including various types of cancer.

As part of the activity, Greenpeace asked the office of DENR Secretary
Lito Atienza to receive a blue baby doll wearing a bib with the words
“Clean water for me” as a visual reminder of the grave impacts of
polluted water on human health. The “blue baby” was accompanied by a
letter asking the government agency to disclose what steps it has so far
undertaken to ensure that the country’s freshwater supply is free of
toxics pollutants.

“Pollution of freshwater resources is completely unacceptable and must
never be a ‘reality’ that people have to endure. People should not have
to live with harmful substances in their water supply. The government
must protect and ensure access and right to clean water,” said
Greenpeace campaigner Daniel Ocampo.

Greenpeace has been alerting the government on the sorry state of
freshwater resources in the country. In the past several months the
group has highlighted poisonous heavy metal contaminants in Marilao
River in Bulacan, and carcinogenic volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) in
groundwater used by households around Cavite Export Processing Zone, a
busy electronics manufacturing hub. Levels of lead content in Marilao
River, and VOC content in Cavite’s groundwater are alarmingly high, and
pose definite dangers to human health.