During the week of action, IDIS conducted a mural painting together with the students of Ateneo de Davao University (AdDU) Basic Education and partners at the AdDU Matina campus last October 29, 2022.
IDIS is a member of the International Pollutants Elimination Network, a global coalition of over 600 public interest organizations in over 125 countries working to eliminate toxic substances and places. IPEN is a founding member of the Alliance and a member of its Advisory Board. This year’s ILPPW events will mark the tenth anniversary of the annual week-long effort to raise the global profile of ongoing lead poisoning threats, including from lead paint, which continues to be used in the Philippines and the majority of countries around the world.
“Now that our students are conducting their face-to-face classes, we should assure that the school materials used by our children are lead-safe, especially the paints painted on their chairs and classrooms. This is crucial as studies show that exposure to lead can seriously harm a child’s health, including damage to the brain and nervous system, slowed growth and development, learning and behavior problems, and hearing and speech problems,” Atty. Mark Peñalver, IDIS Executive Director, said.
During the mural painting, elementary students painted their walls with marine organisms using lead-safe paints. Calls for marine protection and the banning of single-use plastics were also portrayed in the mural. The activity was also an avenue for the students to showcase their creativity and imagination.
“The mural painting activity is a good avenue for us, students, to explore and improve our creativity. This activity also helps me become aware of the impacts of lead on children's health and we should all use only lead-safe paints in our houses, playgrounds, and buildings.” Xamichi Mejias, Grade 5 student, said during the activity.
Ms. Kathleen Hao, one of the parents, said that she is glad that she allowed her daughter to join the kind of activity as she got to bond with her fellow students. She also that the activity is important in bringing awareness regarding the health effects of lead in children and the importance of keeping the environment safe and toxin-free.
Decades of evidence have shown that there is no safe level of exposure to lead. Lead is a potent poison that affects multiple body systems and is particularly harmful to young children. Even at low doses, lead can affect children’s brain development, resulting in reduced IQ, behavioral changes such as reduced attention span and increased antisocial behavior, and reduced educational attainment. Lead exposure can also damage the kidneys, reproductive organs, and the immune system and result in anemia and hypertension. The neurological and behavioral effects of lead are typically irreversible.
To end the use of lead paint in the Philippines, IDIS is calling for:
- The strict monitoring and implementation of the Lead Safe Paint Ordinance of Davao City
- Working hand-in-hand with all stakeholders of the community to become vigilant of the lead products that might harm the health of children and people, in general.
In addition, together with IPEN, IDIS is calling for listing of lead chromates under the Rotterdam Convention. Even countries with legally binding national bans have difficulty in enforcement when lead chromates, the lead-containing pigments used in paint, continue to be traded globally without prior knowledge or consent. Listing lead chromates would trigger the Convention’s Prior Informed Consent (PIC) procedure and give countries the information they need to reject imports of lead chromates and lead paints.
“We have long known about the toxic threats from lead paint to our children and families, and many countries ended lead paint sales decades ago. Yet in most of the world, lead paint is still used and poses lifelong health threats to millions of children,” said Manny Calonzo, 2018 Goldman Prize Winner, former IPEN Co-Chair, and founding developer of IPEN’s Lead Safe Paint® certification program. “Our kids can’t wait another ten years to eliminate lead paint - we need urgent action to stop this poisoning of our children.”
Even in countries where lead paint has been banned, older housing with lead paint continues to result in lead-related health problems for millions of children. That is why action to eliminate lead paint globally is urgent – lead paints sold today will continue to pose health threats to children for decades.(PR)