Government urged to activate ASAP inter-agency task force deal with LPG-powered taxis health problems

By Associated Labor Unions (ALU)
October 18, 2012

QUEZON CITY  –  The Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP) today expressed grave concern over the Department of Health (DOH) findings the other day confirming the Liquified Petroleum Gas converted taxis poses health hazard to thousands of cab drivers and commuters.

The ALU suggests that government should respond by activating quickly its existing inter-agency health task force previously assembled to deal with potential and emerging health problem in dealing with this particular issue.

ALU Executive Vice President Gerard Seno said: “Now that it has been clinically confirmed, we expect the government to be quick and aggressive in its resolve in addressing this pandemic because it involves the everyday lives of 60,000 estimated taxi drivers working in shifts and unknown thousands more of commuters.”

“We want to see, as soon as possible, an inter-agency health task force made up of people from the DENR, the LTFRB, the DTI, and the DOH on the ground inspecting LPG conversion shops and taxi terminals. We want the inter-agency team to interview affected taxi drivers and draw measures to permanently stop this man-made pandemic,” he added.

Taxi drivers depend solely on their daily wages. They are categorized as part of the informal workers’ sector who don’t have social protection nor health benefits. Thus, the more the government should ensure that this new found health problems caused by exposure to LPG must be dealt with high urgency so that no one will have to endure further, he said.

“On one hand, we also urge the taxi operators to cease denial. They must heed the findings and cooperate conscientiously with the authorities to rectify this emerging health problem,” Seno also stressed.

The study was conducted by the DOH-NCR and the Rapid Assessment for Monitoring Exposure Risks in Conventional and Alternative Fuel Use Among the Public Transport Sector Study and the UP-National Poison Management and Control Center (UP-NPMCC) on 28 and 25 taxi drivers that uses LPG and regular gas/diesel fuel.

Of those exposed in LPG, 26 complained of headaches, back pain, nape pain, chest pain, cough, dizziness, dry throat, fatigue and muscle weakness, nausea and difficulty in breathing.