PHNO-HL; STORM BREWS OVER LUZON, P1-B DAMAGE QUESTIONED; FLOOD VICTIMS' WOES

STORM BREWS OVER LUZON, P1-B DAMAGE QUESTIONED;
FLOOD VICTIMS' WOES
[PHOTO -Young children and their parents wait for their share of
relief goods.]
MANILA, AUGUST 13, 2012 (MANILA STANDARD) By Florante S. Solmerin -
Over a thousand state workers have fanned out to clean up Metro Manila and
several provinces of debris and mud but the threat of dam water flooding back
the coastal areas in nearby Bulacan, Pampanga and Nueva Ecija is compounding the
misery of victims, officials say.
While the southwest monsoon continued to bring heavy rains over several
provinces, a low pressure area off Central Luzon might intensify into a storm
and enter Philippine territory, a Pag-ASA advisory said. At least two more
typhoons were expected to hit the Philippines this month, Pag-ASA said.
At Angat Dam, a source of potable water in Metro Manila, water breached the
spilling level on Saturday while floods continued to cascade down from Nueva
Ecija and Pampanga, posing a double whammy for Bulacan and its coastal areas.

The death toll reached 66 while 2.6 million people were displaced, the
National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said.
Damage was placed at over a billion pesos (P1.09 billion in crop losses and
P138 million in infrastructure) but that estimate was being questioned by the
Agriculture department.
"We have to take the data with a grain of salt," said Undersecretary for
Field Operations Joel Rudinas reacting to a Central Luzon field report sent to
disaster coordinating agency Executive Director Benito Ramos.
[PHOTO- People try to cope despite the floods. Danny Pata]

The data from the field offices were localized, acquired from local
government units and unreliable so these would have to be reviewed by the Bureau
of Agricultural Statistics, Rudinas said.
The damage report showed that crops losses amounted to P847. 32 million in
Pampanga, P204.5 million in Bulacan, and Zambales, O43.6 million. At least P138
million worth of roads and bridges as well as 8,000 houses were destroyed by the
week-long rain.
The Metro Manila Development Authority deployed 500 street sweepers equipped
with hoses and brooms, backed by fire trucks and heavy equipment to do the
clean-up job.
In Bulacan, floods began to subside but the Angat Dam breached 214.32 meters,
or in excess of two meters beyond the spilling level, thus threatening
residents.
Gov. Wilhelmino M. Sy-Alvarado deployed additional rescue teams to the towns
of Calumpit and Hagonoy.
Meycauayan City Mayor Joan Alarilla and vice mayor Jojo Manzano went on a
24-hour shift to distribute relief to affected residents in the city which was
submerged, some areas neck-deep by floods. Orlan
Mauricio
That water may not be safe to drink By Maricel
Cruz | Posted on August 12, 2012 | 12:06am | 196 views

[PHOTO- FROM THE INQUIRER: 'THE TOPNOTCHERS']
Water, water everywhere, but is it safe to drink? It depends on where it
comes from.
To make sure bottled water is fit for human consumption, the House of
Representatives has approved a bill regulating the sale of bottled water to
protect the consumers from trade malpractices and from using substandard or
hazardous products.
House Bill 6388, or the proposed Safe Bottled Water Act of 2012 authored by
Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez and 44 other lawmakers requires the
Department of Health to establish and enforce clear and un-coded uniform source
labeling of all bottled water products. The requirement includes the original
source of the water, type of water, type of treatment, the date of bottling, the
address of the bottler, and provide numerical specification of sodium content,
according to the bill.
The bill's authors emphasized the need for the state to craft a comprehensive
policy framework to regulate the activities of the mineral, carbonated and other
bottled water businesses including suppliers, distributors and sellers.
The measure noted that the consumption of bottled water has increased
markedly in recent years, with thousands of households currently consuming
bottled water as the source of drinking water.
It said the consumers are paying premium prices for bottled water based on
the assumption that it is of superior quality to their tap water.
"Unfortunately, bottled water sold in the country is left unregulated, as
there exists a possibility that the bottled water sold in the market is not of
superior quality as claimed," HB 6338 read.
Under the bill, the DOH shall define mineral water, spring water, naturally
carbonated, naturally sparkling, well water, natural well water, artesian water,
natural artesian water, purified water, distilled water, drinking water and all
other variants of bottled water existing in the market, and require that the
definition for the appropriate product be placed on the bottle.
The DOH has to formulate the National Primary Drinking Water Regulations
concerning source protection, monitoring, reporting and inspection, recall
regulations, prohibition of dual use of bottled water equipment and for its
bottling, packaging and storage study, according to the bill.
It also prescribes that the Secretary of Health with the assistance of the
Director of the Food and Drugs Administration is empowered to establish quality
standards and definitions for mineral water and carbonated water, among
others.



Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2012 by PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE
All
rights reserved




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