PLCPD POTICY BR

Health
Po[ulaton, andtnuitonmcnt
HumonDevelopment
for Sustoinoble
Synergies
I M riom Ame e Azurin-Abojo

demographic outcomes.Concernssucha.s

I
fli,l,fi,o,.
T);i*#:],;,li-, ",.",
nar.rr-lre,ou..e,:rdrhep.oducrion oi
waste.Changesin the environmentalcondrtron
suchaspollution,degradation and extremesof
weathet in turn, haveaffectedhuman health
and weil-being.At the sarnetime, population
size,growth,distribution,agecompositionand
mobilig' ofpeople alsocontributeto
environmental changeandaflecthumanhealth.
Consumption pattems, development choices,
wealth and lalrd distribution, trade and
investmentand technologyhaveexacerbared the
effectsofpeoplet actionson the environment
andviceversa.
T hemuruaJlyreintorcingft cror'of popuJ.rrion.
healthand environmenton povety and
developmenthavefor too long beenaddressed
by the world in a fragmentedmanner- and
often in the contq.<rofbringing aboutpositrve
macroeconomic growth and favorable
individualweli-being,the statusofwomen, the
healthofchildrenand the stateofthe
environmenthavebeenconsidered secondary
Today,however,the Philippinesjoins rhe
internationalcommunityin recognizing that
development requiresmorechanjust increasing
nationalincomesand controllingpopulation
growth and mobility to reducepressureon
FROM ECONOMIC WELLNESS TO
HUMAN WILLNESS. Peopleare rhe real
wealthofnations.Developmentis thusabout
expandingthe choicespeoplehaveto leadlives
rhattheyvalue:a human-centered development
foundedon buildinghumancapabilities. The
most basiccapabilities for humandevelopment
are to lead long and healthy lives, to be
knowledgeable,to haveaccessto the tesources
neededfor a decentstandardofliving and to be
able to participate in the life of the community.
\ifithout these,many choicesaresimply not
rvail:bleandmanyopponuniries in liferemain
inaccessible.This is especiallytrue for women
who havefewer choicesand opportunities thal
m€n becauseofexisting discriminatory social
and cultura.lpractices.
The environment ptovides most ofthe
resourcesrequired to ensurethat p€opleefljoy a
quality Jife.rW4rileresourcescan be usedin
eradicatingpoverty,peopleshould alsobe
mindftl ofthe risla that inordinate useofthe
world\ naturalresources canposero rhese.uriry
of future generatiorx.A sustainablehuman-
centereddevelopmeflt(SHD) therefore,seelsto
expandchoicesfor all - women and men
especiallythe poorestof them - without
sacrificingthe rights ofthe future generations
and the natuml systemsin which all life
depend.'
Ahuman-centered sustainabledevelopment
recognizesthat no dght is more important than
other rights (the right to a healthy environment
is asimportant asthe right to accessthe 6uits of
dwelopment) and that poverty ard gender
inequiryarecauredby mary Facrors.lhese
principlesr€qufueconvergentapproachesto
development.
The convergenceofpopulation, health and
environment addresses asmuch the various
causesof poverq.The seriesof globalmeering:
convenedin rhe Ir)r)Os embodiedd1egrow ng
recognition ofdreselinkagesin solving the
worldt greatestproblems.
The 1992IN Conference on Environmentand
Developmenr (UNCED)or rhefuo Conference
recognizedthe greatresponsibilityof dweloping
countriesin addressingthe world's
environmentaldegadation. This, in the contert
ofthe sovereignright of statesto exploit their
own resourcespuJsuantto their own
environmenral anddevelopmenral policJes.
which mrxt be ftIfilled to equitably meet the
needsofpresent arrdfuture generations.It also
recognizedthe following: the Ley role of
staLeholders- especiallyof indigenouspeoples
- in the decision-makingprocesses, the needto
developnational legislationregarding
compensationfor victims of pollution and
other environmentaldamag€,th€ us€of
economicinstrumentsto take into account the
polluter-paysprinciple and the imponance of
environrnentalimpact assessment asa tool fot
precautionarydecision-maLing.
The 1994 International Conferenceon
Population and Development required
governmentsto deliver at the soonestpossible
time universalaccessto reproductivehealth
servicesasa cmcisl factor in achieving
su<rainable growrh baed on genderequaliry.lr
rlso rheinrera.cJonsamongpopulacion,
"rre"ed
economicgrowth and sustainabledwelopment.
The agreementavoidsdemographictargetsor
goals. It stressesthat poverryand gender
inequicJes affecrand .ueafferted by popubrion
growth, agestructure and distribution. Furtheq
it statesthat "unsustainablecoruumption and
productionpatterns" overusenatuml resources,
degradethe environment, and reinforcegender
inequality and poverqr
 Two world conGrences in 1995funher reinforced
thse linkages.The Fourth World Conferenceon
Womendealtwitl woment panicipation"in all
spheres of society,"induding environmmtal
managemmt,asa prer€quisite"for people-crntered
:" development."Similarlr world leadersagrealin
the Vorld Summit for SocialDevelopmentto
I "placepeopleat the centreofdevelopmentand
direct [eachofthe counuies] economiesto meet
human needsmore efectil,ely" In 2000, these
agre€ments werercamrm€din the Millennium
Declarationencapsulated in quantifiabletargea
andindicators.

The Philippines is a signatoryto tiese

intemational agreements.In addition, it is alsoa
party to 69 Multilateral Environmental
Agreements(MEAs) and a signatoryto 21
othersto date.'?MEAs areintemationally-agreed
environmentaltreatiescoveringa rangeofissues
induding trade in endangeredspecies,cleaner
production, toxic wastes,seaboundaies and
limi* on the useofozone-depleting substances,
among othe$.
PrinciplesofSHD are alsostrongly upheld rn
the 1987PbilippineConstitution.Artide II,
Sec.9 declares"the Stateshall promote a just
and dynamic socialorder that will ensurethe
prosperityandindependence ofthe nationand
free the peoplefrom poveny through policres
that provide adequatesocialservices,promote
firll employment, a rising standardofliving and
al improvedqualig of [ife for all. ln addirion.
Sec.I 5 enunciates,"i:hestateshall protect and
advancethe right of the peopleto a balanced
and healtbful ecologyin accordwith the rhlthm
and hatmony of nature. Further, Sec.11
pronounces,"the Statevaluesthe dignity of
everyhuman personand guamnteesfull respect
for human rights." In line with this, swerattaws
havebeenpassed,yet poveny, ill-hea.lthand
environmentaldegradationremain to be
persistentproblems in the country.
cherradicionaJ'people-versus-environment
point ofview to drat of intenelatedness.
Peoplet actionscan positively or negativ€lyalt€r
their environment. Reciprocally,changesin the
environment cen either damageor nourish
peoplet well-being. Built upon the spirit ofthe
internarionaJagreemenrs in rhepar de.ade.
dwelopment workers and managersarerealizing
someachievementsin their practiceof
integratedapproachesto population, health and
environment,
At the initial stage,however,animosiry may
occur amongspecialistsand s€rvice-providersrn
thesedifferent fields due to feelingsof'turfing"
or differencesin conceptualunderstanding.A
demographer,for instance,may view population
differendyfrom a womeni righr. advocare.
Donor-agenciesrnay alsocontribute to
fragmentedapproachesbecausethey havea
diferent concernwhen they give out funds.
Thus, finding a sharedunderstandingis the first
step to achievecommon objectives.'

THE LINKAGES DEFINED. The body of Population in this sensemeansthree things:

international agreementssbifted attention fiom population dynamics,reproductivehealth and
 peopieasdevelopmentactors.Fertiliq/, areableto participate,positiveresultsare
morreliryand migrationdetermine realizedsincethevareableto determinetheir
demographicoutcomes, which influencethe own needswirhin the productivelimits ofther
demandfor goodsand services. Population own envifonmenr.j
distributionalsodetermines accessto, aswell as
'he allo.arion :nd u.€ofre'our.e\.lopuLrion Environmentencomp3ises the naturalassets
dynamicsbearweighton how resources will be rha-ncarrbe usedfor economicproduction
consumed, produced and allocatedand these (naruralresources),
the interdependence of living
directly affect the environment quantitatrvely and nonJivingcomponentsin an €nvimnment
arrdqualitativelyaMearwhile,without recol.rem' arld.heexrenL of \urr.trla' ri' iq on
distributionalequityof resources, poverryarrd the originalsmteofan ecosystem (human-
genderinequitiescanoccur. alteredecology).

PopuJar:orra. an i*ue a1"oinrolve"reproducLire The term health is Lrnderstood to be the

healthand lamily planning.A womant abiliry generalhealthofthe communiry and how to
to controlher fenility givesher moretime to improveit (publichealth)and the potential
participatein managingthe communityt hazardousfactorsofche environmentand the
resources.ProPerchild-sPacing alsomakes effectofthe latter on humat healthand
womenhealthierarrdincteases the possibilityof qualiryoflife (environment3lhealth).6The
bearing healr\ier, hildrend,rerode.rea.ed r;me UN hasgivenhealtha much broadersense
spentlorhouseholdchoresinciudingfinding definingit as"a stateofcomplecephysical,
wood for fuel and fi:tching water. menraland socialwell-beingand not merely
the absence ofdiseaseand infirmiry" Ensuring
with it peoplet
The term populationalsocaJries the absence ofdiseaseis a matterthat canbe
participadonin resource
management. If peoPle looLedinto by medicalspecialists but other
than this, it requiresa confluenceofother
interventions.
Figure1. The Population,Healthand
EnvironmentCycle In the 1990s,the BatrieSeattleResearch
Centercreateda modelofthe relationshipof
Receptor populationand environmentand its impacton
human health.The linkagesaredemonstrated
Link in Figure l. The lirst part depictshow people
becomedriversofenvironmentalchangeltne
Environmental iower arrorv)and the secondpart focuseson
how peopleareaffectedby or become
conditions Humans receptorsofenvironmentalchange(the upp.'
arrow).r

ENSURING DEVELOPMENT FOR

PtOIrl E. NOT FOREARNTNCS.De'pirc
Driver Link of internationalhumanitarianlaws
the existence
andhumanrightsagreements, governments
oftenaddre*po'erq b1 in.rersinge.oroni.
Source:PopulationReference
Bureauadapted productionin the beiiefthatits bene{itswill
lrom C.E.Oriansa.ndM. Skumanich. tricLledown to the poor In developing
countri€slvhere hearyindustrieshaveno! been

c
fully developed,economicproductionrequrres
extractiveand int€nsiveuseofnatural resourccs
- ohen,rnregulared. u l'i, h di'rurb"Ll'eqcle
ofpopulation,hea.lthand environmentand
aggravateseisting inequities.
A ' u . r a i n : b lheu r n a nc e n r e r edde \ e l o p m e in' r
the uldmate objectiveof growth. However,
governmenlsarealsocommittedto
giobalizationchroughagreernents
-Vorld TiadeOrgarizationandwith
internationalfinancialinsticutionsthat require
a governance systemthat aimsto increase
investmentsfor unregulatedproductionand
lessersupportfor socialservices.
Human DevelopmentReportaptly points out
that economicgrowth doesnot necessarily
to human developrnent. In the Philippines,
economicgrowth from 2000 ro 2003 hasnot
beenpro-poor,accordingto Asial
DevelopmentBank (ADB). Though therewas
growth in grossdomesticproduct (GDP) from
2000 to 2003, preliminaryresultsof the 2003
FamilyIncomeand ExpenditureSurvey
indicarea 10-percentdrop in realaverage
family incomes.
\X4rileglobalizationlengthenslife-spansthrough
medicaltechnologies, increases
income
opporturities and facilitatesbetter-yielding
production,it alsocontributesto *re
deterioration ofpeopletwell-beingand the
deLeriorarion oir-hct nrir"runen,b) Jreringfie
parternsof consumptionald production,
especiallyintechnologicallyresource-poor
developingcountrieslike the Philippines.
Further,MEAc :-rerenderedfurile by developed
countriesdue to conflic$ resultingfrom trade
agreements.
l h e P h i l i p p i n eM. e d i u mT e r mP l ' i l i p p ' n c
DevelopmentPlar (MTPDP) hasalwaysbeena
showcase of conllictingparadigms.
committing to sustainablehuman development
goals,it alsoactivelypromotesextractive
industriessuchx mining,intensiveagriculture
through promotion of high-valuecrops,
aquacl ture and toruism rvhich becauseof
insuficientregulationendangerthe ecosystems,
humanlife and livelihoods.
\flhile targeting a lower population growth rate
aswell asrvomen-and community-
empowerment, the MTPDP makesno
commitmentto the provisionofreproductrve
he;lh ,eni.e' ;nd roappropriare increa5e'ir
madein the governmentexpenditure for socialseryices.
Investments in humandevelopment arepursued
with the uitimateobjectiveofindeasing
macroeconomicpeformance in the context of
an openand liberaleconomy.
The 1996
PO\,'ERTY, ILL,HEALIH CHAMCTERIZE
lead RESOURCE RICH PHILIPPINES. The
Philippinesis one amongthe countriesin the
world wheremega-diversityis greatest.There are
about13,500plart species (representing
about
5 percentofthe world's llora) and 177,000
animalspecies in irs forestareas.The few
remainingprimaryloresrsarehomero 44
percentof endemicflowering plants ald I 2
million indigenouspeoples. The country'scoral
reefarea,rhesecondlargestin Southeast Asra,
holds 9 15 reeffish speciesand more than 400
SuccessSiory #I
BAGGAOis rhe th;rd mosrpopulousmunic;polit in Cogoyan
wilh o ropid populoton grovrahroie in the uplond borongoys.
Itsproblemsincludeinsufficienloccesslo heolihservicesoad low
oworeness of reproduclive
heolth.Thereis generolly poor
understondinsof sustoinobleformins procticesond
conservolionoworeness. A boselinesurveyreveoledthotmost
formerswereusing.pesticidesond were heovily-dependent on
fuelwood. A hish-incidenceof infont mortoliiyond poor
reproductiveheslthserviceswere olso mon:fusi.
To solvetheproblems,ihe municipolgovernmentlo!nched o
proiectwith threecomponents:reproductiveheolthond fomily
plonningsewices,in{ormolionond educofioncompoignond
noturolresourcemonogemeni.
Vhile Afler o seriesof integrotedopproaches,the municipol
governmenlsuccess{ully ochievedils developmenlobiectives.
reolizingthe volue of brood-bosedpod;cipotion,hormonizolion
ofgoolsond strongpolit;colwill.
SourceiA Coseof Popu,oito
n ond Envnanmenr
ProiectJmplementoton
scleractiniancoral species,12 ofwhich are
endemic.The country is alsoabundantwidr
land-basedresourcessuchastimber, petroleum,
nicLel, cobalt, silver,gold, salt, copper,
geothermalenergzand fertile tractsofland
suitableto agriculture.
Despite thesenatural endowments,30 percent
of rhepopulation.-ouJdnor meetdreirba(ic
daily needsto survivewhile 13.8 percentcould
nor meetLheirdaily nuuidonalrequirements in
2003.3Health challengesin the Philippines
include high maternalmortaliq/ tates,a very
high incidenceoftuberculosis (rankedeighth in
the world by the Wodd Health Organizadon)-
ard poor quality and inaccessibilityofpublic
heafthcareservices. The pooresrFamilies arein a
dire situation - 65 percentarewithout access
Losafewarer aid 70 percenc haven
"upply
sanitary toilets.eIn rural areas, to land is
access
one of the main determinantsofwelfare. The
rural poor that constitute the bulk of the poot
cannot rise6om poverty due to inequitable
distribution of resources.'0 Almost half of poor
families (43 percent)haveno decentdwelling.
Even beforethe governmentt strategiescan evet
take effect,2.3 percentofthe present
population would havebeenaddedannually to
the population.
PHILIPPINE RURAI AREAS. Three-fourths
ofthe poor comprisingmore tharr20 million
peoplemaLea living out ofagricultureand
fisheriesactivities. However, only 7 out often
farmers own the land they till. Without a
securetenure, the poor are not encouragedto
u-sesustaiflabl€patterns ofproduction and are
easilydisplacedfrom their land. Lach of access
to natural resourcesamofig the poor is
exacerbatedby decreasedper capita availability
ofnatural resources due to high fertility
race.-whichis ar 4.J chil&enper vromanin
the rulal areas.
Rural povetty is addressedthrough
agriculturaldevelopment policiesthat favor
intensiveproduction and land useconversron
ro generarecashfor rhecountry.UltimaLely,
thesepoliciesdo not directly addressthe root
causesof unsustainable patternsof
production.
Agriculoral development policies impact on
human, land and eco-systemhealth.
Gor,ernmentiagriculturalpolicyis 'lanred
towards the production ofhigh-value crops
(FWC) and high-yielding vaieties (HYVJ as
high demandabroadrakesin neededrevenues
for the country Thus, many farmlandsdevoted
ro plantingstaplecropslike riceand cornhave
shiftedto cultivaltingHVCs and H\ /s. Aside
from &e huge demandfor water, cashcropsare
heavilydependenton chemicalpesticides rhar
hasbeen proven by the \fHO ro be detrimental
cohumans-
The Kamukhaancase,a farmingvillagein
D'go..Davaodelsu. illu'ra.e'rhi".rdre'.e
impactof pesticide-use. After prolonged
appl'ca. ia-menin rheI illage
ion oi pe'rrcide..
sufferedfrom neurological impairment,gotter,
cancetvomiting,asthma,anemiaand birth
defectsrangingfrom deft lip palateto severe
skindiseases. A considerable numberofchildren
alsoshoweddevelopmental delaysincluding
stunring,wasring,delaysin the developmenr of
secondary sexualchancteristics andmental
deficiencies." {7omen'sbiologicalmake-up
makesthem more proneto the toxic effectsof
chemicals sincetheyhavemore
arldpesticides,
fatty tissues.Toxinsstoredin a mothert body
will not only damageher liver,kidneyand
spleer. lt couldeventuallybe passed on to her
unbornchild.
The healthimpactofpesticide-use doesnot end
with the user:it staysin the crops,
goes to the
marketand endsat the dining table lesticide
residueswhen washedoff from croplandsgo
down to waterbodiesand poisonmarineand
human life.
Modern pesticideusealsoposesill_effects to the
ecologyby disruptingitsbalance.Pesticides
indiscriminately kill beneficialand harmful
pests.Harmful pesa can recoverfasterand can
developresistancewhile beneficialpestscannot
Thus, harmful pestswill grow uncheckedro
mvagemore crcPslater on. Somebirds that feed
on pestsare alsothreatenedand may develop
and suffer from certain reProductivedisorders
and stunting. Other effectsmove up the food
cham.
Logging, farming induce stress to fofests.
The uplandpopulationofthe Philippines
alreadyexceeds 25 million people,6.3 million
ofthem belongingto indigenouspeoples
Many amongtbem haveknowledgeof
. u s r a i n . r Lf urrlm
e ingT. h < U n . re n i r l u i . h e
Philippines?opularionInstituteestimatedan
amrualupland populariongrowth rateof2.8
percent.Upland poPuladonsareprimarily the
poorestofrhe poor the leasteducated,least
paid, leasthealthyand leasthopeflrl- with
insecureland telute that impedcssustainable
farmingpracrices. They aremistakenlyviewed
a ' l o r e . pr e r p e r r a r orrr' I h e r l h J n r ' " ' i . r i m \ '
evenwhen the largestand most directcauses ol
deforestation in the Philippines are iarge-scale
corporatelogging(ESSC,1999),rnining anrl
conflictingland conversions (Mallari and
Tabaranza 2001).''/
Upiand migrationhasincreased asa resultof
decliningarablearrdproductivelard dueto
i n d i . c r i m i n ahrned . o n re r . i o na r d p o p r ' b r i o n
pre*ure'.a $ell a5decrea'ing opporrunir ie' in
the lowlands. Settlersfalm on iandswith about
18 degrees siopethat occupyabout9 4 million
hectares or one-thirdof the country'stotalland
areaof30 million hectares. The sloping
topographyand the high rainfall subjectthe
cultivation of sloping iands to vaious degreesof
erosionand otherformsofland degradation
oge
 \Tithout secureland tenure,upland famers
resortto erosivefarming methods ald pesticide-
use,causingiossoftopsoil and soil acidiry.
I-ogging, both in its commercialand illegal
forms areliable for the decline of forest covcr
from an estimated21 million hectaresor 70
perceflt ofthe country's total land areain 1900,
to only 7. 168 million hectares or 24 percentof
ror:l la;rdareain 2002. 'Commercial logging
per seis allowedin the Philippines sincethere
aresupposedto be laws that provide the
mechanismsto avoid potential denudation.
Howeve! certain factorscan conffavenesuch
measures.D€spite the logging ban in someareas
and stricter processes in the issuanceofTimber
LicenseAgreements,it is not uncommon to
read reportsofillegal logs being confiscated.
Former SenatorOrly Mercado once
commented, in light of the Aurora flashfloods,
that "the only difference...is that the legal
loggershavepolidcal dout and that's the reason
rheycarrgetthe timberlicenseagreement."'o
Now that governmenthascancelled
community-basedforestmafiagemenrprojects
and moved to open up forestsfor corporate
logging ostensiblyto generatejobs afid rcvenues,
the toll on lives ald the environment would
likely continue. Iurther, without livelihood in
the lowlands, peoplewill be attracted to go
upland whereopportunities are open in
industrialloggingprojects.
Increasinghumar capabJlitiesin upland
communities is crucial to ensurea safearrd
healthy environment. B€causeof their
geographiclocation, governmentservicesfor
primary health, family plalrning servicesand
educationhavenot adequatelyreachedthese
people,therebyincreasingtheir dependenceon
resource-based livelihood. A study madeby the
Conservationlnternational-Philippines reveals
that higher educationala(arnment in rural areas
brings population awayftom dependenceon
natlrel rcsourcesand this haspositiveimpact on
conseffation.Increaiingaccess to high school
Lr
edu.arionisalsoassociared v ith louerferriJity
rate, lower child-to-woman ratio and smaller
householdsizethat ca-nopennew doors,other
than child-bearingarrdhouseLeeping,to gainful
employmentor furcherstudyfor rural
Miningt hannfrrl impact on resourcesand
health. Large-scalemining is legalin the
Philippines despitedocumentedevidencesof
hazardous transgenerationalimpact to ecosystem
and humar health. In 2004, 19 largeand
medium-scalemining comparieswere granred
mining rightson Philippinesoil.Government
often perceivesthe mining industry asa source
of revenueand job-generationbut not asa
culprit in the deterioration ofits overall capital
stock and in preventinglong-term sustainability.
Becausemineralprocessingrequires substantial
energyard water, mining may come into
conflictwith localpopulationsifwater resources
arealreadysc-arce.About one-seventhof mining
ard erplorarion .on.essionsin thef hilippines
can be found in areasofhigh watershedstress,
wheredemandfor water exceedsthe available
supplyby at least35 percent.Certainly,mitung
competeswith other usersfor sc:Ilcewater
resources,
Each phaseof mining --fiom exploration to
extractionrprocessingand closure--incurs costs,
Miningin the lhilippines.however. i, ,e.erel)
un.usrainable andposerirreprabledemage.
More than half (56 percent)ofall mining leases
and exploration sitesin the country arehome to
endemicspeciesofplants ald animalsand are
ancestraldomainsofindigenous peopleswhose
lalrd rights are not often formally recognized.
About 60,000hectares ofintact forestare
subjectto activ€miniflg and exploration
activities.Thesemining activitiescaus€
environmental damagesuchasdeforestation,
soil erosion,and sedimentation ofwater bodies.
In Fbbruary,fish kills in Luba, Abra were
tracedco ryanide tailings from the Lepanto
ConsolidatedMining Corporation (Lepanto)
o p r r a t i n gj n u p s r r e a m
B e n g u e r . ' T l r i . ei n
October 2005, mine tailing spiliage
containing cyanidefrom LaFayetteMining
Inc. causedfish Lills in Rapu-Rapulsland,
Nbay. Dugong, which is classified as a
vulnerablespecieby the Union for the
ConservationofNature (IUCN) and
protectedby the Convention on
I nr e rn a ri o n a l T r a dien F n d a n g e r eSdp e i.e .
fCITES) wereamongche'peciesFound
lifelessin the area.'7Mining pollutants cause
diseases and disability but the most lethal
and irreversiblefor ecologyand hurnan
health is mercury contamination, suchas the
one causedby the 1996 Marcopper accident
in Marinduque.
Damageto forest, marine alrd fieshwater
resourcesdue to mrning activitiesalsoinjure dre
liveJihoodof populations that dependon
resourcessuchasfuelwood, herbs,timber, shell,
fish, mollusls and weeds.'Vith the
governmentt shift iom prudenceto active
promotion of the mining industry these
harmful effectswill be felt more severelyin the
comingyeers.As an offshootofthe 2004
SupremeCoun decisionon the
constitutionalityof foreignownershipof
mining corporations, 24 mining projects
'priority
classifiedas projects"by the
govefnmentare expectedto come this year't
Competing uses for resoutces destroys
coastalrcsources.The Philippinesis the 11'r'
fish producer in the worid and hasa rich
bounty ofecologicalsystemsunderneathrts
coastalwaters.Around 40-60 percentofthe
total fish catch comesftom coastalfishing.re
The coastalzonescarlbe found in 60 percent
ofthe country's73 provincesand
municipalities.to Like forestcommunities,
coastalcommunitiesareunder-served in the
provisionofenvironmentalservices and bear
the highestincomelossesdue to sickness and
medicalexp€nses relatedto water-related
diseases.
Competition among resource-users is a
significantissuein the coastalzone.Industrial
and real estatedevelopmentprojecs,which
requirebroad expanseofland in the most
scenicor productiveareasofthe coascalzone
competewith other usesfor agricultureand
conservation.Tourism and r€crcationalso
competewith sewicesand amenities,
including roadsand water supply that should
havebeenmeant for communities.
Approximately60 million peoplelive within
100 hm ofthe Philippine coastlineand
without adequategovernmentsupport for
family planning services,unabatedpopulation
growth will intensify competition for
The useoflethal and destructivefshing
techniquesby small fisherfolksis alreadya
manifestation of this competition. Pollution
and overfishingby commercialboa6 have
cau'eddeclinein fishsrock and rhe.ehe\.
pushedfarmersto resortto dangerousfishing
methodstiat only mire them deeperin poverty
due to potential disabiliry and smaller{ish catch
from lost reefsystemsthat serveashabitat for
war€r animals.At present,only 0.27 percentof
Philippine reeGareknown to be in qrcellent
condition.
Industrial and tourist establishmentsand
adjacentcommunitiespollute coastalwaters
therebyposinga threat to public health,the
ecologyand by extension,the econorny.A
samplestudy ofBataan beachesrevealedthat
all ofits four beacheshavefailed the
minimum coliform prevalencecriteriawhile
one did not passthe criteriafor fecal
coliform. Thirry-one percentof illnesses
between1994 and 2000 weretracedto warer-
relateddiseases. Known diseases causedby
polluted warerincludegastro-enteritis,
diarrhea,qphoid, cholera,dysentery,and
hepatitis.According to the Departmentof
Health, more than 500,000morbidity- and
4,200 mortality-cases wereattriburedto
water-relateddiseasein 2000.'z?
 Sincewomen are activelyinvolved in fish
processing,maJketing,fish culture and in
fishing operations,they arethe oneshardesthit
during low fish catch. Improving their
reproducrivehealth is hugely important to
them. Women'saccessto reproductivehealth
serviceshelpsthem to spacetheir children,
eng:gein education andlearnorher.[il].for
alternativesourcesof income. Reproductive
health thus leadsto their improved starusand
increased participationin decisionmakingand
managementat th€ village and local
administrarion level.
Succese Stoq/ #3
CONCEPCIONis s 4th closscoostolmunicipolily in
lloilo with 25 borongoys,whose people dependon
fishingondformingos meonsof livelihoodlb
geogrophicollocolionond vulnerobililyto noturol
disostersis mognifiedby o high populoiiongrowth
roie ond high populotiondensityin o fost-deterioroting
environment.
Signi{iconlochievemenlswere modewhen the LGU
odoptedthe PHEopprooch:lhe communityenioyed
improvedoccesslo quolityreproductiveheollh
services,enhoncedknowledgeond skillsof heolth
serviceprovidersin fomilyplonningcounseling,
orgonizedYoulhPeerFociliiolors,increosedFP
occeplorsond esloblishedheolthfocilities.
ln lhe environmenl,lhe opproochledtolhe
emoowermed o{ lhe ond AquoticResource
Fisheries
MonogemenlCouncil(FARMC), increosedmorine
reserveorcos,subslontiolly reducedillegolfishing,
increosed {ishcqtch ond moinstreomed sustoinoble lqnd
monogemenlond mongrovere{oreslofion.
:
\i
PHILIPPINE URBAN AREAS.Urbanizatron
is often associated with developedindustrres,
aftluenceand plannedcities.But in the
Philippine'. like in m:n1 deueloping counrrie".
urbanizationhascometo m€anslum
dwellings,pollution, crime,illiteracy,crowded
householdsarrdpoor sanitation.Extremerural
poverty, triggered by the governmelltt
economicstrategytowardsbuilding zonesof
productionin cities,hasspurredrural-to-urban
migration to the promisedland of
"opportunities."However,industriesin the
citiesdo not havethe capacityto absorb
enoughlabor forceand mostlocal
governments do not haveenoughresources to
respondro rheincreased demand[or basic
goodsand services liLe health,education,
roads,housing,transportation,waste
management an(tsewerage, amongooers
Be$een 1980and 1990,internalmigration
grew by 5 percentarnually and wenrually
Ieveledoffat 3 percent.Ifthe rrendcontinues,
expertsbelievethat 65 percentofthe total
populationwill be living in urbancentersby
2020.In addidonto the high lwels ofinflux,
womenin urbanareasbearonechild morethan
uhar rheyde'ire.{ fasrgrouingpopulacion in
.
l1 chrJlengedgorernmenL
a fi.c.rJ i'.r .ignificanr
impedimentconfionting environmentalists,
healrhworkenanddeuelopmenL pl.urner. in
achievinga goodqualirylife.
!!'aste disposal needsto keep up with a
growing urban population. Ar average
Filipinohouseholdin tlreurbanareagenerates
0.5 klograms (kg) of garbagedaily.In Metro
Manila alone,around6,700MT ofwasteare
generateddaily arrdthe mrmber is expectedto
increase by 40 percentin 2010.Foodand
kitchenwaste(45%),plasric(15%),glassand
wood (9%), paper(1690)ard otherwastes
(157o)constitutehouseholdwastesin Metro
Manila.
Industriesalsocontribute heaviiyto waste
generation.Many oftheseindustriesSenerate
 hazardouswastethat contibutes to air, soil and
water pollution. Approximately 2.3 million
MT ofhazardouswasteare generatedby
industries everyyear Oil, immobilized waste,
containers,and plating wastemake up more
than half of recordedhazardouswaste
nationwide. Hospituls generarean additional
6,750tonsofinfectiouswaite annually.
The pile ofgarbagedisposeddailypresents a
hugeproblemofwastedisposalin urban
centers.Somedumpsiteshavealreadybeen
closeddue to €nvimnmental hazards.Yet, ar
ADB 'rudy revealed rharruo dump'iresin
Metro Marila containedsubstantialamount of
lead and arsenic.Cenain amountsoflead and
mercury were alsofound in Manila Bay.
tarly.ymprom'of lerdpoi,oningmimi.
generalmalaiseor common illnesses,thus it is
not uiually diagnosedcorrectly.Ifleft untreated,
leadpoisoning can causeirritability, poor muscle
coordination, nervedamage,higher blood
pressureend problemsofhearing and seeingfor
" aduits. Reproductivedifficulties (low sperm
counts) and disturbed pregnanciesmay also
develop.In children, ieadpoisoning cancause
brain damageand retardation,anemia,liver and
kidney damage,hearingioss,hyperactivityand
evendeath.\trorkers ifl makeshiftbattery
recyclingand repairfacilitiesshowincreasedlead
levelsin their blood, significartly higher rhan
therVHOt permissible exposure levels.Battery
rc.ondirionenandsme'rer. in rhePhilippines
arelocatedin populatedareas.The health ofthe
public and the environment suffersfiom
sulfuricaciddumpedin streams, into the sewer
system,or onto the soil.zr
PROPOSED STRAIEGIES FOR A
HUMAN-CENTERED PHE APPROACH.
Strategiesthat do not addressequity can only
accomplish solinle. Integratedapproaches on
population,healthand environmentthat
:dd-e* equiry.ervero achierehurnaniry\ vi.ion
fbr a sustainableandjust development.
Dwelop strategies,action plaas, monitoring
and evaluation arrd accountability
mechanisms in responseto international
humar rights obligations and the Multilatenl
Environment Agreements. International
agreementsseta uniform acceptablestandardof
developmentarrd mechanismsfor
accountabilig/.
Ensure equitable accessto resou:ces.\fell-
defined propeny rights and increasedaccessof
the poor to land and other resourcesencourag€
resourc€-use$to apply sustainablepattemsof
production and consumpdon.Accessto
resources alsoexpandsopportunitiesfor rhe
poor to achieveimproved quality oflife.
Engagecommunities and women in
managing resources.Men ald women's
participation in mattersconcerningresource
managementacknowledgesthat savingthe
environmenr alsoinvolvesimproringwomen\
circumstances in lifb.
Provide reprodtct .e helth servicesarget€d
towardsthe poor. Acressby the poor to
reproductivehealti services
generates multiple
gainsat tie household,cmmunity andnational
levels,hencethe needto arget certaifl
nterventions.
Institute convergencearnong sectos, fields of
specialization, gor€rnment and donor-
agenciesin developrnentplanning. A
population, health, and envimnment approach
for human developmelt requiresmultisectoral
participation, interdisciplinaryanalysisand
sttategiesand the collaboration ofdifferent
staheholders,especiallyamonggovernment
bodiesat veriouslevels.Donor-agenciesalso
needto reptogramtheir support towards
integratedapproaches.
Promote co4rorate social responsibility.
wichindustrjesand businesses ir
Partnership
important in the conduct ofsustainableand
cleanproduction.
Stimulate revenuesand incentives for
progrrms. Incre:ringdomestic
conserv'etion
wastewaterfeesand industrial pollution charges,
x weJla. Ge prori'ion of in.enrive'ro rhe
privaresecrorinJluencebeharioralchangein
resourceproduction arrdconsumption,
kgislation on reproductive health, land use,
and forest and coastal man€ement should be
expedited arrd oversight to existing laws on
environment and health needsto be done.
Fastpopulation growth without adequate
fumilyplanningrewices intensifie' compeddon
amongresource-users thatfurthernarginaliz€s
the poor Thus, sustainablemanagement
coupledwith reproductivehealth servicesto
empo\{erwomenis required. At the:ametime,
pastachievementsin legislationshould alsobe
monitored and evaluated.
Endnoies
r Integrotinghumon rightswithsustoinoblehumon
development.A UNDP policydocume.t. United
NotionsDevelopmenlProsromme.Jonoory1998
'? Kri9otur 8erse. Does MultilorerolismReollyWork?.
World StudentCommunilyfor Sueoinqble
Development.13 Morch 2004.
3 RoserMcrk De Souzo,An Asendo for Populotion,
Hedhhond Environmenl:The Nen $eps Ior
Environmenr,Populotion,ond Security.
I Roger-MorkDe Souzo,iohn. S. Wllioms, ond
FrederickA:8. Moye.son-Criricol Links: Populoiion,
Heolrhond the Environme.t.PopuldtionSullenn.
PopulotionReferenceBureou.S€plember2003. Vol.
58, No.3
s De Souzo,Willioms ond Meyerson.2003
6 De Souzo,Willioms ond Meyercon.2003
' De Souzo,Willioms ond Meyerson.2003
6 Nolionol SlotisiicdlCoordinotingBody 2000 ond
2003 RegionolPoverryEstimoies.
' Annuol PovedyIndicoioE Survey
I0 Asion DevelopmeniBonk.AbsoluienumberoI poor
hds inc.eosed.Philipp'neDoily lnquirer Mor 20,
2005
Pesticide Action Neiwork - Asio Pocific. Foctsheei:
Pesticidepoisoninsin Komukhdon.
L The world's moe ropid ond mossivedeforeslolion.
Horibon Foundotion.Mdrch 4, 2005.
13World Bonk Philipp;neEnfironme.t Repo'l2004.
'i Losgins suspendedin Phil;ppines.September4,
2 0 0 4 . h t r p : / / " e w s . o b c . ( o . r l |/ / l / * o - l d / o s i d-
pscific/4068477.s1n.
15 Biodiversiiy10 Humon welfore in the Phiiippines.
Powerpointpresentotion
RoreMorine Mommol Dies in WoteB Contominqted
by Mine Toilings.www.buloltot.com.Gerry Corpuz
B u s i n e s v o r l dF. e b .1 4 , 2 0 0 6 . $ 3 7 4 m i l l i o n
expectedthis yeor from 24 pr;orityminins proiecls.
BFAR
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The BoselBon And Bditeries.SteveVoynick,
freeloncewriter, Leodville,Colorodo.