In Davao City, the incidence of fish kills is not uncommon. The culprit?
Chemical wastes dumped directly into the Davao River. These incidences are  a  cry  for help – that Davao River is dying from chemical wastes. They are but a  brutal reminder of the enormity of the human assault on the  once pristine  Davao River. 

It is not uncommon for unscrupulous industries to dump hazardous chemical  wastes  directly into rivers. Hazardous chemical wastes are generated from a variety of industrial and agricultural activities.  They may be solids liquids or sludge.  These wastes are produced in almost every country, but  in the Philippines,   industries have sprung up before our government have the  chance to set up effective waste-treatment facilities or waste-disposal systems. Some would  install water treatment facilities  but only to comply with licensing  requirements. In reality, these facilities are not operated but if at all, only for purposes of  inspection.

In 1991, the Senate passed a bill banning the import, storage or transport of nuclear or toxic wastes, in and throughout the country, yet this does not stop companies from shipping in about 5.9 million pounds of plastic waste into the country, or dumping chemicals into rivers.  On paper, the Philippine government is against toxic waste dumping, but it lacks the ability to enforce the laws, or even assess, how much waste is being produced.

   Chemicals, whether naturally occurring or those created in laboratories are at the heart of a highly industrialized technology-based society.  They help protect our health and control pests. Chemicals and chemical products ranging from pharmaceuticals to agricultural chemicals and extending to diverse  range  applications  in  homes,  businesses  and  industries  have contributed to improving the living conditions of the human race and even to prolonging life itself. There are at present about five million unique chemical compounds worldwide, of which about 70,000 are in commercial use.  Several hundred new chemicals enter the international market each year.  Of the existing chemicals in commerce, less than ten percent have been adequately tested for their potential toxicity to humans.

Although  most  chemicals  present  little  or  no  danger  to  the environment or human health when used properly, the beneficial effects of some commonly used and widely dispersed chemicals have been accompanied by harmful side effects. The problems grew with the number and quantity of chemical products as well as their increasing possibilities of application. Emissions and waste from the production and use of chemical products contaminate our water, air and land resources with chemical substances whose properties we know too little of.  Damage is frequently recognized only after many years.  Cases such as illnesses from asbestos, vinyl chloride, mercury or cyanide have heightened public awareness of these risks making then for some time political issues.  Information is lacking especially about the long term effects of certain substances in very small concentrations.

Public concern about the effects of inadvertent or intentional release of chemical products directly to air, water, soil or indirectly by food chain contamination to people has markedly increased.   All sectors of the community, government and industry now recognized the importance of understanding the potential hazards and the need for effective chemical control measures to minimize their health and environment impacts.

Exposure to hazardous chemicals may be occupational as in industry or agriculture or with the risks proportional to the nature of employment and protective facilities provided. The public may also receive direct exposures, such as those from industrial plant emissions, motor vehicles, through accidents or spillage during transport, storage, use or inadequate disposal of chemical wastes. Indirect exposure by ingestion of contaminated water and food supplies occurs to a range of chemical residues from agricultural and industrial sources.

Let us face it. If industries continue to dump their chemicals into our environment, then the world is doomed. And so are we. An effective system of waste disposal is urgently needed. The effect of chemicals contaminating our oceans and seas is catastrophic.

We go about our lives in this world with a certain degree of trust in certain things that we have come to take for granted.  For instance, we breathe freely without hesitation.  We drink a glass of cold water or eat food prepared in our homes or purchased from a restaurant expecting to be nourished by it. We operate within a belief system that allows us to accept without question that because these are the very basic functions of life, no one will do anything to disrupt it.

Industrialization has created a glut for the "finer" things in life, making it necessary to produce more things in larger quantities and with quicker methods.  Science obliged producing more sophisticated technology that delivered this convenience.  And along with this convenience came the use and proliferation of certain chemicals that now find themselves in the air we breathe, in the water we drink, and in the food we eat.

Our belief system has been rendered obsolete.  We can no longer afford to assume that no one will threaten our most basic life supporting activities. Whether it be because of ignorance, apathy, desperation or greed, our lives are indeed threatened ever so sinisterly by practices that cut costs, increase production, make us look good, and offer immeasurable conveniences at the expense of our health.