A moderate labor group on Tuesday called on Mayor Joseph Estrada to ensure that the demolition of the old Philippine National Bank (PNB) building in Escolta, Manila is completely safe to the public. Alan Tanjusay, of the Associated Labor Unions (ALU) and Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP), reminded Estrada “the contractors who build such iconic buildings in Manila during the 1960s generally use asbestos materials to bolster the structure.” Asbestos, he added, “could be found in ceilings, air-conditioning ducts and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) power transformers.” The International Labor Organization revealed that about 107,000 people die each year in different parts of the world of irreversible asbestos-related lung cancer, mesothelioma and asbestosis resulting from occupational exposure.
