In December last year, the International Labor Organization (ILO) reported that over 10 million Filipinos may experience job disruption in the way of salary cuts, decreased working hours, or total job loss because of the pandemic. In the Asia-Pacific region, approximately 81 million jobs were lost in 2020, which may raise the region’s unemployment rate by over 2% from 2019.

Given the job market’s volatility, workers should to be able to quickly adjust when faced with job disruption. With lessened pay and working hours, they need to find additional sources of income. With limited job openings, sudden unemployment might require, not only changing employers, but a career shift.

But how can one shift roles? For example, if you’ve been working in law for some time, and you wish to shift to being a writer, it pays to have soft or transferable skills that allow career mobility. Specialization or the mastery of one skill may increase your marketability, but only up to a certain point. With technological advancements and global crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, your specialized skills run the risk of being outdated, which may lead to unemployment.

Hard Skills vs Soft Skills

While hard skills comprise technical knowledge or specific training for a particular area, Psychologist Roselle G. Teodosio, owner of IntegraVita Wellness Center, defines soft skills as “interpersonal skills that shape who you are, and how you work or deal with others.” Hard skills are more teachable, while soft skills are cultivated. Teodosio adds that hard skills can be thought of as IQ (intelligence quotient) while soft skills are equivalent to EQ (emotional intelligence). “Nowadays, a lot of companies look for people who have higher EQ. Emotional intelligence is seen as something that enhances and bolsters hard skills. A lack of soft skills would hinder an employee from thinking outside the box, or imparting their knowledge.”

In her two-decade career, Karen Seno has successfully shifted across roles in TV and video production, corporate communications, and human resources (HR). As the current HR manager of a holding company, Seno believes that soft skills are vital during these challenging times. “Soft skills are key in fostering an effective and productive virtual-work environment grounded on empathy. By developing soft skills, employees are able to add value both to their professional and their personal lives. It shows their commitment to self-development beyond the technical aspects of the job they hold.”

Teodosio agrees that soft skills show a person’s capacity to grow in a company. “Since employers tend to invest in their employees, they would want to have someone on a long-term basis. Companies also look for team players.  A person who can adapt to different personalities, and shows good leadership and work ethic in times of crisis represents the company and what it stands for, especially to potential clients and business partners.” Such valuable soft skills also promote job security. “If there will be downsizing, economic slowdown or even a pandemic, then the employee who has shown these skills will likely be retained than let go,” Teodosio adds.

Though both hard and soft skills are necessary and complimentary to each other, Seno believes that that the latter trumps the former. “In most cases, I would say an ideal mix would be 60% soft skills and 40% hard skills.”

Top 5 Soft Skills Employers Seek

With the pandemic affecting businesses and employment, Teodosio says the need for soft skills is more relevant than ever. “Companies are very careful in choosing the employees that will be most beneficial to them in terms of productivity and flexibility at least cost.  It is to the advantage of companies to retain employees who can play a lot of roles in the company to maintain productivity while cutting back on overhead expenses.”

But pandemic or not, employees need to step up their game to cope with the ever-changing landscape of industries. According to the World Economic Forum, the top 5 skills employers are looking for are also soft skills.  

1. Communication

        Seno shares that shifting to a virtual work setup has limited our personal interactions, yet has increased the amount of time we spend on meetings. “Effective communication can then save on time and resources, bridge gaps, and establish stronger relationships.” Teodosio follows this up with by saying that clear communication should be carried out across all levels—“may it be the big bosses or their co-workers, one on one or as a team.  Effective communicators build connections inside and outside the company.”

How to improve this skill:

• Be open to feedback.
• Constantly practice getting your message across.
• Be concise and get to the point.
• Be mindful of your non-verbal communication (body language, tone of voice, facial expressions).
• Be clear with your desired action from your listener or receiver.

2. Problem Solving

        Problem solving demonstrates a person’s self-reliance. Seno explains, “Companies need people who are concerned not just with delivering the basics according to their job description, but who can thrive when things don’t go their way.” Teodosio agrees. “A good employee is able to stay calm and rational when problems arise. Rather than emotions, his decisions are guided by logic and common sense.” 

How to improve this skill:

• Learn to identify and simplify problems.
• Collaborate with stakeholders in brainstorming possible solutions.
• Be open to changes.
• Go beyond your comfort zone.

3. Analytical Skills

        Seno states that analytical skills are key in gaining an in-depth understanding of a topic or issue.  “This is useful for goal-setting during project planning, or for coming up with solutions for complex problems.” 

How to improve this skill:

• Learn all that you can about a topic or issue.
• Be observant.
• Ask questions.
• Interact with different personalities who offer various perspectives.
• Develop a learning mindset.

4. Customer Service

Communication is the foundation of excellent customer service. Though this skill in useful in building a solid clientele, Seno stresses that “A good employee treats all their stakeholders—be they internal or external—as customers.” An openness to feedback and improvement ensures quality outcomes for customer satisfaction. 

How to improve this skill:

• Manage customer expectations. 
• Give services a personal touch.
• Focus on solutions to achieve customer satisfaction.
• Build positive relationships.

5. Leadership

        “Leadership requires accountability, authenticity, and empathy. Effective leaders are like lighthouses—they give a general direction for guidance as team members navigate the rough seas,” Seno illustrates. Teodosio says that “If an employee has good leadership skills, it follows that he is able to communicate himself well to others.”

How to improve this skill:

• Take the initiative.
• Listen.
• Develop situational awareness.
• Empower or motivate others.
• Encourage honest feedback.

While these traits have always been relevant in the workplace, Teodosio says they are even more important now during the pandemic. “The pandemic has brought on feelings of isolation and anxiety, to name a few.  If one cannot handle such a stress, then how will he be able to address the other stressors work can bring?”

Tips for job hunters

Job hunting may be extra challenging these times, so our experts offer these bits of advice:

Widen your network.  “Do not limit yourself to one or two fields,” says Teodosio. “Instead, try to look at other fields of expertise that you find interesting.  It is not the best time to be picky.”

Boost your skills. Both experts agree that now is the perfect time to expand one’s knowledge.  “Explore free online classes. The additional skills will make your CV shine,” advises Teodosio.

“Creating your own ‘personal brand’ will make companies notice you. You need to focus on what is unique about you.”

Prepare for virtual interviews.  Because first impressions last, small details such as your clothes, background, and even the way you sit matter.

Be patient.  If you don’t find a job right away, don’t be too hard on yourself. “A lot of companies are affected by the pandemic,” Teodosio says. “So, they are quite choosy with candidates.  Just be on the lookout for job openings you are interested in.”

After the Quadrantids Meteor Shower last January 4, the skies will once again be illuminated by another major astronomical event—the Penumbral Lunar Eclipse.

Eclipses come in pairs

A solar eclipse is always paired with a lunar eclipse.  A solar eclipse only happens during the new moon, while a lunar eclipse  occurs during the full moon. For an eclipse to occur, the new and full moons have to take place within the eclipse season, wherein the Earth, Sun, and Moon are perfectly aligned. This happens twice a year, about six months apart. 

What is a Penumbral Lunar Eclipse?

On January 11, 2020 at 1:07 a.m., the Penumbral Lunar Eclipse will be visible in the country. It occurs whenever the Earth passes between the Moon and the Sun, blocking out sunlight and casting a shadow on the Moon’s surface. 

Unlike other types of eclipses, a Penumbral Lunar Eclipse is more subtle and much more difficult to observe. According to Fred Espenak, an American Astrophysicist, about 35% of all eclipses are penumbral. Another 30% are partial eclipses, while the remaining 35% are total eclipses of the moon. 

Where will the Penumbral Eclipse be visible?

The eclipse will be visible in Africa, Oceania, Asia, Europe, and Northern America.

In Manila, the Penumbral Lunar Eclipse starts at 1:07 a.m., reaching its peak at 3:11 a.m. and ending at 5:12 a.m. The next eclipse for the year will be visible on June 6. 

Can We Live on Mars?

Can other planets supporting life? Are we alone in this vast universe? These are some of the questions curious minds are interested in. And it’s this intense kind of curiosity that has led to one of our most ambitious space projects, the Mars Exploration.

Meet Mars

Mars is sometimes called the “Red Planet”. It’s red because its surface has iron oxide or rusty particles. Its only half size of Earth and like our planet, Mars has volcanoes, weather, seasons, polar ice caps and canyons. Its thin atmosphere is made of nitrogen, argon and carbon dioxide. These characteristics encouraged scientist to dig deeper into Mars’s history to find out if it once supported life – and maybe able to in the future.

The Mars Mission

So far, almost 50 spacecraft have visited Mars, but not all of them were successful in landing on its surface or in orbiting around the planet. Mars is the only planet scientists have sent rovers to –. These vehicles drive around the planet to take photos and measurements.

Scientists begun to send probes to the red planet in 1960. But Mars Exploration Program funded and led by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), officially begun in 1994. The first six spacecraft all failed to reach Mars orbit.

Mariner 4 was the first successful flyby attempt that entered the planet’s orbit, arriving on July 14, 1965. This mission provided the first close up images of the planet.

The most recent successful landing on Mars happened just last November 2018. The Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport (InSight), is a robotic lander designed to study the deep interior of the planet and to listen to Marsquakes.

The Possibilities of Mars

Scientist are exploring Mars to determine if life ever arose on Mars, to characterize its climate and geology; and ultimately, to prepare for the human exploration of Mars. The Mars Exploration Program is a science driven program that seeks to understand whether Mars was, is, or can be, a habitable world.

Terraforming is the primary ingredient of the concept of Mars – colonization. This is a speculative course of alteration of the conditions of the planet to make it habitable for lives that are existing on Earth without any life supporting system.

In order to make Mars a habitable planet, Bruce Jakosky, a planetary scientist and principal investigator for NASA’s Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution and Christopher Edwards an assistant professor for planetary science, said that by using greenhouse gases that already present on Mars, we could, theoretically, raise temperature and change the atmosphere enough to make Mars an Earth – like.

Mars has exactly opposite problem as Earth. Mars as we all know is a cold planet, in fact the current climate on Mars is at average of about minus 81 degrees Fahrenheit (– 62.78°C), though the temperature can vary wildly. That is why scientists want to make Mars hotter and thicken its atmosphere, so its polar ice caps can melt. Considering more water means more opportunities for microbial life to do its work.

The idea of using microbes to begin a terraforming project on Mars is so encouraging that NASA has already begun initial tests. The Mars Ecopoiesis Test Bed is proposed for development to be included with future robotic mission to Mars. This is something look like a drill with hollow chamber inside with container full of cyanobacteria. The drill would bury itself in the Martian soil, preferably in a place with the presence of liquid water and then the container with cyanobacteria would be release into the chamber and the built – in biosensor would detect whether the microbial life produce any oxygen or other bvproducts.

The first phase of this project was conducted in a simulated Martian environment here on Earth, and the results were promising. But even still, there are some major challenges we’ll have to face if ever we want to use microbially terraform Mars on a large-scale.

Conclusion

We are clearly excited about what the future may bring. Pushing ahead, trying to understand what Mars may have for us. Uncertain of what the outcome may be, but McKay once said, “Life may not be scientifically preferred explanation, but it cannot be yet disproven”.

By: May Dacula, PanahonTV Intern

Sources:

https://history.nasa.gov/marschro.htm

https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/programs/mars-exploration

https://bigthink.com/surprising-science/using-bacteria-to-terraform-mars

“The moon is a loyal companion. It never leaves. It’s always there, watching, steadfast, knowing us in our light and dark moments, changing forever just as we do. Every day it’s a different version of itself. Sometimes weak and wan, sometimes strong and full of light. The moon understands what it means to be human. Uncertain. Alone. Cratered by imperfections.”
– Tahereh Mafi

Nights aren’t not complete without the presence of the moon. Let’s get to know our nocturnal friend better with these fun facts:

1. It’s smaller than the Earth.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) says that the radius of approximately 1,737.5 kilometers. If the Earth were the size of a nickel, the moon would just be as big as a coffee bean.

NASA added that around 30 Earth-sized planets could fit in the distance between our planet and the moon, which is 384,400 kilometers away.

2. You can’t live on the moon.

According to NASA, the moon has a very thin and weak atmosphere, which doesn’t protect it from the sun’s radiation or impacts of meteoroids. This is also the reason why temperatures on the moon are extreme, ranging from boiling hot to freezing cold depending on the orientation of the sun.

Astronauts who explored the moon were equipped with spacesuits that had several layers of insulation and equipped with internal heaters and cooling systems.

3. The moon is responsible for the rising and falling of ocean tides.

Around each new and full moon, the pull on the tides increases due to the gravity of the sun that reinforces the moon’s gravity. During these phases, the tides are at their maximum.

Meanwhile, during the first quarter and last quarter phase, the sun’s gravity works against the gravity of the moon. This is when the tide’s range is at its minimum.

4. There may be earthquakes on the moon!

NASA confirmed that the moon may be seismically active. This is based on data gathered between 1969 to 1972, when Apollo astronauts placed seismometers at their landing sites on the moon.

Because the moon is dry, cool and mostly rigid, moonquakes are continuous unlike earthquakes that usually last for half a minute.

5. The moon has its own festival.

The Moon Festival is a holiday in China and several Asian countries. It’s one of the most important celebrations in the Chinese calendar, traditionally held when the moon is at its fullest and roundest.

This event gathers families and friends that admire the bright mid-autumn moon and eat moon cakes. Moon cake is a sweet pastry with red bean or lotus-seed filling. It is believed to be the symbol of completeness and unity among families.

Photo by: Bobs Artajo, one of the Top20 Supermoon Photo Contest winners

6. The full moon has a different name each month.

The names of the Full Moon originated from the Algonquin tribes of Native America which was adapted by some of the Colonial Americans.

January – Full Wolf Moon
It is believed that this full moon appeared when wolves howled in hunger.

February – Full Snow Moon
Usually the heaviest snow falls in February, making hunting difficult.

March – Full Worm Moon
During spring, the ground softens and earthworm casts reappear. Also known as the Sap Moon, it marks the time when maple sap begins to flow and the annual tapping of maple trees begins.

April – Full Pink Moon
This full moon signaled the appearance of the moss pink or wild ground phlox, one of the first spring flowers.

May – Full Flower Moon
Flowers become abundant during this month.

June – Full Strawberry Moon
The Algonquin tribes consider this moon as a sign of the perfect time to gather ripening strawberries. It is sometimes called as the Rose Moon.

July – Full Buck Moon
During this time, the antlers of bucks are in full-growth mode.

August – Full Sturgeon Moon
Some Native American tribes knew that the sturgeon, or a type of fish that lives in the northern part of the world, was mostly caught during this full moon.

September – Full Corn Moon
This corresponds with the time of harvesting corn.

October – Full Hunter’s Moon
This is the time for hunting as preparation for the long winter ahead.

November – Full Beaver Moon
This is the time when beavers actively build their winter dams in preparation for the cold season.

December – Full Cold Moon
This is the month when the winter cold speeds up.

7. The moon doesn’t have its own light.

The moon merely reflects light from the sun. The light that we see from the moon is an illusion of the reflected light.

Astronomers say it will take hundreds of thousands of moons to get the same brightness of the sun. Even when a moon reaches its full phase, it always shines with a lower magnitude that the sun.

8. The US first conquered the moon.

According to NASA, there were three men who first stepped in the moon. Neil Armstrong, Edwin Aldrin and Michael Collins were the astronauts on the successful Apollo 11 mission in 1969. Armstrong and Aldrin landed on the moon while Collins stayed in orbit around the moon, doing experiments and taking images.

On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first human to step on the moon. He and Aldrin were able to walk around the moon for a few hours, picking up bits of dirt and rocks for experiments. They also installed a U.S. flag on the moon.

9. The moon has inspired idioms!

“Once in a blue moon” refers to an even that is rare, seldom or surreal. Blue Moon refers to the second full moon in a month. Normally, there is one full moon each month but there are also rare instances that a second one sneaks in.

This doesn’t literally mean that the moon turns into a bluish color. However, it is believed that during the 1883 Krakatoa Volcano explosion in Indonesia, people noticed that the moon turned blue. Scientists explained that this phenomenon was more likely because of the ash clouds that rose to the top of the Earth’s atmosphere.

10. Some people love staring at the moon!

If you are fond of staring at the moon, you may be a “selenophile” or a person who loves the moon. “Selene” is the Greek name for the Goddess of the Moon while the suffix “phile” comes from the Greek “philos” which means “loving”.

Sources:
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
http://www.moonconnection.com
https://www.space.com
http://earthsky.org
http://aa.usno.navy.mil
http://seismo.berkeley.edu/blog/2009/07/20/quakes-on-the-moon.html

Did you know that the lowest temperature in Baguio City dropped to 9.6 degrees Celsius yesterday? Below are areas that experienced the coldest morning yesterday:



Hanging Amihan or the Northeast Monsoon, still at its peak, is now affecting the entire archipelago. Characterized by cold and dry air coming from Mainland China or Siberia, it usually starts to affect the country during the ber months and peaks in January and February, where temperatures start to fall.

Apart from cold weather, it may also bring rains in some parts of the country including the regions of Cagayan Valley, Cordillera, Bicol, Eastern Visayas and Caraga, where cloudy skies with light rains are expected.

The same weather condition will prevail in the provinces of Aurora, Quezon, Davao Oriental and Compostela Valley. The rest of the country will experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated light rains.

Meanwhile, the strong surge of Amihan will also trigger rough to very rough seas, making it risky for fishing boats and other small seacraft to venture out today. The following areas are under gale warning:



In an interview with Panahon TV, PAGASA Weather Forecaster Gener Quitlong said no weather disturbance is expected to affect the country in the next two to three days. “Kaya po masyadong mababa ang tyansa na may nabubuong bagyo kapag buwan ng Pebrero, unang-una ang February iyan po ang pinakang-peak ng Amihan.

So ibig sabihin po niyan, malamig ang panahon at naaapektuhan nito ang dagat. Iyan po ang pinaakaayaw ng bagyo. Kadalasan Low Pressure Area lamang ang nabubuo at mabilis po itong malusaw.” (During February, there is a lower chance for tropical cyclones to form within our premises due to the peak of Amihan. The cold and dry characteristics of Amihan are not favorable for weather disturbances.)

Don’t miss our episodes, catch the replay of our interview earlier this morning:

The Low Pressure Area (formerly Tropical Depression Bising) has exited the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) yesterday. Due to its distance, it will no longer affect any part of the country. However, rains may prevail due to the Tail-end of a Cold Front that affects the eastern section of Mindanao and the Northeast Monsoon prevailing over Luzon and Visayas.

Cloudy skies with light to moderate rains and isolated thunderstorms will be experienced over Caraga. Cloudy skies with light rains may affect the regions of Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Cordillera, Central Luzon, Bicol, Eastern Visayas and the provinces of Quezon & Aurora. Meanwhile, Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon and Visayas will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated light rains. The remaining parts of the country will have generally fair weather aside from the isolated rain showers or thunderstorms.


Just like the Southwest Monsoon or Hanging Habagat, Amihan can also be enhanced by a tropical cyclone that can boost stronger winds and higher waves. As a result, rough to very rough seas may be experienced in the seaboards of Northern Luzon, eastern seaboard of Central and Southern Luzon and of Visayas. Gale warning is also hoisted over the eastern seaboard of Mindanao. Wave height could reach up to 4.5 meters, making it risky for fishing boats and other small sea craft to venture out into the sea.

These include Batanes, Calayan, Babuyan, Cagayan, Ilocos Norte, Isabela, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Aurora, eastern coast of Camarines Provinces, Catanduanes, eastern coast of Albay, eastern coast of Sorsogon, eastern coast of Quezon including Polillo Island, the northern and eastern coasts of Samar provinces, eastern coast of Leyte provinces, Surigao, Davao Oriental, Dinagat Island and Siargao.

In an interview with Panahon TV, PAGASA Weather Forecaster Shelly Ignacio said the country will be storm-free in the next days. “Wala namang ibang sama ng panahon maliban na lang sa Tail-end of a Cold Front na inaasahang magpapaulan pa rin sa Mindanao. Sa ngayon, wala pang namamataang panibagong Low Pressure Area (LPA) o bagyo na makakaapekto sa ating bansa sa susunod na dalawa o tatlong araw.”, Ignacio stated. However, all are still advised to monitor updates and further development.

In case you missed it, here’s our full interview early this morning.

The Low Pressure Area (formerly #BisingPH) is still inside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR). At 4 AM today, it was estimated at 940 kilometers east of Guiuan, Eastern Samar. Due to its trough or extension, cloudy skies with light to moderate rains and isolated thunderstorms will prevail in the regions of Eastern Visayas, Caraga and the provinces of Davao del Norte, Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental.



PAGASA Weather Forecaster Cris Perez enumerated some factors why the LPA is still inside the PAR:



Meanwhile, the Northeast Monsoon (Amihan) in Luzon will cause cloudy skies with light rains in the regions of Cagayan Valley and Cordillera and the provinces of Aurora and Ilocos Norte. Partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated light rains will prevail in Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon. Generally fair weather will be experienced in the rest of Visayas and Mindanao with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms.

As the surge of the Amihan continues, PAGASA has recorded these lowest temperatures:


Strong to gale force winds are also bringing rough to very rough sea conditions in these provinces:

Satellite images, instruments, applications, and forecasters – these are our modern sources of weather and climate information. But did you know that animals are also capable of telling us what kind of weather is coming our way?

Compared to humans, some animals have special capabilities and more developed senses of smell and hearing. Recently, a study called Biophony has been examining sounds in a habitat at a certain time to analyze animal behavior before storms.

According to Dr. Simon Robson from the School of Marine and Tropical Biology at the James Cook University-Australia, some animals have the ability to forecast the weather through their behavior. Get to know some of weather’s wonder animals!

Cows
According to farmers, cows have the ability to forecast the weather. When cows become restless and lie down in the field to claim dry spots, it means they sense bad weather.

Scientists at the Universities of Arizona and Northern Missouri conducted a study about the behavior of cows in connection to the weather. It showed that cows lie down when it is about to get cold, and stand for long hours when it is about to get hot.

Ants
When bad weather enters, ants, particularly the red and black, build up their mounds as extra protection for their holes. A higher mound may be a sign of incoming rains or thunderstorms.

Ants tend to scatter during good weather and travel in straight lines when rain is brewing. They close their holes before the rain, and open them in in fair or dry weather. Ants may even become more aggressive and destructive in a drought condition.

Bees and butterflies
When bees and butterflies disappear from the flowerbeds, heavy rains are expected in the next hours. Butterflies and bees are referred to as indicator species.
Their short lifespans are also observed to study the effects of climate change.

Birds
A lot of legends have come out about the ability of birds to predict storms or other natural disasters. Scientists believe birds can hear infrasound, a type of low frequency noise produced by storms, which humans are not capable of hearing.

Most birds also have special middle-ear receptors called the Vitali organ that can sense small changes in air pressure. Birds that fly high in the sky signify good weather, but if they fly low, a thunderstorm or bad weather is approaching.

Some believe that birds fly lower before the rain because they try to get closer to the insects, which also fly lower to the ground before the showers. But others say that flying closer to the ground protects birds from the air pressure of a storm at higher altitudes.

Other beliefs: if a rooster crows before sleeping, there is a chance of rain. Chickens that group together while scratching for food also indicate bad weather. When owls cry strangely in the night, good weather will probably be experienced the following day. Meanwhile, ducks behaving unusually could mean bad weather is approaching.

Frog
The frogs are believed to croak or sing longer and louder than the usual when bad weather is on the way. If the volume increases, rains or gusty winds may affect the area.

Spiders
Spiders building their webs are believed to signify good weather conditions. If you see their webs scattered in the air, it could mean a dry spell. Spiders tend to be active and leave their webs before the rain pours. If there’s an incoming storm, spiders strengthen their webs.

Though there is no enough scientific proof, some of these animals may have helped in weather forecasting during the ancient times.

But in this day and age, it is always best to monitor the weather, not necessarily through animal behavior, but through meteorological agencies for more accurate and reliable information.

Sources:
http://www.nc-mag.com/
http://www.skymetweather.com/
www.weather.com
http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/can-animals-sense-storms-weather/28009496

Furry Forecasters: 7 Amazing Weather-Predicting Animals

Images:
https://photos.smugmug.com
https://elnidoenvironment.files.wordpress.com
http://phenomena.nationalgeographic.com/
http://www.uh.edu/
http://www.hivesforlives.com/
https://scjdmcdn.azureedge.net
http://turningboholano.blogspot.com/

Rain gear such as boots, coats and umbrellas are meant to protect your kids during the rainy days, but did you know that some of these items may harm your children’s health?

In a 2013 study conducted by the environmental watchdog, EcoWaste Coalition, 23 out of 33 rainwear products from Divisoria tested positive from the toxic chemicals, lead and cadmium.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), lead is a heavy metal with a low melting point, and is easily molded and shaped. It is usually used as an element in pipes, storage batteries, pigments, paints
and vinyl products. However, it causes loss of cognition, shortening of attention span, alteration of
behavior, dyslexia, attention deficit disorder, hypertension, renal impairment, immune-toxicity and
toxicity to the reproductive organs. Oftentimes, these effects are permanent.

Meanwhile, cadmium is a human carcinogen and has toxic effects on the kidney, the skeletal and the respiratory systems.

Among the items analyzed by Ecowaste were 25 raincoats, five (5) umbrellas and three (3) pairs of rainboots that the group bought for P50 – P250 each from 10 discount shops situated at the following:
11/88 Shopping Mall, 168 Shopping Mall, 999 Shopping Mall and the Tutuban Prime Block Mall.

The group detected excessive levels of lead: up to 15,500 parts per million (ppm) of lead and up to 717 ppm of cadmium in 70% of the samples.

According to Aileen Lucero, Acting National Coordinator of EcoWaste Coalition, these chemicals are
released into the environment and could affect kids through ingestion, inhalation or skin absorption.

“Their hand-to- mouth behavior and their habit of sitting on the ground or the floor can result to greater childhood exposure to various toxins.”

To prevent toxic exposure, the EcoWaste Coalition advised consumers to read product labels carefully
and avoid PVC materials. These materials are known for having strong chemical odors as they contain numerous toxic additives like cadmium and lead used as pigments or stabilizers.

The group also advised parents to regularly check the condition of the products used by their kids for
any signs of wear and tear, and to frequently remind kids to wash their hands thoroughly, especially
before snacks or meals.

REFERENCES:

http://ecowastecoalition.blogspot.com/2013/06/ecowaste-coalition- rain-gear- for-kids.html

http://www.who.int/ipcs/assessment/public_health/cadmium/en/

http://www.who.int/ceh/publications/leadguidance.pdf