The environmental group Solidarity for Environmental Development and Sustainability (SEEDS) PH has called on local government units (LGUs) and relevant regulators to ban obsolete and environmentally destructive induction furnaces (IFs) used in steel smelting and production, following the examples set by China and — closer to home — Pampanga.

Dona Cristino, SEEDS PH secretary-general, highlighted that IFs began appearing in the Philippines after Beijing banned them in 2017 due to their significant contribution to air pollution in China.

Cristino's investigation found that these furnaces are now being used by steel plants in various locations across the country, including Sta. Maria and Pulilan in Bulacan, Valenzuela, and Cagayan de Oro.

“Worse, the reports we got revealed that these steel plants are being owned and operated by Mainland Chinese, using Filipinos as dummies. Practically, these Chinese operators just transferred their environmentally destructive operations here in the Philippines,” Cristino said.

For instance, a steel plant in Sta. Maria, Bulacan, has been operating without an updated environmental clearance certificate and permits for their pollution-control facilities, in violation of the Clean Air Act (RA 8749) and Clean Water Act (RA 9275).

Additionally, Cristino noted that products from these IFs do not meet Philippine National Standards (PNS), risking the safety of Filipinos, especially in areas prone to typhoons and earthquakes.

“These IFs are like a double-whammy to us Filipinos: they destroy our environment and they produce substandard products,” Cristino said.

She urged LGUs, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to immediately shut down these steel plants and ban the use of IFs in the country. Cristino emphasized that mayors should protect their constituents from health hazards caused by pollutants emitted by these steel plants.

San Simon, Pampanga, has already banned IFs following complaints from residents about pollutants eroding their roofs and increasing asthma cases, along with a decline in farm output.

“We are not against industrialization and economic activities, but businesses should always be prudent in operating their establishments so as not to pose risks to the surrounding communities and the environment,” Cristino stressed.