City playgrounds in Manila deemed unsafe for play

“Takot na takot po ako. Parang ayaw ko na siya makita.” 

 

It's unusual for a child to say this about a playground, of all things. But not after suffering a broken arm from falling off a broken ride.

 

Rusty seesaws and swing sets are common sight in Manila, causing numerous injuries to children. Many city playgrounds are in urgent need of reconstruction, while many more are already damaged beyond repair.

 

GMA News' Marisol Abdurahman takes a look at the state of city playgrounds in her May 7 report for the GMA News TV program "Brigada."

 

A playground in Plaza Monta in Tondo, Manila has a slide made of concrete. The slide is no longer as smooth as it once was, and this damage, while small, serves as a hazard for children's safety.

 

Another playground has seesaws that do not have seats and have broken handlebars. The chains and seats of one swing set, meanwhile, are breaking down due to rust. 

 

“Sometimes we get wounded,” shared one girl who frequents the playground. 

 

But these damaged playground fixtures are the least of these kids' problems: there are more health hazards than first meet the eye.

 

An inspection done by the Ecowaste Coalition showed that playground sets in several areas of Manila and Quezon City contain high levels of lead, surpassing United States safety standards. 

 

Using a handheld X-ray fluorescence spectrometer, the Ecowaste Coalition found that 19 out of the 15 playground equipment tested positive for high levels of lead. These playground sets have lead levels ranging from 151 to 100,000 parts per million (ppm) - way beyond the US regulatory limit of 90 ppm.

 

Since 2009, the Ecowaste Coalition has been conducting playground inspections for lead levels. The group also informs city governments about their findings. The City of Manila, for one, has begun rehabilitating its playgrounds in December 2009. The Quezon City government has also started repainting its playgrounds. 

 

According to child psychology experts, access to playgrounds is important to children's development. The playground is a place where children can exercise and practice not only their thinking and problem-solving skills, but also their social skills. By interacting with other children in the playground, they find a stronger sense of self as they become more confident in their social and physical abilities. 

 

But if public playgrounds remain unattended to by the government, with damaged equipment that may cause injury and lead levels in paint that may cause brain damage with continued exposure and even ingestion, these playgrounds may damage rather than contribute to a child’s growth and development. — Ayrie Ching/CM/TJD, GMA News