No to aerial spraying in Philippines

Date:03-10-2009

Committed to his advocacy to protect and defend the environment, Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri drafted a bill that will ban aerial spraying in the country.

The proposed ban on aerial spraying came following the Court of Appeal's (CA) decision overturning the Davao City ban on aerial dust cropping by big banana companies due to absence of a national law banning or regulating it.

"I propose to ban aerial spraying in the country as a response to the Davao City ban that was overturned by the Court of Appeals (CA) because of lack of a national law banning it," Zubiri said.

Zubiri said, the fact-finding report issued by the Davao City Planning and Development Office indicating that powerful banana growers in Davao employ aerial spraying on 1,800 hectares or about one-third the total land planted to banana in Davao only proved that the country needs a law on aerial spraying.

Aerial spraying is utilized by corporate farms around the country to eradicate "Sigatoka," a fungus that attacks the leaves of banana plants that cause premature aging of fruits. Banana fruits grown in Davao are of export value generating over $400 million in export revenue annually.

Communities around these plantations complain of skin-itching, eye irritation and nausea when caught outdoors during an aerial dust cropping.

Residents also complained against powerful banana companies who failed to issue warning or notification that aerial spraying would be conducted.

"Aerial spraying it's been banned in almost all first world countries except in developing nations or 'banana republics,'" he added.

Zubiri expressed concern that health studies showed an abnormally high rate of incidence of cancer, anemia and skin diseases among residents surrounding banana plantations.
The proposed measure directs all agricultural entities in the country to observe a 30-meter buffer zone within the boundaries of agricultural farms or plantations identified by the Global Positioning System (GPS) survey. GPS is a survey plan that indicates the metes and bounds of all agricultural farms submitted to the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (FPA).

It likewise proposed that offenders be fined Php5, 000 or imprisoned of not less than one (1) month but not more than three (3) months for first offense, or six (6) months to one year, including perpetual cancellation of city issued permits and license for second and third offense.

Meanwhile, local governments are encouraged to also observe proper zoning and segregation of areas strictly for residential and plantation use. This is crucial in areas where small farmers entered into agreements as contract growers of corporate banana plantations. They live in their farms and are unduly exposed when crop dusters spray over their homes right in the farms. They have been forced to agree to aerial spraying unwittingly.

In the hearing conducted by the Senate committee on environment and natural resources, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Lito Atienza assured that he will fully support the move to ban the use of highly toxic pesticides that are slowly poisoning the people in the countryside.