Protests vs aerial spray still alive, growing louder
DAVAO CITY—Groups campaigning against aerial spraying are calling on President Benigno Aquino to issue an executive order banning crop dusters nationwide and urging the Supreme Court to uphold the legality of the ban in the city. “We’re calling on the Supreme Court to decide fast on the issue in our favor and put an end to our suffering,” said Dagohoy Magaway, the head of the group Mamamayan Ayaw sa Aerial Spray. He said the ordinance has not been enforced in the city five years after it was passed because the Supreme Court has yet to rule on its constitutionality. “For the Supreme Court to turn a blind eye and deaf ears on the plight of the suffering communities by failing to issue a prompt ruling is an injustice of massive proportions,” he said in a press briefing here to mark the fifth year of the ordinance’s passing. “But we also ask President Aquino to listen to the pleas of the affected communities by issuing an executive order banning aerial spray,” Magaway said. “There’s so much talk without action. If the Supreme Court can’t be swayed by our plight, an executive order from the President will provide relief for affected communities,” he said. Mindanao business groups, such as the Mindanao Business Council and the Philippine Banana Growers and Exporters Association (PBGEA), are lobbying against the ban, saying it would kill the local banana industry, Mindanao’s top export product. A Department of Health study showed the adverse effects of aerial spray on the health of people in communities living near banana plantations. Magaway said banana plantations temporarily stopped aerial spraying three years after the passing of the ordinance but resumed again in the barangays of Subasta, Dacudao and Wangan, pending the Supreme Court ruling. In 2007, PBGEA challenged in the Court of Appeals the decision of a local judge who upheld the legality of the ban. The Court of Appeals based in Cagayan de Oro City issued a temporary restraining order against the ordinance, and later declared the ordinance unconstitutional, prompting pro-ban groups to elevate the case to the Supreme Court. The environment group Interface for Development Interventions (IDIS) also complained that people directly affected by the aerial spray were excluded in a dialogue organized by the Philippine Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD) with different government agencies. Chinkee Pelino, of IDIS, said the interagency workshop that PCSD organized last year invited representatives from the PBGEA and Croplife, groups strongly lobbying against the ban, while excluding leaders of communities near the plantations. President Aquino earlier asked the PCSD to consolidate the different positions on aerial spray, after Malacañang was swarmed by petitions from groups calling for an outright ban on the practice because of the hazards it posed to people’s health. The groups said the President should fulfill his campaign promise to give priority attention to the aerial spray issue. Germelina Lacorte, Philippine Daily Inquirer
MAAS calls on Supreme Court to uphold legality of Davao City Ban AS Ordinance
Davao City – Anti-aerial spray activists called on the Supreme Court to finally uphold the constitutionality of the Davao City Ban Aerial Spray ordinance. “Five years after it was passed, it has yet to be enforced.”, according to Dagohoy Magaway, President of the Mamamayan Ayaw sa Aerial Spray (MAAS). “This is because the Supreme Court has yet to rule on the legality of the ordinance.” Speaking at a press conference marking the anniversary of the landmark ordinance, Magaway aired his disappointment with the lack of progress. “ For the Supreme Court to turn a blind eye and deaf ears on the plight of the suffering communities by failing to issue a prompt ruling is an injustice of massive proportions.”, he said. Magaway pointed out that after the ordinance was passed in 2007, banana plantations stopped the practice but lately, plantations have begun aerial spraying again. “Reports coming from the communities have revealed that in the barangays of Dacudao and Subasta, spray planes have again resumed their flights, spraying their deadly mix of poison chemicals.”, said Magaway. Opponents of the aerial spraying practice have repeatedly pointed out the dangerous effects of the spray drift to the health of the families living along or inside banana plantations. “The Department of Health had already conducted a study showing the potential risks to the environment and health of anyone that is exposed to the spray drift. ”, said IDIS Executive Director Lia Jasmin Esquillo. “These findings should have been enough to spur the Supreme Court to acting decisively on the issue in favour of the affected communities.”, she said. Other than the Supreme Court, MAAS had also been lobbying for concrete actions from the Aquino administration. Last year, President Aquino had tasked the Philippine Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD) to consolidate the different positions of various stakeholders. However, the workshop, which was convened by the PCSD, failed to include representatives coming from MAAS and the affected communities. “They invited representatives from the PBGEA and CROPLIFE but they never invited us. How can we expect a government position which is fair to our cause if we were not even consulted during policy meetings?”, said Magaway. MAAS and its supporters are now demanding urgent action from President Nonoy Aquino. “We call on President Aquino to listen to the pleas of the affected communities by issuing an Executive Order banning aerial spray. There is too much talk without action.”, said Magaway. “ If the Supreme Court refuses to be swayed by the plight of the affected communities, an Executive Order coming from the highest elected official of the land banning aerial spray outright will provide relief to the affected communities. (#)
2 banana plantations violate buffer zone policy
DAVAO CITY – An environment group said two banana plantations in Davao City have not complied with the 50-meter buffer zone requirement. An environmental research commissioned by the Interface Development Interventions (Idis) in several banana plantations in Davao City’s third district showed that two plantations violate the 50-meter buffer zone policy. Lawyer Glocelito C. Jayma, who was commissioned by Idis to conduct the legal research, said that in his five months of research, he found out malpractices of several banana plantations in Sirib and Tawan-tawan in Calinan area. In a forum with different people’s organizations and several barangay officials surrounded by banana plantations about the findings of the research, Jayma said buffer zone refers to the distance between the area planted with bananas from an either private or public structure. “Sa akong research na gibuhat, ug sa ma pag-interview nako sa mga residente didto, nakita nako na nay juy mga wala nag-follow kung unsa naa sa balaod (In my research and interview of residents there, I learned that there are some who failed to follow the law),” Jayma said. The results of the research did not, however, name the two erring banana plantations. Jayma was referring to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) circular 2009-14, which provides a 50-meter buffer zone surrounding every banana planted area. “In order to protect the environment, as well as the health of the people and pursuant to the recent aerial spraying guidelines issued by the fertilizer and pesticides authority, a buffer zone of 50 meters (50) shall be strictly required from residential areas/rivers or body of water to the Banana plantations,” the circular read. With the findings, affected residents and the DENR may file a case or class suit against erring banana growers who have failed to observe the buffer zone clearly mandated by law. “Mag-agad lang gihapon mi sa mga people’s organizations ug mga apektado na mga residente na mag-file ug kaso kung kailangan (It’s all up to those people’s organizations to file appropriate cases if needed),” said Chinkie Peliño, Idis policy advocacy specialist. Since 1988, Idis has been committed to protecting the inland watershed in the city. The study conducted by Jayma was the first legal research the group has commissioned to investigate the practices of industries including banana growers that aggravate watersheds. (By Jereco O. Paloma, SUNSTAR DAVAO)
Stop poison rain, foreign experts ask Arroyo
Two hundred signatories from 44 countries, among them, noted scientists and health experts, have asked President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to end poison rain or the aerial pesticide spraying of banana plantations in Mindanao.
Loudmouths vs mouthpieces
Cotabato (formerly North Cotabato) passed a Provincial Environment Code in 2004. Sec. 78 of the code prohibits aerial spraying on croplands and plantations. This has not interfered with the success of its declared policy redirecting its agriculture from traditional toward ?market-oriented,? with bananas as one of the four major principal products given major support. Thousands of hectares devoted to bananas are flourishing?sans aerial spraying.
People run for cover when crop dusters fly
Dili kami peste (We are not pests.) This is the cry of communities near banana plantations in Mindanao who have to suffer the adverse effects of regular toxic aerial spraying meant to kill pests in bananas. School children on their way to school, farmers cultivating their small farms, people drinking coffee al fresco and families doing their daily chores are among those who suffer indirect hits and have to run for cover when airplanes unleash pesticides on vast banana plantations. While they are not the intended targets, there is no way they can avoid getting hit by the airplanes? toxic load. Respiratory and skin ailments are among the first signs of a toxic hit.