Group urges ‘think green’ for Easter
Environmental groups are calling on Catholics to reflect on the sorry state of watersheds in the southern city of Davao while observing Holy Week. “The redemptive nature of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross is not only for healing our broken relationships with God and our fellow men but also for restoring our damaged relationship with the rest of God’s creation,” said Lia Jasmin Esquillo, executive director of Interface Development Interventions, an environmental advocacy group. Esquillo urged Catholics to pray and hope that Davao’s mayor reconstitutes the Watershed Management Council and enforce a code to protect the city’s water sources. The Watershed Code identifies areas under threat in the city’s upland watersheds that must be protected, conserved and managed. The absence of definite boundaries has sowed confusion among farmers and plantation owners that have conflicting views as to where the areas under threat are. Redemptorist Brother Karl Gaspar also joined calls to include “eco-centered reflection” of Christ’s passion and death this Holy Week. “How do we translate having a full life in Davao today, considering we are surrounded by a lot of threats that have implications on public health?” he asked. Local environmentalists have voiced alarm at the diminishing quality of upland watersheds that are slowly being replaced by “monocrop” plantations. The poor quality of the watersheds has been blamed as one of the causes of the flooding that hit Davao during torrential rains earlier this month. (Mick Basa, UCANews)
State-of-the–art chem lab a boon for local environmental watchdogs
DAVAO CITY – Concerned groups at the forefront of the campaign to preserve Davao’s environment welcomed the opening of the Chemistry Analytical and Research Laboratory (CARL) of the Ateneo de Davao University last March 10, 2011. Executive Director Lia Esquillo of the Interface Development Interventions, Inc (IDIS) said that the newly opened scientific facility is a boon to independent researchers, policymakers and environment watchdogs as it will be helpful in providing with accurate data that they need. “This is a development which we welcome in behalf of environmentalists everywhere. As Davao strengthens its position as an environmentally conscious city, it becomes imperative that it should also have the facilities which can help develop analytic methods to support the City’s environmental regulatory activities”, she said. “In 2007, we were part of a multi-sectoral study that monitored pesticide presence in Davao’s rivers. But the existing laboratories then had limited capacity on what pesticides to detect, not to mention the high cost of testing. With CARL, practically all kinds of pesticides and other chemicals could be detected and we could onlyh hope AdDu would provide affordable rates since the public needs these kind of data.”, she added. Esquillo was present to witness the opening of the state-of-the-art laboratory at the Ateneo de Davao University. Of particular interest for Esquillo and the other environmental advocates present at the activity was the latest gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) model, the GCMS-QP2010 ULTRA, which the only one of its kind in the Philippines. The GCMS represents the latest technology on pesticide analysis and can be used for a variety of applications like environmental profiling and geosciences applications. The opening of CARL comes at an opportune moment even as the regional Department of Environment and Natural Resources is now studying plans to monitor the level of pesticides in the air. During a dialogue with environmental civil society groups late last January 2011, Sampulna had welcomed the idea of conducting regular monitoring on water, air and sediments in coordination with concerned agencies. At the end of the dialogue, he committed to buy equipment to help DENR monitor pesticides in the Davao region. “Perhaps a collaborative effort can be made between the DENR and the CARL- Ateneo which could point the way for better monitoring of the extent of pesticide contamination in the region”, Esquillo said. (Published April 2, 2011, Daily Mirror)
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)
Mayor’s order to ban chemicals hailed
DAVAO CITY- An environment group welcomed Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte’s directive to stop the use of chemicals in combating the rat infestation that has plagued farms in the hinterlands. Lia Esquillo, executive director of the Interface Development Interventions Inc. (IDIS), said the directive was in tune with the city’s direction toward ensuring a healthy environment for Dabawenyos. “This comes as no surprise for us, considering that the previous policies that have been crafted in Davao City have always been pro environment,” she said. As a member of the EcoWaste Coalition, advocating sustainable solutions to chemical issues, climate change and waste, IDIS is also campaigning for the widespread adoption of the precautionary principle in dealing with environmental cases such as the rat infestation. The precautionary principle approach puts the protection of health and the environment over and above the purposed benefits the use of chemicals may result to. “The widespread use of a rodenticide to wipe out the rats may have unforeseen effects on the environment. This is why it is best to look at environment-friendly pest management methods to control the rat infestation in croplands,” she added. Esquillo also emphasized the need to protect the biodiversity of the farmlands. “Studies have shown the pest control is an important ecosystem service that is dependent on biodiversity. To improve pest control, we need to ensure that the environment is healthy enough to support diverse populations of natural enemies of pests,” she said. Last week, City Agriculturist’s Office head Leo Avila revealed that the rampant killing of snakes and owls have left the rodents with no natural predators to curb their population.
IDIS joins calls for DA to rehabilitate Mindanao’s watersheds
DAVAO CITY – A local environmental advocacy group welcomed the Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM) recommendation that the Department of Agriculture and local government units should prioritize watershed rehabilitation in Mindanao to lessen the impact on farming systems in the island. The Interface Development Interventions, Inc, (IDIS) which advocates for the preservation of the Davao City watershed welcomed BWSM Chief Dr. Silvino Tejada’s remarks but pointed out that rehabilitation should be expanded to include other watershed areas in the island that are in need of protection and preservation. “Here in Davao, our very own Panigan-Tamugan watershed needs protection as it is being threatened by the expansion of corporate plantations at the expense of the small farmers”, said IDIS Executive Director Lia Jasmin Esquillo. Panigan-Tamugan watershed is the location of the City’s future drinking water source. Esquillo revealed that in the case of Mt. Tipolog, Davao’s forgotten volcano which lies on the Panigan-Tamugan range, small farmers have been forced to farm the mountain slopes because the lowlands have already been overrun by agri-plantations devoted to pineapple and bananas. “As in the case of BWSM’s survey on the watershed resources in Northern Mindanao, watersheds here in the Davao region are already overexploited and therefore, small farmers will be at risk from the problems brought about by sudden and frequent climatic change.”, she said. The BWSM survey, which evaluated the soil and land resources of watershed areas in Lanao del Norte, Surigao del Norte and Agusan del Norte, had showed that overexploitation of the natural resources in these areas have resulted to lower productivity among small farms present in the region. Esquillo said that adopting organic farming and prohibiting the further expansion of plantation areas are initiatives that DA should be adopting to restore farm productivity. “Since Davao City already has the Organic Agriculture Ordinance, DA should be mainstreaming organic farming among the barangays in the upland regions as a initial step towards restoring the productivity of the land and in combating threats to food security from climate change”, she said.
Organic farming advocates challenge UPMin to show proof that latest talong plantings are not Bt-modified crops
DAVAO CITY – An island network representing organic farmers and their support groups is challenging the University of the Philippines Mindanao’s (UPMin) assurance that the latest round of eggplant trial testing at its campus site in Bago Oshiro does not involve the genetically modified Bt talong. Go Organic Mindanao (GOM) in its press statement said that UPMin and Dr. Eufemio Rasco should show proof that the eggplant seedlings which have already been planted in the former field trial site of the Bt talong are not a new batch of genetically modified eggplants from the Institute of Plant Breeding (IPB) in UP Los Banos. “It is not enough that we should take their word for it; because after all, these are the very same people who sought to circumvent local administrative processes in order to carry out the Bt talong field testing experiment. UP Mindanao should show proof that these are not genetically modified Bt eggplants. ”, the statement said. Last January 28, 2011, UPMin Chancellor Dr. Gilda C. Rivero had written Mayor Sarah Duterte informing her of the latest eggplant experiment which is being conducted by Dr. Eufemio Rasco. In the letter, she wrote that the latest experiment is a study on pest management of eggplant and assured the Mayor that the latest plantings do not involve the use of Bt eggplant. “The general objective (of the experiment) is to determine the relative effectiveness of non-BT control measures”, she wrote. “The results will also serve as benchmark information for evaluation the severity of the pest problem in Davao City”. Her letter also asked for the Mayor’s endorsement of the project to the City Agriculturist Office as well to the NGOs who are against the Bt talong field testing. But GOM members are not convinced. “How are we to know that what they are telling us is the truth? Last week , they told us that the Bt talong field testing is funded by the University but when copies of the contract came out, we found out that the contract was signed by private entities and not the University itself. Now they are telling us that this new batch is not Bt talong. Are we supposed to believe that at face value?”, asked Lia Esquillo, Executive Director of the Interface Development Interventions (IDIS) Local critics of the latest field experiments point out there were already numerous studies which have been conducted , no less by the Institute of Plant Breeding-UPLB itself. IDIS Research Head Ann Bolo revealed that the research of Dr. Merdelyn C. Lit of IPB has provided important data on the resistance of hundreds of eggplant genotypes and their wild relatives against leafhopper and shoot/fruit borer. “Dr. Lit’s research had also resulted in the development of efficient field and greenhouse techniques for Host Plant resistance screening of the varieties, so what does Dr. Rasco seek to prove with his research?”, she asked. “If by gauging the effectiveness of non-Bt control measures, they mean to reduce the pest population in the field without use of insecticides, then the Lit research studies are already a validation that one does not need Bt crops in order to achieve high production yield.”, she said. Bolo also added that she would be interested in finding out the project’s research design. “UPMin should also release a copy of the research design so that those who doubt the objectives of the experiment will have the chance to see for themselves”, she said. Meanwhile, GOM members called on the research proponents to include local farmers in the study. “If the goal of the study is to study organic and conventional methods in pest management, they should not ignore the indigenous farming knowledge that local farmers have in combating eggplant pests”, said Dennie Udtuhan, a community organizer for FARMCOOP. “ Farmers know what’s best for them since they have been doing it for all their lives”, she pointed out.