No to ‘Golden Rice’
DAVAO CITY — Organic food advocates in Mindanao are asking the Department of Agriculture (DA) to stop the production and commercialization of genetically modified ‘Golden Rice’ citing alleged dangers it poses to health and environment amid lack of proper bio-safety regulating mechanisms in the country. The beta carotene-containing Golden Rice, which is being eyed as a global dietary solution for people who suffer from Vitamin A deficiency, is undergoing field testing at the department’s regional field unit in Pili, Camarines Sur as well as in the provinces of Isabela, Ilocos Norte and Nueva Ecija. “Golden Rice is touted to address Vitamin A deficiency, but is this what we really need considering our main problem is landlessness?” Fr. Joy B. Pelino, Go Organic Mindanao coordinator of the Social Action Center Diocese of Marbel in South Cotabato, said in an interview. Go Organic Mindanao, which is composed of different organizations, conducted a forum on Golden Rice at the Ateneo de Davao University on Tuesday, April 22, in celebration of the International Earth Day and for the purpose of gathering commitments from various sectors to oppose the commercialization of Golden Rice. The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) has continued with the testing of the Golden Rice despite an improvement in the number of Vitamin A-deficient children aged six months to five years in the country, which according to the 2008 Food and Nutrition Research Institute’s 7th National Nutrition Survey went down from 40% in 2003 to 15.2% in 2008. Vitamin A deficiency is said to be the leading cause of preventable blindness and child mortality in developing countries like the Philippines. IRRI said Vitamin A deficiency affects more than 1.7 million children in the country. Sr. Nelda L. Balaba of the Social Action Center-Marbel, however, said there are other ways to resolve the issue on Vitamin A deficiency including the promotion of organically produced vegetables that naturally contain beta-carotene. She said the Department of Agriculture is planning to download Golden Rice to farmers and the farmers are not even aware of this, or the effects of producing this genetically modified rice. Diego D. dela Cruz, Jr. of nongovernmental group Masipag Mindanao claimed the farmers are being tricked into using the fast-growing Golden Rice for free this time but when they become used to the yield, control of this variety will already be in the hands of multinational companies which will sell the seeds at expensive prices. Dagohoy P. Magaway, a member of the Go Organic Davao City and president of the Mamamayang Ayaw sa Aerial Spray warned of the significant risk of the Golden Rice genetically modified gene contaminating the native organic rice varieties once it is commercialized. There are at least 50 varieties of native Philippine rice varieties being grown organically all over Mindanao and are marketed as heirloom rice. “Consumers should all stand up and reject genetically modified agricultural products and pesticide-intensive agriculture in favor of organic farming which is more sustainable,” Mr. Pelino said. The Go Organic Mindanao is asking the DA to support Republic Act 10068, also known as “The Philippine Organic Agriculture Act”, by developing and protecting organic agriculture and preventing the entry of genetically engineered crops in Philippine agriculture. Laxity of bio-safety laws was scored by lawyer Lee M. Aruelo, researcher of Third World Network, a nongovernmental organization engaged in environment and development issues. She said if it pushes through, Golden Rice will be the first genetically modified crop ever that will be commercialized for consumption. “This will have far-reaching effects since rice is a staple food,” she said. But more than its effect on health and the environment, she said the commercialization of Golden Rice and the resulting contamination of organic rice will result in an income loss of almost 100% for farmers. Ms. Aruelo said organic products including rice are fetching higher prices both in the domestic and international markets. But once the indigenous organic varieties are contaminated genetically by Golden Rice, the farmers will no longer be able to sell it as organic rice but only as conventional rice with a lesser price tag. Rice and other products require certification before it can be marketed as organic. Once contaminated, organic rice from the Philippines will no longer be certified as organic and thus, our farmers will have difficulty exporting their rice to the world market, she said. Ms. Aruelo said advocates can still put a stop on the proliferation of Golden Rice because there is still a long way to go before it can be approved for commercialization. While field tests are already being conducted, she said there are only five field tests all being conducted in Luzon, which has different climate compared with Visayas and Mindanao. melhor casa de apostas Thus, she added, it could not be ascertained if such rice will be as productive or will have the same Vitamin A content when grown in the other parts of the country. Section 8 of DA Administration Order No. 8 Series of 2002 does not, however, require a specific number of field test sites provided that it shall be evaluated by the Bureau of Plant Industry. ( Lovely Carillo, BUSINESSWORLD)
Groups urge DA to stop GM Rice production
AFTER a court banned the field trials for the genetically modified eggplants in the country, environmental advocates are now calling the Department of Agriculture (DA) to halt the production and commercialization of the genetically modified crop “Golden Rice”. The golden rice is a new type of rice that contains beta-carotene, a source of vitamin A. It is a variety of Oryza sativa rice that is being developed through genetic engineering to biosynthesize beta-carotene as a potential new food-based approach to improve vitamin A – which has been a serious health problem globally. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), some 250 million children suffer from vitamin deficiency. It also said that around 250,000 to 500,000 children go blind every year due to malnutrition with half of them dying within a year after being blind. Reports said the golden rice is now undergoing multi-location field trials in different sites in Luzon. It needs to pass several tests before it will be commercialized. However, a lot of people are not convinced on genetically modified crop. Go Organic Mindanao (GOM) coordinator of the Social Action Center Diocese (SACD) of Marbel, Fr. Joy B. Pelino, in a media briefing on Anti Go Mindanao Organic (GMO) Rice at Hue Cafe – Ateneo Business Center on Tuesday, said there is no proof that the golden rice is really good for the health. “There’s no sufficient data in terms of its safety. In fact, independent studies revealed that there are possible negative effects from the rice on human health. This will also contaminate the natural diversity of island’s native rice varieties,” Pelino said. Mamamayang Ayaw sa Aerial Spray president and Go Organic Davao City (GoDC) member Dagohoy Magaway also said that if the golden rice will be introduced into the markets, there is a significant risk of the genetically modified gene crossing over to the indigenous varieties, destroying the purity of the organic rice farms. Diego dela Cruz Jr. from the Masipag Mindanao said aside from the risk of the genetically modified crop, the farmers will also face problem on companies of the modified crop taking control of agriculture at the expense of poor farmers. Sr. Nelda L. Balaba, of the SAC-Marbel, added that they believe that there are other ways to resolve the issue on vitamin A deficiency. She added that there are a lot of organically farmed vegetables that naturally contain beta-carotene. “Marami pa namang pagkain that contains vitamin A. Hindi naman necessary ang golden rice just to solve the issue on vitamin A deficiency. So our position is to stop the field testing, production and commercialization of the rice,” Balaba said. The groups claimed that eating genetically modified organic product could cause new allergies in people. The fact that the crop has not been tested on human, Geonathan Barro, advocacy officer for Masipag Mindanao, added. At least 50 varieties of the native Philippine rice are grown throughout Mindanao, using indigenous organic farming techniques. These are often marketed as heirloom rice and command high prices in organic markets. In line with the celebration of the Earth Day, the environmental advocates also called on the Mindanawons to reject genetically modified crops like Golden Rice. They are also asking the DA to support organic farming, instead, as provided for by the National Organic Agriculture Act of 2010. “If we consumers will all stand up and reject pesticide-intensive and GMOs’ dependent agriculture in favor of organic farming, we could put our island, and our country-on the path to a sustainable future and ensure a healthier future for everyone,” Pelino said. The advocates also urged the DA to uphold the integrity of Republic Act 10068, or The Philippine Organic Agriculture Act, which seeks to develop and protect the organic agriculture nationwide by stopping the entry of genetically modified organisms into Philippine agriculture. Third World Network associate and GOM member Atty. Lee Aruelo said that similar actions have been initiated across the country. He added that this is to show to government that there is a significant opposition to the GMOs and Golden Rice. “In the interest of our farmers and food security, genetically modified organics should be banned from being introduced into our country’s farmlands,” Aruelo said. ( Ivy Tejano, SUNSTAR DAVAO)
Statement of Support for the Passage of the No Mining Policy in Davao City
The Interface Development Interventions (IDIS) supports the City Council’s formulation of a No Mining Policy in Davao City to protect and sustainably manage the city’s watersheds and to ensure the food security of its citizens by protecting its remaining agricultural areas. That Davao is a city of watersheds cannot be denied. Previous terrain analysis studies conducted by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau Region XI have identified eight major watersheds and several tributaries in the City’s jurisdiction. Such natural bounty has endowed the city with one of the world’s top sources of high quality drinking water and favored the development of agriculture, fisheries and eco-tourism industries. Recognizing its importance, City Mayor Duterte adopted the MGB study and later used the findings as basis to formulate, and eventually pass the Watershed Code in 2007 and its Implementing Rules and Regulations in 2008. Section 9 of the Code clearly states the prohibition of land conversion, mineral exploration, construction or maintenance of any kind of structure and conduct of any business enterprises in areas designated for conservation. Several national laws also uphold the importance of saving the integrity of our watersheds. Section 19 of the Republic Act 7942, also known as the Mining Act of 1995, mandates that old growth or virgin forests, proclaimed watershed forest reserves, wilderness areas, …as defined by law in areas expressly prohibited under the National Integrated Protected areas System (NIPAS), are closed to mining. Farm lands are also exempt from mining. In July 2012, President Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III issued Executive Order 79 which explicitly prohibits mining in “prime agricultural lands, in addition to lands covered by RA No. 6657, or the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law of 1988, as amended, including plantations and areas devoted to valuable crops, and strategic agriculture” and fisheries development zones ,refuges, and sanctuaries, declared as such by the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture.” That same EO also provides that the tourism development areas identified by the National Tourism Development Plan and, “other critical areas, island ecosystems, and impact areas of mining as determined by current and existing mapping technologies, that the DENR may hereafter identify pursuant to existing laws, rules, and regulations, such as, but not limited to, the NIPAS Act” are closed to mining. Davao’s City Development Plan also echoes similar development thrusts. To ensure the food security of Dabawenyos, its agricultural lands must be protected; to sustain its communities, its healthy watersheds must be maintained and preserved. Mining is a step backwards from all of these proactive strategies. It is a very resource extractive industry that lays waste to our forests, contaminating water sources with poisonous chemicals, and polluting coasts with silt and toxic tailings. The negative impact to our environment and our society are staggering and irreversible, and will stretch through generations. Davao City can push for a more sustainable development agenda without resorting to this destructive industry. The potential destruction brought about mining far outweighs its perceived economic contribution. We support the public declarations of former Mayor Sara Duterte and current Mayor Rodrigo Duterte opposing mining operations in the city . We therefore call on the City Council to fast track the passage of an ordinance declaring Davao City as a Mining Free Zone. (Submitted to the Sangguniang Panlungsod Committee on Environment Hearing on the proposed No Mining Ordinance in Davao City , September 20, 2013)
IDIS and ECOWASTE expose illegal sale of mercury-laced cosmetics in Davao City
Davao City/Quezon City. – Skin whitening cosmetics containing dangerous levels of mercury, a potent neurotoxin, are being sold in Davao City in brazen violation of the law. The Interface Development Interventions (IDIS) and the EcoWaste Coalition, which are based in Davao and Quezon Cities, respectively, made the discovery after obtaining 7 skin lightening products with mercury up to 6,633 parts per million (ppm), way above the 1 ppm limit under the ASEAN Cosmetics Directive. Ann Fuertes, IDIS Executive Director, deplored the sale of mercury-tainted cosmetics as “a direct affront to the right of consumers to non-hazardous products,” stressing that “stopping such illegal trade will help in reducing the amount of mercury that gets into our bodies and the environment.” “We therefore urge the local government and police authorities to get to the bottom of this wicked trade of poison cosmetics in the city and bring violators to justice,” she said. Fuertes added that the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) should actively disseminate its recall advisories to inform and guide cosmetics vendors and consumers, as well as help law enforcers in performing their duties. For her part, Aileen Lucero, EcoWaste Coalition National Coordinator, prodded the public to be extra careful when buying cosmetics promising fairer skin complexion and reject unauthorized and insufficiently labeled ones, including those that do not truthfully disclose their chemical ingredients. She pointed out that “brown is beautiful” and that the quickest way for consumers to avoid mercury exposure in cosmetics is for them “to be satisfied with their natural skin tone and not to use synthetic means to whiten the skin.” The groups procured the 7 skin whitening cosmetics, costing P75 to P150 per product, from several shops located at Chinatown and other places in test buys conducted on July 28-29 in Davao City. In addition, the groups also obtained a number of cheap skin whitening products sold for P20 each that have no market authorization from the FDA. Using a portable X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) spectrometer, a device that can measure the concentrations of heavy metals in consumer products and other media, the groups detected high levels of mercury in the following products: 1) Erna Whitening Cream with 6,633 ppm 2) Jiaoli Miraculous Cream with 5,508 ppm 3) S’Zitang (golden yellow box) with 4,828 ppm 4) Jiao Li 7-days Specific Eliminating Preckle AB Set with 4,071 ppm 5) S’ Zitang 7-days Specific Eliminating Freckle AB Set with 3,409 ppm, 6) White Magnolia Powerful Spot Remover Repair Essence with 3,406 ppm, 7) Jiao Li Speckle-Dispelling & Whitening Cream with 3,042 ppm The FDA has yet to ban Erna and White Magnolia, while Jiaoli and S’Zitang are among the 93 skin whitening products banned by the agency for containing mercury above the allowable limit. According to the FDA, “there have been cases of adverse health effects brought about by highly toxic mercury in cosmetic products, such as kidney damage, skin rashes, skin discoloration and scarring. Chronic use reduces the skin’s normal resistance against bacterial and fungal infections.” “The transfer of mercury to fetuses of pregnant women may manifest as neurodevelopment deficits later in life,” the FDA warned The manufacture, importation, selling or offering for sale of cosmetics without FDA approval or found to contain harmful or toxic substances is in direct violation of Republic Act No. 9711 , the Food and Drug Administration Act, and Republic Act No. 7394, the Consumer Act of the Philippines. (#)
Enlarging green spaces
IT TOOK a question from Sister Josephine Bacaltos of the Good Shepherd Sisters to voice out what many of the attendees have been wondering all morning: With all of the ordinances which sought to preserve the environment, how had flood-prone Davao City reached this point? “I grew up here in 1946,” revealed Sister Jo, one of Davao’s stalwarts in gender advocacy. “And yet I cannot recognize it now; Davao is green but now it has become brown.” A few among the motley group of development workers, civic action groups and non-government organizations in the audience chuckled. It was a question that perhaps defined the whole event, the Green Forum, which was organized to commemorate World Environment Month last June. Green vs Brown Spaces Earlier that morning, Executive Director Dam Vertido of the Mindanao Land Foundation, had treated the participants to a timeline presentation of Davao City’s urban spaces. “This is Davao through the years,” he said as he presented old photos of the municipal park in front of the SP, the Acacia intersection, and the campuses of Holy Cross and Ateneo. He pointed out that because of expanding population and urban transport, the city has been enlarging common spaces by cutting down trees and concretizing pavements resulting in the modern sprawl that is today’s Davao City. Such development characterizes the battle between green and brown spaces, he said. “Open spaces and easements have to be sacrificed in favor of the more pressing need to provide urban spaces for the city population,” Vertido said. A similar situation exists in the uplands. In her own presentation, Interface Development Interventions Policy Specialist Chinkie Pelino pointed out that the absence of properly delineated and demarcated areas set aside for conservation and protection had allowed monocrop plantations to gain a foothold in identified water recharge areas. “We need to manage our upland resources responsibly and sustainably because this will have an effect downstream. The health of our urban and coastal ecosystems is inextricably tied into the ecology of the uplands,” she said. Dr. Ruth Gamboa, from the University of the Philippines in Mindanao, agreed. “More than half of the damage in the coral reefs comes from land based activities,” she said. “Therefore a ridge to reef approach in managing our resources must be implemented to address these problems.” Green Solutions Coming from the recent intensive lobbying which resulted in the passage of a more environment-friendly City Zoning Ordinance, forum participants were understandably eager to plan the next steps in their collective vision for a Green Davao. The afternoon workshops yielded a lot of recommendations: the Upland Ecosystem Working Group recommended the streamlining of conflicting guidelines in the implementation of national laws and local ordinances protecting the environment, citing the implementation of buffer zones as an example; the Urban Ecosystem Working Group suggested the relocation of settlements located in danger zone areas and the establishment of greenbelts along river easements to help mitigate flooding, as well as the widespread adoption of rainwater harvesting among the populace; the Coastal Ecosystem Working Group, meanwhile, pushed for community based rehabilitation and management of mangroves and the strict enforcement of the Fisheries Code, putting emphasis on a vigilant Bantay Dagat to protect local fish stocks. A common thread was highlighted among these recommendations – the need for more widespread Information and Education Campaign, interwoven with sustained lobbying at the City, so that these changes can take root and the dream of a Green Davao will bear fruit. “Dabawenyos already know what they want now and in the future. Gusto nila yung meeting our resources without compromising the capability of the future generations to meet their own need. Maybe the next question is how to translate this awareness into something significant and with high impact activities,” Dr. Gamboa said. Next Steps For Vertido, as he sought to answer Sister Jo’s question, the fight does not end with the passage of the amended Zoning Ordinance. “Like many past ordinances, unless it is linked to the development plan of the city and complied with, it can only be fleeting. CLUP compliances have to be supported by civil society,” he said. Ellada “We need to follow it through, and this is where (CSOs) can do better. Don’t stop at the passage of the ordinance, the best evidence is the availability of the budget and the use of the revenue,” Vertido added. Councilor Leonardo R. Avila III, who was also at the forum, agreed. “CSOs play a great role because we can’t leave this to officials. People-legislators will always respond to the call for a specific brand of legislation so if CSOs come together to clamor for a sustainable Davao City, then it can happen,” he said. (SUNSTAR DAVAO)
Land use plan gets final council nod
AS EXPECTED, the Davao City Comprehensive Land Use Plan (Clup) got the final approval by the City Council Monday afternoon. The council passed the measure on third and final reading, with the title “An ordinance approving and adopting the zoning ordinance of Davao City for 2013-2022, incorporating as integral part thereof, Volume 1, which is the Clup, and volume 3, which is the sectoral studies.” It garnered 23 votes from all the council members who were present Monday. Councilor Melchor Quitain was the presiding officer. Incoming Mayor Rodrigo Duterte was on vacation leave, while Councilors Karlo Bello and Paolo Duterte were on official business. Councilor Bernard Al-ag failed to vote because he arrived late. Meanwhile, around 100 environment advocates broke into cheers as the ordinance was finally approved. The amendments included the declaration of conservation zones and the establishment of buffer zones between conflicting zones like commercial and residential zones or industrial and agricultural zones. A minimum of 10 meters of buffer zone planted with trees is mandated in this amended Clup. “In behalf of the civil society who actively and substantially provided inputs in the drafting of the revisions to the Clup, we would like to thank the councilors for approving the ordinance after so many deliberations,” said Idis Executive Director Ann Fuertes. Despite some last minute fears of an intense lobby by subdivision developers against the proposed zoning of Shrine Hills into an Urban Ecological Enhancement Sub-zone, the ordinance was quickly approved by all the councilors present. It was their first agenda on this last day of their council session. Fuertes, however, said that while this is a victory for the advocates of the Green Davao vision, there are still lots of work to be done. Also included in the amended Clup is the addition of the Water Resource Areas, as well as the declaration of Marine Protected Areas in the city. The zoning ordinance also provides the no-reclassification policy within five years for all areas identified under general zone (agriculture, conservation, water resource, and non-tillage) and three years for sub-urban zone (residential, industrial and commercial). However, should property developers want to reclassify a zone that has been approved under the Clup, they would need at least 75 percent or 21 votes of the City Council. The city’s Water Resource Zone has also been mapped out. The special use permit already issued to two memorial parks that are to be built in identified Water Resource Zone in the city may also be revoked “subject to the requirement of due process of law and when public interest so requires.” “The next challenge is to sustain the engagement of the civil society in the implementation and monitoring of the ordinance. We won’t expect it to be easy but then as long as we are all united in seeing through our vision of a Green Davao City, the challenges will be surmountable,” Fuentes said. (Ara Casas, Sunstar Davao)