THE outpouring of concern and support from the international community has boosted up the fight of rural poor communities in Mindanao affected by aerial spraying of banana plantations.
At least 200 concerned citizens from 44 countries gave their all out support against aerial pesticide operations by petitioning the Philippine government to put a stop on the harmful aerial spraying of agro chemicals in banana plantations.
In an open letter addressed to the president, the concerned citizens asked President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to issue an Executive Order that will protect the rural communities from the toxic effects of aerial spraying.
“In the spirit of global citizenship, we state our solidarity with the women and men of the Mamamayan Ayaw sa Aerial Spraying (Citizens Against Aerial Spraying) and many other people’s organizations from the various banana-growing provinces in southern Philippines who are asserting their inherent right not to be harmed by aerial pesticide operations,” the petitioners said.
Among those who signed the petition were noted public interest scientists and advocates, including professor emeritus of chemistry and zero waste champion Dr. Paul Connett and citizen science advocate Dr. Joseph Parrish of USA, 2009 Goldman Environmental Prize winner Yuyun Ismawati of Indonesia, pesticide activist Sarojeni Rengam of Malaysia, endosulfan ban crusader Jayakumar Chelaton of India, anti-DDT health expert Dr. Paul Saoke of Kenya, environmental epidemiologist Rico Euripidou of South Africa, and environmental justice advocate Jeffer Castelo Branco of Brazil.
The group lauded the rural communities for banding together and asserting their rights to live in a healthy and safe environment.
“We laud them for coming together to halt a clear and present assault against their individual and collective rights not to be subjected to chemical exposure. We support them in their just quest to keep harmful chemicals away from their bodies, homes and farms,” the petitioners stated.
The concerned global citizens asked Pres. Arroyo to ban the agricultural practice of aerial spraying citing earlier recommendations of Health Secretary Francisco Duque III and DOH Executive Committee to stop the harmful pesticide operations.
“Now that the country’s number one public health agency has spoken, we respectfully urge you to issue without delay an Executive Order banning the agricultural practice of aerial spraying that will reflect and strengthen the position of the DOH Executive Committee,” the petition read.
“We further urge you to use the power of your office to direct the banana industry to honor their corporate social responsibility and cooperate towards achieving the recommendations set out by the DOH in the greater interest of public health,” the group said.
The petitioners commended Duque and the department’s Executive Committee for adopting the following recommendations as contained in a DOH-commissioned study that was undertaken by experts from the Philippine Society of Clinical and Occupational Toxicology and the University of the Philippines - National Poison Management and Control Center: 1) Establish a health surveillance system to detect effects of chronic pesticide exposures; 2) Perform systematic and periodic monitoring of pesticide residues and metabolites in the environment and do remediation where necessary; 3) Develop and strengthen guidelines for protecting communities from pesticide contamination from plantations; 4) Stop the aerial spraying of pesticides in the light of the precautionary principle espoused by the Rio Declaration to which the Philippines is a signatory; and 5) Shift to organic farming techniques to prevent harm to health and the environment that can result from acute and chronic pesticide exposures.
They said “such a policy based on prevention and precaution will surely contribute to the national implementation of the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) that aims to minimize and eliminate the harms caused by exposure to toxic substances.”
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