Satur scores DENR on aerial spraying PDF Print E-mail
SunStar Davao   
Monday, 08 February 2010
MATI, Davao Oriental -  Makabayan senatorial bet and Nacionalista Party guest candidate Satur Ocampo said Saturday that a specific law on aerial spraying must be implemented.

He said that government regulations that require pilots to observe buffer zones "50 meters away from plantations is far from enough".

"This is just a regulation that plantation owners routinely ignore. We need something with more teeth, and punitive sanctions must be laid down on those who violate a law on aerial spraying," he said.

Ocampo also scored the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for continuing to ignore the call of residents to ban aerial spraying of pesticides on banana plantations in Davao and other areas in Mindanao. "Despite the popular demand of residents and local governement officials, agribusiness firms in the Davao region continue to defy local ordinances banning aerial spraying. What has the DENR done about this issue? It has been more than two years and the hazardous practice coninues," Ocampo said.

"DENR Sec. Eleazer Quinto should immediately do one good thing and ban aerial spraying by executive fiat. He should heed the call of local governments, residents and their children and disregard the opposition of Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap on the issue. The DENR has the  responsibility to enforce laws to regulate the use of poisonous substances endanger our environs and the people's health. Aerial spraying has wrought havoc on the health and safety of residents in Davao and surrounding areas', he said.

Ocampo said that "Quinto must take into account that the safety and health of the people should never take precedence over profit and business interests. These plantation owners have no right to put the lives of so many poeople in jeopardy".

"It's a serious health hazard. We understand the concern of the plantation owners over their crops; but isn't the lives of people more important? Their health has been long suffering  because of the effects of aerial sprayingl, and the risk of cancer looms large. There are other ways to safely control pests and fungi that the plantation owners must utilize. Otherwise, these plantation owenrs should live within the areas affected by their own sprays, let them see and experience the effects for themselves,"Ocampo said.