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Protesters chain themselves to Palace gates |
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Marvin Sy, The Philippine Star
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Friday, 04 December 2009 |
MANILA, Philippines - A group of protesters, led by running priest Fr. Robert Reyes, chained themselves to the gates of Malacañang yesterday, calling on President Arroyo to put an end to aerial spraying of pesticides in banana plantations in Mindanao.
Police officers had to cut through the chains and drag the protesters away from the gate along J.P. Laurel street all the way to Nagtahan.
It is not the first time that advocates seeking a ban on aerial spraying attempted to stage a rally in Malacañang.
The Catholic Church has also expressed support for the banana farmers, who said the use of aerial spraying poses a serious threat to their health.
The Department of Health has recommended a ban on the aerial spraying of pesticides on farmlands but Malacañang has yet to act on this.
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Mindanao farmers storm Makati banana plantation firms |
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Mindanao Daily Mirror
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Saturday, 28 November 2009 |
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Stop your poison rain.
This is the message of Mindanao farmers when they stormed the offices of banana plantation companies in Makati City to continue their campaign to ban aerial spraying which is widely used as an agricultural practice of these companies.
Members of the Mamamayan Ayaw sa Aerial Spraying (MAAS) brought a sack of banana blossoms (also known as puso ng saging) to the offices of Marsman-Drysdale Group and Dole Stanfilco Philip-pines to demand to the ow-ners and operators of these companies to end their 'immoral' practice now.
“Mabuti pa ang sa-ging may puso, pero kayo (banana companies) wala. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo ban aerial spray,” said one of their streamers.
“Ang mukhang pera ay walang pusong maka-tao. They are those who sacrifice people for profits,” said Max de Mesa of the Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocate and member of the National Task Force Against Aerial Spraying (NTFAAS).
The Marsman-Drysdale Group which holds office in Philamlife Tower along Paseo de Roxaas and Dole Stanfilco along Ayala Avenue are members of the Pilipino Banana Growers and Exporters Association (PBGEA), an aggrupation of 18 banana companies which is blocking the clamor to ban aerial spraying.
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Avila renews support for aerial spray ban |
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Jade C. Zaldivar, Sunstar Davao
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Friday, 27 November 2009 |
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DAVAO City Councilor Leonarda Avila on Tuesday renewed his support for aerial spray ban.
"We have declared aerial spraying as a nuisance because while pesticides are inherently poisonous, it is more dangerous when dispensed aerially resulting to drifts of these substances to unintended targets," Avila said.
In his privilege speech, Avila said House Bills 5573 and 154, which calls for an inquiry on the health safety of aerial spraying, are consistent with the constitutional mandate of the State to protect and advance the right of the people to a balanced and healthful ecology.
"For the City of Davao, the enactment of Ordinance No. 0309-2007 -- An ordinance banning aerial spraying as an agricultural practice in all agricultural entities in Davao City" on 23 January 2007 is a legitimate exercise of polic
power," said Avila, chair of the Sangguniang Panlungsod's committee on environment and natural resources.
"The study 'Health and Environmental Assessment of Sitio Camocaan, Hagonoym Davao del Sur', prepared by the Philippine Society of Clinical and Occupational Toxicology and the National Poison Management and Control Center UP-Manila, had findings showing alarm and a cause for concern for the public as well as policy makers," Avila said.
"We reiterate our unequivocal support to the proposed legislative measures banning aerial spraying," Avila said.
Meanwhile, banana plantation farmers stormed Wednesday Makati offices of banana plantation companies.
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Ex-DA secretary: Fungicide used in aerial spray ‘toxic’ |
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Patrick Jerome Guasa with Jose G. Dalumpines and Kristianne Fusilero, Mindanao Times
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Monday, 23 November 2009 |
DAVAO CITY - A FORMER secretary of the Department of Agriculture admitted that the substance used by spray planes on banana plantations are “toxic.”
But Roberto Sebastian, also former president of Marsman Drysdale Agribusiness Corporation, a company involved with the banana industry in Davao del Norte, made a distinction during the congressional inquiry last week between the fungicide being used in aerial spray to combat the black sigatoka—a plant disease that rapidly attacks banana leaves—from the pesticides being reported in the media or claimed by its critics.
“Fungicides are toxic,” he said.
“Aerial spray is a vague term. An aerial spray is used to control sigatoka. I’ve been exposed to aerial spraying since 1968. The chemical is toxic regardless of how you apply it,” he said.
Sebastian said everybody should first evaluate the concept just to be clear of the definitions of issues.
“Let’s find other means to fight Sigatoka fungus. If there’s an alternative, let’s work on it,” he said.
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