MANILA, Philippines—Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales and bishops in Metro Manila have asked President Macapagal-Arroyo to issue an executive order to permanently ban the aerial spraying of pesticides in banana plantations in Mindanao since the practice has indiscriminately caused harm to residents, crops and livestock around plantations.

The Catholic Church leaders wrote Ms Arroyo a letter dated Oct. 29 appealing to her sense of “motherly care for the future generations.”

“We are one with all affected people of Mindanao in working for deliverance from this immoral practice of aerial spraying that infringes upon human health and dignity,” they said.

The letter was hand-delivered by Manila Auxiliary Bishop Bernardino Cortez to Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita on Nov. 9, during a top-level dialogue between Church leaders, government officials and civil society advocates.

Also at the dialogue were 12 farmers representing the Mamamayan Ayaw sa Aerial Spraying (MAAS), a group of farmers who live around banana plantations where pesticides are released from airplanes.

DAVAO CITY, Philippines—The Department of Health (DOH) urged the Department of Agriculture to stop the aerial spraying of chemicals practiced by banana plantations in Mindanao “until proof of its safety is clearly established by the industry.”

The recommendation that was contained in a resolution signed by Health Secretary Francisco Duque III was based on the “precautionary principle espoused by the Rio Declaration, of which the Philippines is a signatory.” The resolution was also signed by seven members of the DOH executive committee.

“Aerial spraying has been banned in certain countries because of concerns on drift and its potential health effects. As a rule, countries have implemented the precautionary principle approach to minimize hazards and risks to health and the environment,” said the DOH resolution.

The resolution, released to the media last week, came after the executive committee of the DOH met on Oct. 24, when they also approved and adopted the results of the study conducted in 2006 by the DOH, the Philippine Society of Clinical and Occupational Toxicology Inc. and the National Poison Control and Management Center of the University of the Philippines.

DAVAO CITY  – Members of the Mamamayan Ayaw sa Aerial Spraying (MAAS)  are calling on Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap to fulfill his promise to issue an administrative order banning aerial spraying now that the Department of Health (DOH) has asked his department to stop aerial spraying of pesticides in agricultural plantations “until proof of its safety is clearly established by the industry.” “Now that the DOH has spoken, we call on Secretary Yap to immediately issue an administrative order banning this practice. We will continue our cause until these airplanes spraying poison cease to fly,” said Leizl Bacalso, one of the MAAS members from Calinan, Davao City who was among those who heard Yap make that promise.

During that meeting, Yap assured: “As I am not a doctor, I will obey the doctor of the  government (DOH). If he says aerial spraying is bad for the health of the people, I will immediately order its prohibition.”

“After more than 30 years of practice in the country with little or no government intervention on the practice, the health department's stand is now unequivocal. Aerial spraying is a public health hazard. With this, it now becomes all the more legally and morally mandatory for Sec. Yap for him to perform his fundamental duty, notwithstanding that he has verbally assured the same in a meeting with MAAS,” said Rene Pineda, head of the National Task Force Against Aerial Spraying ( NTFAAS).

The three-page DOH approval and adoption of the findings of the DOH-commissioned Camocaan study in Hagonoy, Davao del Sur, issued on November 3, said that “in the light of the precautionary principle espoused by the Rio Declaration of which the Philippines is a signatory, we urge the Department of Agriculture that aerial spraying must be stopped until proof of its safety is clearly established by the industry.”