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Aerial spraying ban sought


MANILA, Philippines - A measure to ban aerial spraying of hazardous substances in the country has been filed in the Senate. Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel F. Zubiri filed Senate Bill No. 3134 or an "Act providing for the Ban of Aerial Spraying of Hazardous Substances," which prohibits the use of hazardous chemicals in all agricultural activities in the Philippines. "The harmful effects of aerial spraying of pesticides have surfaced over the years, including specific illnesses that occur in clusters among residents living in and around agricultural areas where this method of pest control is practiced," the Bukidnon lawmaker said in a statement. Citing a local study conducted by the Kalusugan Alang sa Bayan, Inc. in three Davao communities in 2006, Mr. Zubiri said that three workers died of cancer due to years of exposure to pesticides. The same study, Mr. Zubiri said, noted that the spraying caused cancer, hypertension, goiter, cerebral palsy, myoma and asthma — plus tuberculosis and measles, which are infectious diseases — among residents. "Although pilots are required to observe buffer zones of 20 or 30 meters from plantations in order to avoid affecting human, animal and plant life with the harmful spray, it seems that such a rule is still insufficient to protect the residents and farmers whose lives and livelihoods have been affected by this practice. The contamination of soil and groundwater persists long after the spraying, thereby causing further ill-effects," said Mr. Zubiri. In January, the Court of Appeals in Cagayan de Oro declared as invalid and unconstitutional a city ordinance in Davao banning the use of fungicide in farms, saying the total ban on aerial spraying was not in accordance with the equal protection clause because the local law did not specify what substances were prohibited. The appellate court reversed an earlier decision of a local court that upheld the city ordinance. Mr. Zubiri’s proposed law specifies that while the Fertilizer and Pesticides Authority is in charge of the regulation of sale and use of pesticides, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Environmental Management Bureau will be the primary government agency responsible for the implementation and enforcement of the act. — Bernard U. Allauigan, BusinessWorld
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