Phillipines: Banana growers hail WHO stance on aerial spraying

THE Philipino Banana Growers and Exporters Association (PBGEA) welcomed the recent move of the World Health Organization (WHO) which stopped the Philippine government from taking any action against aerial spraying pending the international bodys review.

"Of course we welcome such move, and we hope that with the review of the World Health Organization, everyone will be enlightened and issues be put to rest," PBGEA president Stephen Antig said.

Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro reported earlier this week that WHO has stepped into the controversial aerial spraying of agrichemicals, amid allegations of rigging in a study purportedly showing that pesticide contamination has breached the boundaries of agricultural plantations.

The report added that last week, WHO officials asked the Philippine government to shelve any action on the ban being pushed by environment advocates until it can finish reviewing the disputed Camocaan study, which claims that residue from pesticide spraying was detected in villagers blood, in the air, and soil samples.

The issue of aerial spraying took center-stage anew as civic and environmental groups are now lobbying for the ban of the agricultural method on a national scale.

At the moment, two bills seeking the nationwide ban on aerial spraying of pesticides, authored by Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez and Senator Miguel Zubiri who hails from Mindanao, are anchored on similar studies -- all connecting the aerial application of agrichemicals to various illnesses allegedly suffered by residents near agricultural areas.

"Once and for all, the study on Camocaan will be resolved and finally put to rest," Antig said. "The residents of Camocaan have suffered so much already."

In a letter to the Department of Health, WHO requested for more time to review pertinent documents submitted to them pertaining to the controversial study conducted in sitio Camocaan in Hagonoy town, Davao del Sur. The study, released last May, recommended a stop to aerial spraying as an agricultural practice.

The result of the WHO review on the study could have significant impact on the spray ban bill, scheduled for public hearing in Davao City this October.

Already, the PBGEA expects that the Camocaan study would not pass WHO standards, alleging it was rigged.

The banana umbrella group has accused those involved in the study of "strong bias against pesticide" and of using environmental samples of questionable integrity and fabricated illnesses among residents.