Intensified info campaign on pesticides urged

Sen. Ramon Magsaysay Jr. urged the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (FPA) to strictly enforce the rules and regulations on pesticide manufacturing and distribution in the country and to intensify its information campaign on judicious use, proper handling, storage and disposal of the highly toxic substances.

Magsaysay, chairman of the Senate committee on agriculture and food, aired his call following the pronouncement by the Department of Health (DOH) of its findings that pesticide poisoning was the most probable cause of the deaths of 27 schoolchildren and confinement in hospital of more than 100 others in Bohol last week after eating sugarcoated cassava fries.

The DOH report stated that "it is very much possible that the food was prepared in an environment that was highly toxic and contaminated with chemical poisons and bacteria." According to the report, "significant findings of carbamate, an agricultural pesticide used to kill insects" were traced among 49 victims tested by authorities, but no traces of cyanide that is naturally produced by cassava, a popular root crop in the Philippines.

"Farmers as well as household members, both in rural and urban areas, should be properly informed on how to handle, store and dispose highly toxic chemicals such as pesticides to prevent the occurrence of tragic incidence similar to what happened in Bohol," Magsaysay said.

The senator, likewise, called on the Department of Agriculture (DA), Interior and Local Government (DILG), and Health (DOH), and pesticide companies to help FPA in the information campaign on the proper pesticide handling and usage and in monitoring what pesticides are being used by farmers to ensure that they are not using banned chemical pesticides.

"There were reports that at least 30 chemical pesticides which were already banned in their countries of origin are still being used in agricultural plantations, particularly in Davao. One of these banned chemicals is Paraquat, a highly toxic synthetic substance used as herbicide on crops such as bananas, pineapples and sugarcane." Magsaysay said.

"The FPA must look into the veracity of this report and released to the public the list of banned pesticides. The agency should immediately confiscate banned pesticides displayed or sold by pesticide stores and handle its immediate disposal," he stressed.