MEDIA RELEASE
IBON Foundation, Inc.
3/F SCC Bldg 4427 Interior Old Sta Mesa, Manila, Philippines
Tel. +632 713-2729, +632 713-2737 E-mail: media@ibon.org
References: Rosario Bella Guzman (Executive Director)
Antonio Tujan (Research Director)
March 17, 2005
In the face of the DOH findings that a harmful pesticide was the cause of death of 27 children in Mabini, Bohol, research group IBON Foundation calls on government to implement stricter regulation rules on pesticide use.
According to investigations, 1-2-3 insecticide, which has an expired registration with the Fertilizers and Pesticide Authority, is very toxic that just 4 grams of it can kill a 70-kilogram adult.
The 1-2-3 insecticide is not the first chemical to be questioned. Paraquat, a chemical used for the production of rice, sugarcane, bananas and other crops, was discovered to be acutely toxic and can cause reproductive problems to women sprayers exposed to it.
No one will argue-- not even the transnational corporations (TNCs) that manufacture and import pesticides-- about the actual and potential health effects of pesticides to people. Pesticides are poisons and undue exposure to them can cause serious and even fatal health problems.
Filipino farmers, who have been made dependent on chemical inputs with the promise of increased productivity, generally lack protective gear and are continuously exposed to various health hazards of pesticides.
Although extremely harmful, TNCs continue to export their pesticides because these are still marketable and profitable, especially in poor farming countries like the Philippines.
Government should therefore implement stricter regulation policies on pesticide use and impose a strict ban on obsolete, expired, and banned pesticides. IBON also calls on government to immediatey implement safety regulation rules that go beyond market considerations.
More importantly, government should encourage farmers to reduce the use of pesticides and look for more sustainable and healthy farming methods. (end)
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