CATHOLIC bishops appealed to banana growers in Mindanao to stop using aerial spray in their operation, calling it an "immoral practice that infringes upon human health and dignity."

In a letter to Stephen Antig, executive director of the Pilipino Banana Growers and Exporters Association (PBGEA), Archbishop of Manila Gaudencio Rosales, Kalookan Bishop Deogracias Iñiguez, Bishop Bernardino Cortez, and Bishop Broderick Pabillo said that for many years now, families living in the surroundings of banana plantations have been complaining of getting sick, their crops dying and water resources contaminated because of aerial spraying.

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The chemicals sprayed from the airplanes that you use for your bananas indiscriminately expose the people and the environment to poison. International and local studies point to the hazards of aerial spraying of pesticides on humans and the ecosystems, the bishops said.

"We are one with all affected people in Mindanao in working for their deliverance from this immoral practice of aerial spraying that infringes upon human health and dignity. We cannot allow their suffering to go on any longer for anything that offends people, especially the least of our brothers and sisters, is an offense to God," the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said.

The bishops urged the banana growers to "value the dignity of life and the integrity of creation over and above corporate gains and profit targets."

"Your professed corporate social responsibility is being challenged now. We strongly suggest that you rise to the occasion as socially responsible corporate citizens and, on your own volition, halt aerial spraying for public health and social peace. As the ethic of reciprocity reminds us all, ‘do not do to others what you would not like to be done to you.’ Please heed this very valid, relevant and urgent concern of the poorest of the poor farmer communities who existed long before your plantations opened. Your heeding of our appeal will stop us from bringing to the attention of your international market the concerns of the poor farmers who have been victimized by your aerial spraying activities," the CBCP urged.

The bishops issued the letter in support to the farmers belonging to the Mamamayan Ayaw sa Aerial Spraying (Maas), whose representatives are now in Manila asking Malacañang to issue an executive order banning the use of aerial spraying as an agricultural practice.

Maas is composed of farmers, indigenous peoples, youth, fisherfolk and former banana plantation workers who live within and around the plantations of Mindanao that are exposed to aerial spraying.

Studies showed that pesticide drift can reach up to 3.2 kilometers, according to the US-Environmental Protection Agency. With this, an estimate of 200,000 people in the provinces of Davao del Sur, Davao del Norte, Compostela Valley and Davao City could be affected, which raised alarm among the bishops.

A Department of Health (DOH) study in Camocaan, Hagonoy, Davao del Sur, which was done by government health experts including medical toxicologists, confirms that 80 percent of the villagers of Camocaan were routinely exposed to pesticide drift. Pesticides were found in the villagers' blood and in air and soil samples.

The City Government of Davao passed an ordinance banning aerial spraying in the city where several banana plantations are located. This was, however, opposed by the PBGEA by filing a case before the court that reached to the Court of Appeals who declared the ordinance as unconstitutional.

Sun.Star tried to get Antig's reaction but failed. He is said to be in a meeting with PBGEA members as of Tuesday.

PBGEA is the aggrupation of banana companies blocking the clamor to ban aerial spraying. It is composed of the following 18 companies: AMS Group of Companies Inc., Sumifru Philippines, Anflo Group of Companies, Alip River Development and Export Corporation, Del Monte Fresh Produce Philippines, La Frutera Incorporated, Lapanday Foods Corporation, Hijo Resources Corporation, Diamond Farms Inc., Dizon Group of Companies, Marsman-Drysdale Group of Companies, Nader and Ebrahim Hassan Philippines, Sarangani Agricultural Company Inc., Nova Vista Management and Development Corporation, Dole Stanfilco, Tristar Group of Banana Companies, Aztropex Inc., and Unifrutti Services Inc.

PBGEA is owned or operated by prominent families in the country, such as the family of former Agriculture secretary Cito Lorenzo, the Floirendos who are the political bigwigs of Davao del Norte, the families Ayala, Dizon and Soriano who are the business magnates of Davao City, and multi-national corporations.

The bishops also sent their letter to concerned government agencies, namely: Department of Health (DOH), Department of Agriculture (DA), and the Environment and Natural Resources-Environment Management Bureau.

The House committee on agriculture, environment and health and Senate committee on environment also received a copy of the bishops' letter. (BOT)