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Monday, March 14, 2005
Editorial: Concerted effort
IT HAD been reported that pesticides had been used either knowingly or unwittingly on the cassava or bolanghoi that was cooked by the vendors and consumed by the unfortunate pupils of an elementary school in Mabini, Bohol over the weekend.
With that disclosure any iota of mystery surrounding the deaths of the pupils have been erased and would now serve as a strong warning on vendors preparing this type of food as well as the students who prefer to buy this and other cheap street food.
Pesticides have done perhaps more harm than good in protecting our produce and the Mabini, Bohol food poisoning case is one latest example of it.
There had been arguments against the continued use of pesticides on root and other forms of crops because of the inherent and now very real danger of poisoning or depletion of essential vitamins present in these foods.
Environmentalists, especially those advocating against the use of bio-engineered foods and organic food advocates may find in the Bohol food poisoning case yet another layer of proof in their arguments to ban pesticides and use natural means to eliminate any pests on root crops.
For we assume as of now that the pesticides were placed on the cassava to prevent insects or other plant menaces from ruining it. Unfortunate that it wasn't cleaned well enough for the pupils to be spared from being poisoned.
As we understand it some health authorities are now issuing information campaigns on how to cook and serve cassava in order to spare these students from the poison and protect the livelihood of the vendors.
But it won't come as a surprise if cassava traders report a drop in their profitability as a result of the case, hence last Friday's emergency meeting among cassava growers in Region 10 in order to stave off the fallout from this latest setback that could have been prevented in the first place.
Already vendors have been complaining about the possibility of reduced profits and pupils would in all likelihood eat lunches made by their parents for safety. Mayor Vicente Emano had announced he won't bar the vendors from selling so as not to deprive them of livelihood.
Which means the City Government should take the lead not only in protecting its students from this threat but also to assure the vendors that they can still do their business of selling cassava-based food products to the public. Safety however remains the overriding concern.
(March 14, 2005 issue)
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