Wednesday, January 14, 2009 Oledan: Mischief By Radzini Oledan Slice of Life
THE banana industry is the biggest agri-industry in Southern Mindanao. It brings in the needed economic resource and provides livelihood to the residents, albeit in small terms through growership contracts with farmers reduced as agricultural workers.
It is an industry that thrives extremely on the natural resource and on the use of hazardous pesticides to ensure quality of production, increase profits and strengthen their local and international market. It is the same industry where workers have to contend with health risks from their exposure to pesticides, in order to survive.
Nong Juanito, 58, and with five children, was forced to lease his land to a banana company few years ago. The package, he said, was good. In exchange for the use of their land to the banana company, he was paid P80,000 in cash. Money which was enough for him to enroll his two children through college and pay some of their debts. Today, their family relies on the support of his son who is working overseas.
And there is Manong Jun, who would rather take the health risk of the aerial spray than have his family go hungry. "This is now our life, our source of income." Despite his ill health, he continues to work in the banana industry. He remains unsure on the direct link between his health condition and his exposure to pesticides.
There are no options for people who have to contend with an environment that offers no other opportunities for them to survive.
The challenge rests on the local government.
The call for an aerial spray ban was a long and phenomenal battle for the environmentalists who have been clamoring for a sound environmental practice. Something that has been sorely lacking in the mode in which banana plantations have to operate.
The ordinance banning the aerial spray ban in the banana plantations was passed into law in view of the health risks and other environmental threats. It could have been an opportunity for banana plantations to reassess their approaches and put in place sound environmental measure that will not put the environment and safety of the Dabawenyos at risk.
But for sheer arrogance, these banana plantations threatened to pull out their operation from the city. A move that could have been taken to spare the public from the environmental risks.
Today, the Court of Appeals had declared "invalid and unconstitutional" the ordinance banning aerial spraying in banana plantations in this city. The decision favored the Philippine Banana Growers and Exporters Association's (PBGEA) petition, which earlier contested the ordinance for being oppressive.
The banana industry is the biggest agri-industry in Southern Mindanao. In them lays the power to decide for the environment landscape of Davao City. The aerial spray continues and with an inefficient monitoring system on pesticide use, the environmental and health threats, including possible water contamination will soon cease to be mere warning from affected residents and environmentalists.
Local officials will again mount inquiries and consultations, even pass another legislation. Banana companies will again dangle the economic benefits that they have bought to the communities. The risks, environmental impact and health implications are too small compared to the revenues that they have helped raised.
