MANILA, Philippines—The Department of Health submitted to the agriculture department on Wednesday its recommendation to ban the aerial spraying of pesticides in banana plantations in Mindanao.

The DOH informed the Department of Agriculture about the harm caused by the “pesticide drift” to surrounding homes and environment.

The health department said the ban on aerial spraying should stay "until proof of its safety is clearly established by the (banana) industry.”

The DOH cited findings by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) showing that almost 40 per cent of the pesticides sprayed by an aircraft supposedly over banana plantations ended up drifting to surrounding residential areas.

“In this case, the residential areas and schools are exposed to considerable risks to spray drift and post-application drift because of their proximity to the plantations,” the DOH said.

The health agency pointed out the absence of any protection for communities in and around banana plantations from the pesticide drift.

The chemicals sprayed in banana plantations such as chlorothalonil and mancozeb can affect human health and are highly toxic to aquatic organisms, according to the DOH.

It further cited studies that showed persons exposed to these chemicals could
experience skin inflammation (irritant contact dermatitis), skin rashes or hives (urticaria) and other rapidly progressing, life-threatening allergic reactions (anapylactoid reactions).

Chronic or life-long health effects may also manifest such as thyroid gland disorders, chromosomal damage, liver and thyroid cancers, and retinal degeneration.

WHO country representative Dr. Soe Nyunt-U has written Health Secretary Francisco Duque III to say that a panel of technical experts has recommended a ban on aerial spraying. WHO also pushed for surveillance, environmental monitoring and further epidemiological study on the health effects of pesticides use.

The WHO said other countries have banned aerial pesticide spraying because of concerns of potential drift and risk of exposure to bystanders and the nearby community.

The DOH recommendation came after a top-level meeting among Catholic Church officials and government officials in Malacañang last November 9, where bishops supported the long-running appeal of the people of Mindanao against the aerial spraying of pesticides in banana plantations.

Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales and bishops in Metro Manila wrote President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on October 29 asking her to issue an executive order to permanently ban the “immoral practice” of aerial spraying.

During the November 9 meeting, it was agreed that the DOH would make a recommendation to the President to order a ban on aerial spraying in the light of various studies that showed illnesses and harm caused by the indiscriminate spraying of pesticides.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the DA also agreed to support the DOH's recommendation.