Anakpawis and the Makabayan Coalition House members have fi led House Bill No. 5677 and 5678, which, respectively, ban the use of Paraquat and Glyphosate. Paraquat is marketed by Syngenta, while Glyphosate by Monsanto.
The proposals were backed by the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP), Resist Agro-Chem TNCs and Masipag farmers-scientists group, said Anakpawis Partylist Rep. Ariel Casilao in a statement yesterday.
“The international community has banned the use of these agro-chemicals, and their use is certain to harm people and the environment,” Casilao said.
The bill stated that “Glyphosate is widely used in herbicide- resistant genetically modified (GM) corn (commonly known as Roundup Ready corn) in the country.”
“In a study made by the Magsasaka at Siyentipiko para sa Pag-unlad ng Agrikultura, farmers sprayed GM corn with about four liters of Glyphosate per hectare twice every season. Thus, in one season of GM corn farming in 2011 alone, GM corn farms in the country are being doused with almost 5.3 Million liters of Glyphosate,” Casilao noted.
Countries which have banned the use of Paraquat include Sweden (which banned it in 1983), Finland (1986), Hungary (1991), Austria (1993), Denmark (1995) and Slovenia (1997). It is also banned in Kuwait (1985), Cambodia (2003), Ivory Coast (2004), Syria (2005), United Arab Emirates (2005), Sri Lanka (2010) and most recently in Vietnam (2017).
“Malaysia banned Paraquat in 2002 but this was reversed in 2006 to allow its restricted use in oil palm plantations. South Korea cancelled the re-registration of Paraquat in November 2011 and banned its sale starting 31 October 2012. In April 2012, China decided to halt all production and use of liquid Paraquat by 2016,” Casilao also said.
Casilao also noted that only last February, “the Vietnamese government offi cially announced an immediate ban on Syngenta’s Paraquat upon having weighed in on the diff erent scientifi c evidences that showed clear harms of the pesticides both on humans and environment.”
