R E S O L U T I O N

WHEREAS Executive Order No. 169 (E. O. 169) was issued on June 5 !"1# $ESTABLISHING
EMERGENCY MEASURES TO CONTROL AND MANAGE THE SPREAD AND DAMAGE OF
ASPIDIOTUS RIGIDUS (Coconut Scale Insect, Cocolsa!, o" CSI# IN THE PHILIPPINES AND
DESIGNATING THE PHILIPPINE COCONUT AUTHORITY AS THE LEAD AGENCY FOR THE
PURPOSE$%
&HEREAS one o% t&e e'er(enc) 'easures 'andated *) t&e +&i,i--ine .oconut Aut&orit) %or t&e
i'-,e'entation o% E. O. 169 is t&e in/ection o% t&e neonicotinoid 0inote%uran so,d under t&e Star1,e
*rand na'e into t&e trun1s o% a%%ected coconut trees2
WHEREAS t&e recent Wor,dwide 3nte(rated Assess'ent on t&e ris1s o% neonicotinoids and %i-roni, to
*iodiversit) and ecos)ste' %unctionin( invo,vin( t&e review o% 'ore t&an 4"" -eer5reviewed scienti%ic
studies conc,udes t&at6
78&ere is a (rowin( *od) o% evidence t&at t&ese e%%ects -ose ris1s to ecos)ste' %unctionin(
resi,ience and t&e services and %unctions -rovided *) terrestria, and a9uatic ecos)ste's. Suc&
services and %unctions can *e -rovisionin( re(u,atin( cu,tura, or su--ortin( and inc,ude a'on(st
ot&ers6 soi, %or'ation soi, 9ua,it) nutrient c)c,in( waste treat'ent and re'ediation -o,,ination %ood
we* su--ort water -uri%ication -est and disease re(u,ation seed dis-ersa, &er*ivor) and weed
contro, %ood -rovision (inc,udin( %is&) aest&etics and recreation27
WHEREAS one in t&ree o% t&e %oods we eat de-end on -o,,inators es-ecia,,) &one)*ees w&ic& &ave
ex-erienced -o-u,ation dro-s o% :"; or &i(&er in t&e ,ast decade in t&e <.S. Euro-e and t&e
+&i,i--ines2
WHEREAS t&e E'er(enc) <se +er'it recent,) issued to =eads A(ricu,tura, .or-. %or Star1,e *) t&e
>erti,i?er and +esticide Aut&orit) (>+A) sti-u,ates t&at %ruits o% trees in/ected wit& neonicotinoid wi,, *e
%or co-ra use on,) and are not %it %or &u'an consu'-tion as coco /uice coco 'eat etc.2
WHEREAS t&ere is no wa) to deter'ine i% eac& and ever) coconut so,d in t&e 'ar1et %or &u'an
consu'-tion co'es %ro' trees treated wit& t&e neonicotinoid Star1,e and 'a) t&ere%ore *e toxic2
WHEREAS on 7>rida) June !" <. S. +resident @arac1 O*a'a si(ned a +residentia, Ae'orandu'
t&at reco(ni?es t&e severe ,osses in t&e -o-u,ations o% t&e nationBs -o,,inators inc,udin( &one) *ees
wi,d *ees 'onarc& *utter%,ies and ot&ers. 3n accordance wit& t&ese ,osses and ac1now,ed(in( t&e
i'-ortance -o,,inators &ave to t&e a(ricu,tura, econo') t&e 'e'orandu' directs %edera, a(encies to
esta*,is& a +o,,inator Hea,t& 8as1 >orce to *e c&aired *) <.S. 0e-art'ent o% A(ricu,ture (<S0A)
deve,o- a -o,,inator &ea,t& strate() wit&in 14" da)s and su--ort and create -o,,inator &a*itat. 8&is
%edera, strate() wi,, inc,ude a -o,,inator researc& action -,an wit& a %ocus on -reventin( and
recoverin( %ro' -o,,inator ,osses inc,udin( stud)in( &ow various stressors ,i1e -esticides -at&o(ens
and 'ana(e'ent -ractices contri*ute to -o,,inator ,osses27
WHEREAS t&e Net&er,ands +ar,ia'ent recent,) -assed a reso,ution *annin( t&e use o%
neonicotinoids in t&eir countr)2
WHEREAS neonicotinoids are *anned or restricted in 'an) countries in Euro-e2
WHEREAS Nationa, Wi,d,i%e Re%u(e S)ste' c&ie% Ja'es Curt& &as directed t&e a(enc) to sto- usin(
DAO cro-s and neonicontinoids on re%u(e %ar's *) Januar) !"162
WHEREAS neonicotinoids are 1"""" ti'es 'ore toxic t&an 008 a -esticide t&at &as *een *anned in
t&e <S since 19E!2
WHEREAS *) virtue o% Re-u*,ic Act 6969 and its 3'-,e'entin( Ru,es and Re(u,ations (3RR) t&e
0e-art'ent o% t&e Environ'ent and Natura, Resources (0ENR) is 'andated to $re9uire c&e'ica,
su*stances and 'ixtures w&ic& are -resent,) *ein( 'anu%actured or -rocessed to *e tested i% t&ere is
reason to *e,ieve t&at t&e) -ose unreasona*,e ris1 or in/ur) to &ea,t& and t&e environ'entF2
WHEREAS t&e +&i,i--ine coconut industr) contri*utes a tota, o% ! *i,,ion do,,ar ex-orts to t&e econo')
annua,,) co'-osed o% desiccated and ot&er coconut -roducts %or industria, a--,ication and direct,)
andGor indirect,) e'-,o)s andGor -rovide ,ive,i&ood to so'e !5 'i,,ion >i,i-inos. 0irect,) a%%ected
inc,ude t&e 'an) street vendors w&o se,, *u1o /uice *u1o -ie and ot&er %ood -re-arations t&at use
coconut ((ata (inataan etc.) and &ouse&o,ds -re-arin( and se,,in( coco5*ased -roducts.
WHEREAS t&e Natura, Hea,t& +roducts 3ndustr) (NH+3) t&e ascendant sector o% t&e coconut industr)
ex-ortin( Hir(in .oconut Oi, .oconut Su(ar .oconut Juice and ot&er -roducts are to- 3nvest'ent
+riorities o% t&e @oard o% 3nvest'ents (@O3) and t&ere is t&e ver) distinct -ossi*i,it) t&at t&eir 'ar1ets
wi,, i'-,ode s&ou,d an instance o% -oisonin( occur t&at can *e ,in1ed to t&e use o% neonicotinoids on
coconut trees2
WHEREAS a si'i,ar case &a--ened to t&e *oo'in( >i,i-ino5deve,o-ed -roduct Nata de .oco w&en
in t&e 199"Is sa'-,es were %ound to contain >or'a,de&)de resu,tin( in t&e i'-orts o% Nata de .oco
s&i%tin( %ro' t&e +&i,i--ines to 8&ai,and2
WHEREAS t&ere are ot&er avai,a*,e non5toxic or(anic and natura, re'edies to t&e .oconut Sca,e
3nsect inc,udin( *iocontro, *iore'ediation and natura,Gor(anic -esticides2
WHEREAS a stud) conducted *) Aario Navasero Aarce,a Navasero +a*,ito Don?a,es and
@oni%acio .a)a*)a* <+=@ .ro- +rotection scientists %ound t&at 'ore t&an 4"; o% .S3 &ave *een
-arasiti?ed *) t&e -arasitoid .o'-erie,,a uni%asciata 3s&ii (Enc)rtidae H)'eno-tera) and t&e coconut
-,ants are a,read) in various sta(e o% recover) ( E51! ,eaves 15! new %,owers) and in a recent ra-id
a--raisa, stud) conducted *) 0r. 8ed Aendo?a a <+=@ .ro- Scientist in t&e .A=A@ARJON Re(ion
%ound t&at t&e -arasitoids were a,read) -resent in t&e coconut ,eaves exa'ined under a 'icrosco-e
*) Aarce,a Navasero2
WHEREAS Ed(ar Aaranan an Environ'enta, @iotec&no,o(ist &as deve,o-ed an or(anic re'ed) %or
t&e .S3 t&at was success%u,,) tested in a coconut %ar' in @a) =a(una as &ave ot&er individua,s ,i1e
>e,icitos +a,is Jose Ri(a Rainier Hi,,anueva .andida Ada,,a 8eresita Es-ino and Don?a,o .atan2
WHEREAS .ro- Duard a non5neonicotinoid -esticide was recent,) (iven an E'er(enc) <se +er'it
*) t&e >+A2
WHEREAS t&ere is an additiona, t&reat to a,, secondar) a(ricu,tura, sectors inc,udin( inter5cro-s
direct,) a%%ected wit& t&e -ro-osed use o% neonicotinoids and its conse9uences to t&e natura,
-o,,inators suc& as *ees *ene%icia, insects and %is& etc.2
WHEREAS t&e ne(ative i'-,ication o% a wron( &ast) decision wi,, serious,) i'-act t&e %uture o% t&e
countr) w&ic& re,ies on coconuts as a -ri'ar) industr)2
WHEREAS Section !6 o% t&e Or(anic A(ricu,ture o% !"1" (R.A 1""64) states t&at $An) -erson w&o
wi,,%u,,) and de,i*erate,)6
(a) o*structs t&e deve,o-'ent o% -ro-a(ation o% or(anic a(ricu,ture or t&e 'anu%acture -roduction
sa,e or use o% or(anic a(ricu,tura, in-utsF s&a,, *e -ena,i?ed2
WHEREAS t&e ,i%e o% t&e .S3 is around #6 da)s w&i,e t&e +.A c,ai's t&at a%ter 51 da)s Star1,e wi,,
,ose its toxicit) and t&ere%ore t&e o%%s-rin( o% t&e .S3 wi,, &ave *een ex-osed to it %or at ,east 11 da)s
w&ic& wi,, cause t&is second (eneration o% .S3 to deve,o- resistance to Star1,e t&ere*) -roducin(
su-er*u(s w&ic& wi,, need even 'ore toxic c&e'ica,s to contro, t&e' in t&e %uture2
WHEREAS *ecause o% its -&)sio,o() t&e .S3 cannot to,erate excessive 'oisture and t&ere%ore
scientists and ento'o,o(ists are o% t&e o-inion t&at t&e recent 8)-&oon D,enda t&at &it .A=A@ARJON
'a) &ave drastica,,) reduced t&e .S3 -o-u,ation in t&e Re(ion and neonicotinoid trun1 in/ections 'a)
no ,on(er *e necessar)2
3N H3EW O> 8HE A@OHE @E 38 RESO=HE0 8HA86
1. Neonicotinoid use on coconut trees *e i''ediate,) sto--ed as t&e) are a t&reat to *iodiversit) and
eco,o(ica, s)ste' %unctions (suc& as -,ant -o,,ination) &u'an &ea,t& and we,,ness and t&e econo')
in (enera, and *e re-,aced *) or(anic and natura, re'edies and wit& t&e recent t)-&oon t&at struc1
.A=A@ARJON t&e current situation 'a) no ,on(er *e critica,2
!. Neonicotinoids *e *anned %ro' use in t&e countr)2
:. A tota, *an on t&e use o% c&e'ica, -esticides *e i'-osed in t&e a%%ected areas to ena*,e t&e
-redators o% t&e coconut sca,e insects to t&rive2
#. 8&e +.A %und studies to identi%) and deve,o- *eni(n natura, and or(anic so,utions to t&e -ests and
diseases t&at our coconut trees are susce-ti*,e to inc,udin( t&e 'ass -ro-a(ation o% -arasitoids and
'icroor(anis's to counter t&ese -ests and diseases in accordance wit& RA 1""642
5. 8&e +.A %aci,itate t&e E'er(enc) <se +er'its %or suc& natura, and or(anic so,utions to coconut
-ests and diseases wit& t&e >+A in accordance wit& RA 1""642
6. 8&e +.A %und t&e re&a*i,itation o% coconut %ar's t&at &ave *een a%%ected *) t&e .S3 in%estation2
E. W&i,e neonicotinoids are sti,, *ein( used t&e +.A or its a(ents 'ust %u,,) ex-,ain t&e ris1s
neonicotinoids -ose to t&e environ'ent t&e ecos)ste' and *iodiversit) to t&e coconut %ar'ers and
&ave t&e' a(ree to t&is in writin( *e%ore an) trun1 in/ections are done.
A<D<S8 9 !"1#
SAVE THE COCONUT MOVEMENT PHILIPPINES