What are the Banned and Restricted Pesticides in the Philippines
Pesticides benefit agriculture by minimizing crop damage caused by insects, weeds, pathogens, vertebrates and other pests. However, pesticides are poisonous when used improperly. Residues from persistent pesticides can buildup in the food chain and contaminate the environment that is harmful to humans, crops and animals.

That is why the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (FPA), an attached agency of the Department of Agriculture that oversees pesticide registration and regulation, institutes mechanisms to prevent pesticides from harming humans and the environment. FPA ensures that any pesticide made available to the end-users is safe for use.

FPA evaluates pesticides based on biological efficacy, chemical, physical and technological data submitted by the manufacturers for registration. Through this evaluation, FPA is able to identify compounds that are classified into banned and restricted pesticides.

According to FPA, banned pesticides are not to be brought into and used in the country under any circumstances. Restricted pesticides, on the other hand, are covered by two basic guidelines. First, they may not be allowed for distribution, sale and use in certain crops and/or areas of the country. Second, they may be used only by and under the supervision of certified applicators, or under such conditions as the FPA executive director may require.

From the information provided by EPA, the following are the updated lists of banned and restricted pesticides in the Philippines:

BANNED PESTICIDES
Parathion-ethyl Strychnine
Copper Aceto-arsenite (Paris Green)
DDT
DBCP
Nitrofen
Leptophos
EPN
Endrin
Mercuric fungicides
Toxaphene
Thalium sulfate
Elemental phosphorus (white & yellow)
1 Napthylthiourea (ANTU)
Gophacide
Sodium Flouroacetate
Sodium Flouroacetamide (1081)
2,4 5-T
Aldrin
Dieldrin
Heptachlor
Chlordimeform
EDB
HCH/BHC
Azinphoz Ethyl
Chlordane
Parathion-Methyl
Organotin

RESTRICTED PESTICIDES
Aldicarb - importation is not allowed except in cases of emergency as determined by the authority.

Endosulfan - should not be used in paddy rice culture. Concentration must be lowered to 5 percent EC or lower for other purposes.

Paraquat - restricted for institutional use only. Approval of use will be based on strict compliance by the importer/end-user of the requirements for its use.

Phenamiphos, Entroprop, Methidathion - used for banana plantations only.

Inorganic Arsenicals (Arsenic trioxide) - specified for use by FPA-accredited wood treatment and wood preserving plants only.

Lindane (Gamma/BHC) - allowed for use only in pineapple plantations by soil pre-plant application.

Pentachlorophenol - intended for use in wood treatment only by FPA-accredited wood treatment plants and institutions.

Methyl Bromide, Carbon Disulfide, Phosphate-generating compounds, Carbon Tetrachloride, HCN-generating materials, Chloroform and Ethylformate - require adequate time for aeration after treatment before commodities are processed into food or feed.

Monochrotophos - allowed for bean fly control only.

The indiscriminate use of chemical pesticides to eliminate pests and diseases often result in threatening the successful and profitable production of vegetables. Improper use of these chemicals poses ecological and health risks to human and environment. These concerns for food quality and safety and environment protection have made organic vegetable production an important solution.

The Central Luzon Agriculture and Resources Research and Development Consortium for its part has concocted an organic fertilizer called manure tea and a biopesticide, both of which can be used in organic vegetable production.

PCARRD, on the other hand, has packaged the technology into an information bulletin for the benefit of the public.

Incidentally, PCARRD’s publication contains how to prepare the manure tea, which is as follows:

1. Soak a sack of 32 kg animal manure in 120 L of water.  Water will penetrate and diffuse the solution out of the sack. Incubate for one week to one month. After a week, nitrogen in the solution ranges from 300 parts per million (ppm) to 400 ppm and after a month, 800 ppm to more than 1000 ppm.
2. Dilute the tea to about 75 ppm-100 ppm and use it to drench the leafy/green vegetables at 1L/week.
3. For fruit vegetables, dilute the tea to about 100 ppm-180 ppm (lower rate is used if the plants are still young) and drench at the rate of 1L-1.5L/hill per week.

Insect pests can also be controlled with the use of  ‘oregano leaves, mint leaves, hot pepper fruits (siling labuyo), marigold leaves, and flower, Euphorbia stem and leaves, fire plant leaves and flower, ‘luyang dilaw’ tuber, and jatropha leaves.
To prepare botanical pesticide using these materials, the procedure is as follows:

1.  Weigh and chop 1 kg of material to be used then add 2 L distilled water before blending.
2.  Ferment the solution for 24 hours.
3.  Squeeze off the solid particles in a fine cloth.
4. To be more effective, prepare the extract a day before spraying.
5. With a knapsack sprayer, spray the extract to run-off on plants at weekly interval.  Dilute four cups of the extracts in 16 L of water to produce one spray load of solution at 16 L.

Written by Bengie P. Gibe, &T Media Service

Source: www.pcarrd.dost.gov.ph