photo courtesy Interface Development Interventions from Mindanews Hundreds of residents barricaded the runway of the community airport in Surallah town in South Cotabato on Monday in protest of the aerial spraying activities of a banana plantation company operating in the area. Around 300 protesters gathered at the Allah Valley Airport in Surallah at around 4 a.m. and occupied a portion of the runway in a bid to stop the aerial spraying activities of foreign-backed Sumifru Philippines Corporation. The company, which operates banana plantations in Surallah and T’boli towns, had been using the airport as base of its aerial spraying operations. Omar Azarcon, coordinator of the protest action, said they launched the mobilization to pressure local government leaders to decisively put a stop to the aerial spraying activities of Sumifru. He said the protesters are composed of parishioners from Surallah and other areas within the Diocese of Marbel, which covers the provinces of South Cotabato, Sarangani and this city. “We’re calling on the provincial government of South Cotabato and the municipal governments of areas affected by the aerial spraying activities to pass ordinances that will totally ban them,” he said in a radio interview. Citing results of their recent fact-finding mission […]
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