CROP SPRAY CATASTROPHE: Int’l group urges cypermethrin ban after Antique school poisoning

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

The Pesticide Action Network Asia Pacific, a Malaysia-based organization advocating for sustainable, biodiversity-based ecological agriculture, has called for the immediate ban of cypermethrin following the mass poisoning of students in Sibalom, Antique, on July 2.

PANAP Executive Director Sarojeni Rengam, in a statement on Saturday, Aug. 2, described the incident — which left more than 250 students hospitalized after cypermethrin contamination in school facilities — as “deeply alarming and unacceptable.”

“We call on all relevant authorities and policymakers to urgently take action, ban highly hazardous pesticides, ensure justice and accountability for those affected, and prioritize the protection of children and communities from toxic pesticide exposure,” Rengam said.

Cypermethrin is a synthetic pyrethroid insecticide classified by PANAP as one of the “Terrible Twenty,” a list of the most toxic pesticides posing severe threats to children.

PANAP cited multiple concerns: cypermethrin is immunotoxic, an endocrine disruptor, and linked to acute poisoning, developmental disorders, and long-term illnesses such as cancer, reproductive problems, and Parkinson’s disease.

Rengam emphasized that the presence of a hazardous pesticide in a space intended for learning is a gross violation of children’s rights and public safety.

“This case is not an isolated incident but reflects a broader and systemic issue related to the unregulated use of highly hazardous pesticides in farming and their proximity to residential and educational areas,” she said.

A study in Tamil Nadu, India, found that children working as informal laborers on flower farms were exposed to cypermethrin and suffered symptoms such as dizziness, fatigue, vomiting, skin lesions, and difficulty concentrating in school — all indicating pesticide poisoning.

Another study in Vietnam identified cypermethrin as one of the pesticides commonly sprayed near schools, with children showing symptoms due to exposure inside homes and classrooms.

PANAP advocates for pesticide-free buffer zones of at least one kilometer around schools to prevent such exposure.

To ensure accountability, PANAP is urging authorities to identify the manufacturer and seller of the cypermethrin involved in the Antique incident.

“This tragic incident must serve as a wake-up call,” Rengam added.

“We cannot continue to allow the lives, health, and futures of our children to be jeopardized by dangerous chemicals that have no place in a just and sustainable food system.”

PANAP reiterated its call for governments to adopt agroecological approaches that promote safe, sustainable, and poison-free food systems.

The group also recommended the immediate establishment of pesticide-free buffer zones of at least one kilometer around schools and other child-sensitive areas.

“Children must never again be placed in harm’s way due to pesticide drift and unsafe agricultural practices,” Rengam said.

A month after the incident, the final toxicological report from the Toxicology Specialty Center of the Western Visayas Sanitarium and General Hospital confirmed cypermethrin as the cause of the mass poisoning at Pis-anan National High School, which is surrounded by rice fields.

Cypermethrin is commonly used in rice farming to control pests such as rice leafrollers and other insects.

The students reported smelling a “guava-like” scent before experiencing symptoms including headache, dizziness, chest pain, shortness of breath, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and, in some cases, loss of consciousness.

Sibalom Mayor Gian Carlo Occeña said the toxicology report found traces of cypermethrin on classroom walls, doors, and surrounding vegetation.

The chemical was believed to have spread through the air, with drift likely influenced by prevailing weather conditions.

Occeña added that laboratory tests on two affected students revealed elevated levels of urinary formic acid, which may indicate exposure to methanol — a solvent commonly found in pesticide and fogging formulations.

The report concluded that the students’ symptoms, the detected chemical residues, and the odor profile were consistent with acute exposure to pyrethroid pesticides.
It also clarified that bifenthrin — typically used in anti-dengue fogging — was not found in measurable amounts.

Occeña said the progress report from Task Force Pis-anan and the toxicology findings have been submitted to the appropriate authorities for further investigation and possible legal or administrative action.

“It is not yet the final report,” he said.

“We are still awaiting the results of other environmental samples submitted for laboratory analysis, which are necessary to establish correlation with the toxicological results already obtained.”