The Hidden Cost of Contaminated Water
Of the four elements of nature—fire, water, wind, and earth—it is water that most symbolizes life. Without it, life cannot exist anywhere in the cosmos. Water is so vital, so sacred, that we often speak of it in poetic terms. Indeed, “the passion of the heart burns so hot that without the cooling breath of the lungs, the flames of the heart would devour not only itself but the entire world.” So the next time you drink a glass of water, bathe, shower, or simply pass by a river, stream, lake, or ocean—pause and reflect on the healing, merciful power of water.
But for those living in Cagayan de Oro City, these poetic lines may no longer apply. Here, water may not symbolize life or healing. Instead, it may bring sickness—or even slow death. Why? Because corporations operating around 200,000 hectares of plantations on top of the eight sub-watersheds in Bukidnon—watersheds that feed the Cagayan de Oro River—are heavily using toxic chemicals: fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides. These plantations, designed for mass-producing high-value fruits, practice what’s called “Conventional Agriculture”—a method that relies on intensive chemical use. While this approach is still widespread in the Philippines, it has already been banned in several neighboring Asian countries due to its environmental and health risks.
To recall, after the signing of the ASEAN Free Trade Agreement (AFTA) in Cebu City in 1997, the King of Thailand, upon returning home, set a powerful example. He removed his royal robe and crown and worked side by side with Thai farmers. He urged them to abandon chemicals, which destroy soil integrity and kill beneficial insects. He also discouraged the use of tractors, citing the damage caused by carbon emissions to the ozone layer. Instead, he promoted using carabaos—whose waste naturally fertilizes the soil.
As a result, Thai farmers preserved both the environment and public health. More remarkably, they brought down rice production costs to just P5 per kilo.
In stark contrast, Filipino farmers still produce rice at P15 to P20 per kilo. So when the Rice Tariffication Law was passed—opening the floodgates to cheap, chemically-grown rice from abroad—many local farmers sank deeper into debt. Some, in desperation, even took their own lives. This crisis was so severe that then-Secretary Manny Piñol of the Department of Agriculture resigned in protest.
For years, the Department of Agriculture has kept our farmers chained to Conventional Agriculture—a system where everyone profits except those who actually toil under the scorching sun and endure the lashing rains. Fertilizer dealers profit. Loan shark’s profit. Middlemen profit. But not the poor farmers who do the backbreaking labor.
According to data from the UN-FAO, agriculture in our country has contributed a mere 0.2% to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) over the last decade. Is it any wonder that three out of four young farmers have already abandoned their land to work in the cities—as janitors, waiters, or drivers?
This must end. The continued use of synthetic chemicals must be stopped. We must urgently transition to Sustainable Agriculture—the only path that can lift our farmers out of poverty, protect our environment, and safeguard public health. Disturbingly, chemicals already banned in other countries—like Japan, Thailand, or South Korea—are still being used in the Philippines. Why is what’s dangerous for them somehow acceptable for us? Isn’t that discrimination?
Now, before I’m accused of raising a false alarm, let me say this plainly and scientifically: There is a law of nature that says, “Everything goes somewhere.” Toxic chemicals don’t just disappear—they end up in our air, seep into our water tables, and ultimately accumulate in our bodies.
Some of these toxins, like Mercury used in illegal gold mining in the uplands of Cagayan de Oro, are especially dangerous. Mercury contaminates rivers and flows into the sea. It is absorbed by small fish, eaten by bigger fish, and eventually ends up on our tables as “Kinilaw,” “Sinugba,” or “Sinigang.” Each step in this food chain magnifies the concentration of Mercury. And when it enters our bodies, it increases the risk of cancer, stroke, and heart attack. How many people have already died—without ever knowing that the true cause of their illness was the poison on their plates?
Task Force Macajalar, an Earth Democracy Movement for Peace, Justice, and Sustainability, together with SULOG – One Sendong is Enough, an environmental coalition composed of civil society groups, church-based organizations, the academe, cooperatives, and survivors of Sendong – asserts with deep concern that our watersheds, rivers, air, and soil are already contaminated with toxic chemicals.
This painful truth has already been documented. In Davao, a study revealed that of eight chemical substances found in air and water samples from communities in Tawantawan, Manuel Guianga, and Daliaon – areas adjacent to banana plantations – seven are internationally banned. These hazardous chemicals have already seeped into the rivers and the air, poisoning communities.
Cagayan de Oro faces a similar, if not worse, situation. Surrounded by thousands of hectares of chemically intensive plantations, our city has yet to conduct the kind of thorough water testing that exposed the dangers in Davao. According to my sister, Dr. Marlene Ravanera Sinadjan, hospitals in Cagayan de Oro are seeing an alarming rise in cancer cases. On my visits to communities, I have met parents and grandparents who shared heartbreaking stories of babies born with deformities, especially among Indigenous Peoples. They believe the cause is clear: pregnant women who cannot afford mineral water are forced to drink from contaminated faucets. It is likely that our water table is already compromised.
As part of the environmental movement, we believe it is now urgent and imperative to regularly test our water sources. Still, some dismiss the danger, saying, “There’s no problem. Everything is fine.” But this is like a frog placed in a pot of water that is slowly brought to a boil. Warned to jump out or be cooked alive, the frog shrugs, “What are you talking about? I’m fine,” until it’s too late. It doesn’t realize the temperature is rising—until it dies.
Let us not be like that frog. Let us act now, before we are poisoned beyond saving.
We are like that frog in many ways—slow to notice the danger, until it’s too late. But now, Task Force Macajalar and SULOG are sounding the alarm and taking a firm, vigilant stand. We must do the same, guided by the precautionary principle. This means that even the slightest doubt or suspicion that our water may be contaminated with toxic chemicals should compel us to act immediately—without hesitation.
We must urgently demand that the concerned agencies and the Local Government of Cagayan de Oro City assess the quality of our water. If, God forbid, the water table is already contaminated, we must act swiftly to implement countermeasures to protect the health and lives of hundreds of thousands of people in the city. Water is life—but contaminated, it turns into poison; a silent killer. So, the next time you drink a glass of water, take a bath, wash your hands, or pass by a river, stream, lake, or Macajalar Bay—pause. Be vigilant. But more importantly, stand with us. Join the advocacy of Task Force Macajalar and SULOG, united by a collective and resolute will to defend our inherent and constitutional right to a healthful and balanced ecology. Only then can we speak of water as healing—not as something we drink today, only to die from tomorrow.
