FDA-DOH adopts orphaned pest control industry

MANILA, Philippines - The year 2007 was the beginning of a period of “darkness” for the pest control industry when the Supreme Court ruled with finality that any pest control activity in urban areas – including the pesticides in use – are not under the regulation of the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority  (FPA) of the Department of Agriculture.

For six long years, the industry went haywire – with the mushrooming of “fly-by-night” operators, unrestricted pesticide marketing, and questionable “in-house” practices.

This now ends with the publication of  Administrative Order of R.A. 9711 or the “FDA Act of 2009”, which will set the guidelines for the rejuvenated industry.

“A Brighter Future for the Pest Management Industry Under the FDA-DOH” is an industry forum organized by the Philippine Federation of Pest Management Operators’ Associations (PFPMOA) Inc. on the significance of the Philippine pest management industry in assuring food security, safeguarding public health, boosting tourism, and ensuring structural integrity of abodes.

It will be held from Nov. 14 to 15, 2013 at the Sarossa International Hotel in Cebu City with the support of the Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Health (FDA-DOH).

Approximately 300 participants are expected to grace the two-day event. Expected to be represented during the convention will be the professional Pest Control Operators (PCOs), the Food and Beverage Industry, the Construction Sector, the Hoteliers and Hospitality Industry, and the Export-Import Industry, among others.

Several events in the past have already been organized to address the need for adept government regulation and specific tools to improve environmental preservation with pest management.

However, the current clear and present challenge is the full enforcement of R.A. 9711 or the “FDA Act of 2009”, which includes the licensing and regulation of urban pesticides and the urban pest control operators solely authorized to use these. In this context, the  congress will provide a unique opportunity to share regulatory, scientific, and technological information in the field of pest management  – from new information on dengue-carrying mosquitoes, to the bedbug nightmare of hoteliers, to the ever-present termite problems of builders, to basic skills in sales and Information Technology, to general facts on public health and safety. 

The gathering  is an important venue to discuss both regulatory and business practices that will affect the future of the pest management industry in the Philippines. The Federation has invited a battery of experts who will offer  new scientific tools, explore new directions in urban pest management,  and present the new direction in the full implementation of R.A. 9711 to regulate urban pesticides and urban pest management operators in the country. Complementing the main program are sponsored presentations and an open-to-public exhibition of innovative pesticides and top-of-the-line equipment.

This congress would not be possible without the dedication and commitment of various pest management associations all over the islands, and the support of their industry partners, sponsors and exhibitors. The Federation, or PFPMOA, Inc. is composed of the Philippine Association of Professional Fumigators Inc (PAPFI), the Pest Control Association of the Philippines (PCAP) Inc., the Pest Exterminators Association of the Philippines (PEAP) Inc., the South Luzon Pest Management Operators’ Association of the Philippines (SL-PMOAP) Inc., the North Central Luzon Pest Management Operators’ Association (NCL-PMOA), Inc. and the Pest Control Association of the Visayas (PCAV) Inc.

This aggrupation of professional pest management operators was officially recognized by the FDA-DOH through a standing Memorandum Of Agreement (or MOA) signed by then FDA-DOH assistant secretary, Legal Department head, and OIC-director Nicolas Lutero III, and the association presidents last Sept. 23, 2012 at the Club Filipino in San Juan, Metro Manila.

After almost six years of unregulated industry operation and open disregard for the health and safety of the general public by institutions and their associated government regulators, the Philippine Pest Management Industry now looks forward to a truly brighter, safer, and a more responsible future in partnership, and under the wings of the FDA-DOH.