At the same, the council approved the accompanying Davao City Watershed Management Code.

The ban on aerial spraying was expected as it has been the advocacy of Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.

It was approved on second reading last week and sailed through third reading with no more floor debate.

Banana plantations, under the new ordinance, are given three months to shift to other modes of applying pesticides on their banana plants.

The Davao City Watershed Management Code, Councilor Ricardo Cabling said, manifests the Dabawenyos’ effort to protect and preserve the environment, the forest reserves and the watershed areas which are slowly getting smaller due to invasion by various groups and enterprising individuals who either construct dwellings or develop plantations in these areas.

Cabling said the code seeks to protect the watershed areas of the city which are the main sources of Davao’s water supply.

"We need to protect our watershed areas to ensure that we have good water source for the next generation," he said.

City planning and development office head, Engineer Mario Luis Jacinto, is recommending an integrated, grassroots education for the protection of the eight watershed areas of the city to ensure the sustained effort to protect and preserve them.

Jacinto said the critical watershed areas should be protected and conserved and communities should work as a team for the rehabilitation activity.

"Every barangay in the city has elementary schools but not all have secondary schools, so the need to educate elementary grade pupils is also necessary. In areas where secondary public schools exist, watershed education must be included so that the young generation woud be aware of watershed protection," he added.

Meanwhile, it was reported that fresh banana remains on top of the export products of Davao Region, accounting for 80 percent of the region’s total export receipts.

The Region 11 office of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) said export receipts reached .83 million (R146.5 million) during the first semester of 2006, representing a 7.5 percent growth over the previous year.