International Rice Research Institute chief Dr. Robert Zeigler has said he will be the first to eat genetically modified (GM) ”golden” rice when the IRRI introduces it in the Philippines in 2012 to show Filipinos it is both safe for human consumption and nutritious. IRRI scientists over the past 10 years have been investigating and field testing the safety of this GM rice invented by a Swiss plant biologist which contains beta-carotene. It is called ”golden” because the inserted beta-carotene turns the rice grains a golden yellow color. In a typical serving, golden rice can supply 10 percent of a person’s daily requirement of Vitamin A.

The Ecological Society of the Philippines is urging the government to initiate testing procedures to determine whether any of the crops and consumer goods imported from abroad and sold in the market today contain so-called genetically modified organisms. ”This is a serious problem. Genetically modified crops are not safe beyond reasonable doubt. It has been banned in other countries, especially in Europe, and the government should protect us from the influx of imported GMOs,” said ESP president Antonio M. Claparols.

US-based biotechnology companies Dow AgriSciences and Monsanto are now eyeing markets for more potent and pest-resistant GM corn after having successfully marketed the Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) corn since 2003. Bt corn has the sole trait of being Asiatic corn-borer resistant. Before even setting foot in other Asian countries, biotechnology companies have already seen opportunities in starting out in the Philippines. The country is internationally recognized for having a more established regulatory policy on biotechnology.

Greenpeace today called on the Philippine Senate to enact a legislation to ban the commercialization of genetically-modified rice (GMO) rice. The call was made at the opening of a photo exhibit in the Senate halls, featuring the importance of rice in Filipino life and culture and why it must be protected from risky genetic modification.

”Greenpeace is here at the Senate to lobby our senators to enact a legislation to protect our most important staple food from the inherent risks of genetic engineering. Genetic engineering is an unproven, unpredictable and unnecessary technology.

The ’GMO-free rice restaurants’ campaign, launched today at Fish and Co. restaurant in Ortigas Center, aims to gather the commitment of restaurants around the country to serve only GMO-free rice. The project is part of Greenpeace’s ’I love my rice GMO-free’ campaign, a public movement to keep the country’s rice supply free from genetic contamination. Fish and Co. is part of the Bistro Group of Companies, among the first to sign on its popular restaurant outlets, including Italianni’s, TGI Friday’s and Flapjacks, to the environmental campaign.

Prof. Madeline Suva of the College of Development Communication of UP Los Baños said the low understanding of agri-biotechnology among media practitioners should be a source of concern since mass media has great potential to shape public thinking about the issue. [...] She said one problem with trusting NGOs as a primary source of information is that people, including journalists, may not get all the information they need about biotechnology. [...] ”We don’t hear a lot from mass media about biotechnology. SEARCA-BIC sends a lot of press releases about the issue but most media outfits, including ABS-CBN, does not use them. The only media outlet that uses them all the time is the Philippine Star,” she said.

Gov. Isidro Zayco yesterday said he has instructed the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist and other government agencies to fully implement the ordinance banning the entry of Genetically Modified Organisms into Negros Occidental. Provincial Ordinance No. 7 Series of 2007 bans the entry, importation, introduction, planting, growing, selling and trading of GMO plants and animals within Negros Occidental. The first phase of the ordinance implemented on July 19, 2007 banned the entry of living GMOs, and the second phase that took effect Saturday banned the entry of non living GMOs, Renato Bañas of the Negros Organic Agriculture Movement , said.

Dr. Anton Lalusin of the University of the Philippines Los Baños Institute of Plant Breeding (UPLB-IPB) is conducting research on breeding abaca plants that are Bunchy-top virus-resistant. ”I chose to focus on the bunchy-top virus because it is the deadliest among the three viruses.” [...] Lalusin’s study focuses on breeding Bunchy-top resistant abaca plants by developing molecular markers to acquire the virus resistance it needs and at the same time the superior quality of the fiber.

Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer today signed a memorandum of agreement with Philippine Agriculture Secretary Arthur C. Yap to promote agricultural trade and investment between the two countries. The objective is to advance agricultural cooperation, productivity and sustainable natural resource management through science and technology collaboration. [...] The Philippines is the first Asian country to approve the planting of a biotechnology food crop - corn - and remains a consistent supporter of rational, science-based regulations in many international bodies. The Philippines remain on schedule to commercialize genetically engineered, insect-resistant eggplant in 2009 and virus-resistant papaya and nutritionally-enhanced rice soon thereafter.

Searice conducted a study in 2006 mainly to find out the farmers’ adoption and assessment of Bt corn. The study covered three of the top corn-producing provinces in the country: Isabela, Bukidnon and North Cotabato. The results showed that only 25 farmers out of 790 respondents or a measly 3.16 percent planted Bt corn during the main cropping season of 2006 amounting to only 3 percent of all the respondents’ total corn area. The study also found out that prior to the first cropping season, few farmers who tried using Bt corn did not repeat planting its seeds.