The North Cotabato provincial board has endorsed the field testing of the controversial Bacillus thuringiensis eggplant or Bt Talong but actual trial has yet to commence [...] Sought for comment, Rakim Tantung, Department of Agriculture-Southwestern Mindanao plant quarantine division chief, said they were not aware of such development, even as he assured that the field experiment has yet to start. ”We would know if the trial has commenced because the planting materials have to pass our office,” he told MindaNews.