THE COMMERCIALIZATION of bacillus thuringiensis eggplant, a genetically modified organism, is projected to triple a farmer’s net income, Cesar B. Quicoy, chair of the Department of Agricultural Economics at the College of Economics and Management at the University of the Philippines-Los Baños. ”Projected net income using Bt eggplant may reach P65,489 per hectare compared to non-Bt eggplant whose net income is estimated at P15,687 per hectare,” Mr. Quicoy said during a seminar on Benefits and Impact of a Promising Public Sector Crop Biotechnology earlier this week.

Researchers at the Philippine Rice Research Institute and the International Rice Research Institute are intent on developing a variety of rice that produces beta carotene and if they proceed, they will be the first to grow GM rice commercially. Meanwhile, the country's agriculture secretary, Proceso Alcala, is fiercely opposed to the scientists' plans and is making his opinions known--this is shaping up to be quite the domestic and potentially global controversy.

Here in the Philippines a petition letter is being circulated on the internet and among advocates where farmers, environmentalists and concerned individuals can sign to protest the field testing and intent to commercialize the Bt brinjal. Farmers reason we have enough experience with Bt-corn and RR-Corn to fear the entry of Bt brinjal. Now the transnational corporation proponents of Bt-eggplants are doing the groundwork aimed at generating public acceptance to this genetically modified crop.

Here in the Philippines a petition letter is being circulated on the internet and among advocates where farmers, environmentalists and concerned individuals can sign to protest the field testing and intent to commercialize the Bt brinjal. Farmers reason we have enough experience with Bt-corn and RR-Corn to fear the entry of Bt brinjal. Now the transnational corporation proponents of Bt-eggplants are doing the groundwork aimed at generating public acceptance to this genetically modified crop.

Researchers and collaborators of the Fruit and Shoot Borer Resistant (FSBR)/Bt eggplant project, members of Institutional Biosafety Committees (IBC) and regional plant quarantine officers from seven Bt/FSBR eggplant multi-location trial sites in the Philippines underwent a biosafety and biotech communication skills enhancement training [...] the training was part of a series of capacity building and technology acceptance initiatives related to the Bt/FSBR eggplant product development.

A group opposed to the cultivation of genetically modified (GM) eggplant Sunday urged Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala to stop field trials of the vegetable in six testing sites in the country. The Southeast Asian Regional Initiatives for Community Empowerment (Searice) made the appeal over the weekend in the hope of convincing Alcala to scrap the tests and junk any move to commercialize the production of the GM eggplant.

The Philippines will become the first in Asia to commercialize the genetically modified fruit and shoot borer-resistant eggplant by 2011. This developed after the harvest of Bacillus thuringiensis eggplant, funded by the United States Agency for International Development, in a trial site in Pangasinan. [...] the Indian government has halted its commercial release due to lobbying from environmental groups. Bt eggplant will be the first GM vegetable to be released in the country.

Governor-elect Alfredo Marañon Jr. yesterday said the push to make Negros Island an organic food bowl and the ban on the entry of Genetically Modified Organisms, with a few exemptions, will continue under his administration. [...] Governor-elect Marañon said the ordinance banning GMO in Negros Occidental will stay with a few amendments to allow for items, such as medicines with GMOs, to enter the province.

Board Member Nehemias dela Cruz yesterday said he has withdrawn his authorship of a proposed ordinance that would allow the co-existence of organic farming and Genetically Modified Organic-based farming in Negros Occidental. The Negros Occidental provincial government has an existing ordinance banning GMO products in the province, and the proposed ordinance authored by Board Members dela Cruz, Enrique Miguel Lacson and Edgardo Acuña was seen as their response to the clamor from some sectors, especially from the poultry and livestock industries, to lift the ban.

Greenpeace challenged president-apparent Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III to live up to his promise [...]to strictly enforce environmental laws and be the “greenest” Philippine president. [...] Aquino supports organic agriculture and other environment-friendly food production technologies [...] Greenpeace is hoping that genetically-engineered or genetically-modified rice will not be approved under Aquino’s term.