We are at the experimental farm of the Institute of Plant Breeding, University of the Philippines Los Banos in Barangay Paciano Rizal where Bt eggplant was on its last stages of field trials. [...] India early this year declared a moratorium on its commercialization, citing safety and environmental concerns. The IPB is developing the Bt eggplant in partnership with Mahyco and Cornell University with the support of the US Agency for International Development; International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications; Department of Agriculture and the Department of Science and Technology.

In sum, the scientist noted, less labor and energy, less soil erosion and less weed growth characterize farms planted to Bt corn and this translates to better incomes by way of higher yields. “Herbicide tolerance can be seen as one way to minimize environmental degradation through reduced soil erosion. With effective means to control corn borers and weeds with minimal disruption of the soil surface, the genetically modified corn hybrids were enthusiastically adopted by corn farmers,” Peczon revealed.

The farmers endorsed the continuation of the field trials of the Gm or BT eggplants in a resolution they unanimously passed at the ‘Second National Agri-biotech Farmers Conference: Productivity and Sustainability through Agri-biotechnology’ [The conference ...] was supported by the Department of Agriculture-Biotechnology Program Office, Philippine Maize Federation, the Los Baños-based Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture-Biotechnology Information Center, and International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications.

In a statement, UP-Mindanao said Bt eggplant is a variety that combines superior characteristics of traditional eggplant species and "insect-protectant" gene of a useful bacterium, which exists naturally in the soil and has been used safely as insecticidal spray by organic and conventional farmers for decades. Contrary to claims of "well-funded" environmentalist groups, UP-Mindanao said tests will instead protect human health and the environment by reducing the use of toxic chemical pesticides that farmers purchase at high costs to control eggplant fruit and shoot borer infestation.

The so-called “golden” rice will not help in the fight against vitamin A deficiency, a report released by Greenpeace at the International Rice Congress yesterday. [...] “Golden” rice has been in development for almost 20 years and has still not made any impact on the prevalence of VAD. Not only has it failed to have any impact on VAD while using money and resources that could have been given to real solutions, it is also environmentally irresponsible. Genetically Engineered crops have contaminated, and will continue to contaminate neighboring crops wherever they are released.

The municipality of Sta. Barbara in Iloilo has stopped the testing of genetically modified eggplants. In a resolution passed on Oct. 6, the Sta. Barbara municipal council suspended the field testing of the Bacillus thuringiensis eggplants in barangays Tungay and Lanag. [...] Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte earlier called for a stop to the testing at the University of the Philippines (UP) Mindanao campus.

The city’s legislative council has passed a bill supporting the executive department’s hard-line stance against the Bt eggplant, a genetically modified species being field-tested at the University of Philippines-Mindanao campus. In a resolution, Councilor Conrado C. Baluran, committee chairman on agriculture, said there is no compelling reason for Davao City to welcome the Bt eggplant because it is a complete departure from what the local government wants to pursue when it earlier approved the organic agriculture ordinance.

The Network Opposed to Genetically Modified Organisms-Philippines and Negros local farmers and stakeholders said they are continuously circulating a sign-on petition in Negros Occidental urging the Department of Agriculture to stop the field testing of the resistant eggplants containing MAHYCO Bt. The petition asks the DA, through the Bureau of Plant Industry, to stop the multi-location trial of Bt eggplant intended for commercialization and to revoke all permits that have led to the proliferation of the GM crop.

The government has been advised to consider the risks of the field testing of eggplants that have been genetically modified to create its own poison to kill pests that affect crop yielding of eggplants of up to 70 percent in Asian countries. Dr. Pushpa Mittra Bhargava, a recipient of India’s third highest civilian honorary title Padma Bhushan, flew to the Philippines to conduct an information drive, along with non-government organizations, to warn the public of the danger of Bt eggplant.

Thousands of farmers in this agricultural town urged Monday the Department of Agriculture to investigate the alleged defective genetically-modified variety of corn which is now being widely used in the Cagayan Valley and some other parts of Cordillera. Farmers [...] revealed that people who have eaten the produce from the genetically-modified corn seed have reportedly suffered from diarrhea. It has also been observed by the same farmers that even pigs who had consumed the corn produced from the RR variety corn seed also got sick.