The Philippines poorest member of the parliament and a farmer himself-- Anakpawis Partylist Rep. Rafael V. Mariano opined the promotion and development of Golden Rice in this a country of 7,100 islands will only strengthen the widespread control of transnational corporations in agriculture and food by patenting seeds and varieties of rice. “There is no gold(en) (opportunity) in Golden Rice.” The farmer legislator solon issued this scathing statement on the occasion of the 26th anniversary of the Philippine Rice Research Institute (Philrice) in Nueva Ecija.