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DA, DOST say biotech
products TWO ranking officials of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) said Filipino farmers as well as consumers who rely on biotechnology products will stand to gain more than those who rely on traditional crops. Because of the recent successes of Bt corn growers in the country, the DA is now supporting scientists involved in the research and propagation of biotechnology and genetically modified organism (GMO). DOST Secretary Estrella Alabastro attributed the success of biotechnology in the country to the men and women of the scientific community who tirelessly contributed to the safety and economic viability of biotech products. She said biotechnology has a long way to go since there are many areas in the country that need the technology to attain certain economic and social gains. The DOST and the DA has been in the forefront of advocating biotechnology as an alternative means to increase crop yields. The two officials said the technology has also made significant contributions in the fields of medicine and science. In a meeting between the two officials, the DOST secretary said she remains optimistic that biotechnology is the wave of the future. “We need biotechnology to ensure food security and provide more edible vaccines needed to fight diseases,” Alabastro said. “It will also help alleviate the poor and marginalized farmers from their current status.” She noted that the Philippines has made a giant stride in the application and safe use of biotechnology when it was ranked no. 14 in the list of “Mega-countries” producing biotechnology crops in 2004. On the other hand, Alice Ilaga, director of the DA-Biotech Program Implementing Unit (BPIU) cited that the agriculture sector will stand to gain from the fruits of the technology. She said the DA Biotech Program has been funding several research and development projects in government research laboratories where scientists can develop local products of biotechnology using indigenous crops like local hybrid rice, papaya, and other crops. “If, in the near future, the products of these researches will bear the ‘Pinoy GM’ stamp and are fully commercialized, this would surely belie the great irony about this technology’s leading to the ‘foreign domination’ of local agriculture,” Ilaga said. “The positive acceptance of the Filipino farmers who planted Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) corn is a remarkable testament to the safe use and consumption of the crops especially now that the technology is only on its third year of use by the farmers.” She cited the case of retired General Marcelo Blando and his farmers’ cooperative who continue to report bigger yields per hectare of Bt corn. The two officials agreed that the DOST and DA are fully supporting the scientific research and development of various rice varieties being conducted at the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) in Munoz City, Nueva Ecija. Ilaga cited the celebrated case of Fernando Gabuyo, Jr., a farmer from Nueva Ecija who recently came close to a world record of having the biggest rice yield. “Gabuyo got 332.5 cavans from a one hectare field,” Ilaga said. “He used the new hybrid rice variety.” |
