Iloilo farmers oppose biotechnology

By Leny G. Gabo

Farmers in the province of Iloilo strongly oppose the biotechnology that is being promoted by some Filipino scientists.

Former Board Member Victorino Salcedo II of Sara said he personally does not agree with biotechnology since it is not suited to the means of production by the farmers in the province of Iloilo

He said farmers primarily depend on traditional farming in which crops are being rotated in every planting season.    He added that the biotechnology as presented by the scientists is not applicable in Iloilo . Primarily, he is against Bt rice, in which genetic modification is applied to the rice variety.

Salcedo does not believe the genetic modification on rice would be productive in the province since it would even mean limited supply for the rice seeds among farmers as they would only focus on the modified seeds.

He said the farmers have already drafted a resolution opposing the entry of the biotechnology in the province of Iloilo .

Salcedo said the resolution would be forwarded to the provincial board.

Recently, scientists of Biotechnology Coalition of the Philippines (BCP) presented findings for the new technology in enhancing crop production.

It referred to the scientific tests and findings that farmers would earn more by producing crops like the Bacillus thuringiensis ( Bt ) corn and Bt cotton using genetically modified seeds.

The group has plans to produce Bt rice in the Iloilo in order to help farmers increase their production.  

Dr. Saturnina Halos, head of the Department of Agriculture – Biotechnology Advisory Unit (DA-BAT) said the country's biosafety regulatory system which is being strictly enforced by the National Committee on Biosafety of the Philippines (NCBP) has greatly contributed to the success of the biotech program in the country. According to her it is because of the very stringent process it enforces compared to those implemented by European and ASEAN countries.

The scientists stressed that the shift to agricultural biotechnological products is great boost to the country's campaign to ensure long-term food security and a reduction of costly importations of food products that could be grown in the Philippines.