Anti-GMO ordinance needs overhauling, says BM Ibañez
BACOLOD CITY -- The Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Negros Occidental needs to overhaul Ordinance 007 that bans the genetically modified organism (GMO) in the province, said Provincial Board Member Dr. Melvin Ibañez.
Ibañez said the Ordinance will be reviewed by the provincial board which will convene as the committee of the whole.
He said the direction of the review is to seek an early resolution on this problem and come up with a win-win solution to all stakeholders.
He said that if necessary, they will invite the expert who drafted the Ordinance and also the Scientist and Agricultural Engineer to shed light on the gray area between Bio-Technology and Organic Law.
There is conflict on this law even in the national level.
It has been a known fact that Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental and Bohol are the provinces that ban the GMO.
But the only Test Kit that the province had was only for corn.
"We don't have a Test Kit for vaccines, processed food and a lot more," Ibañez said.
The Ordinance has no Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR), he added.
Ibañez said there are GMO products that passed the Bio-Safety standards.
He said there is no clinical evidence that GMOs have direct harmful effects on human health and would stand against GMOs if any direct negative effects are clinically proven.
The claims against GMO are only the potential risk but not evidence-based, he said.
All drugs have its side effect, but the benefits are bigger than the side effects, Ibañez stressed.