Singapore, Jan 20, 2010: The success of Bt corn in Philippines can be seen as an example for the countries having agriculture as main contributors to the economy. Biotechnology has come to the rescue of 90 million people of Philippines, where the economy heavily relies on agriculture.

The Philippines government has played an active role in this success story, benefiting thousands of small formers who have cultivated the Bt corn.

According to Dr Randy Hautea, ISAAA global coordinator and former director of Los Benos based Institute of Plant Breeding, “in Philippines, about 200,000 small farmers planted350,000 hectares of Bt corn farms in 2008, as compared to the 10,769 hactares in 2003, when the crop was approved for commercialization.” In 2009, the plantation of Bt corn crossed 400,000 hectares.

Currently Philippines stands at 11^th position among the countries that planted GM crops last year in an aggregate of 125 million ha in 25 countries. A socioeconomic impact study cited by ISAAA said that small farmers in the Philippines earn an average additional income of P7, 482/ha during the dry season and P7, 080/ ha during the wet season.

In the Philippines, the first green house evaluation was on introduced transgenic corn, the MON 810 of Monsanto Philippines..The greenhouse evaluation of MON 810 was conducted in 1996 at the CL4 greenhouse facilities of the IRRI. It was a joint undertaking of the UPLB Institute of Plant Breeding (IPB) and the Pioneer Seed Company.

The first material was engineered, incorporating the CryIA(b) gene of Bt to corn (Event MON 810), and was provided by Pioneer Seed Company. A second greenhouse evaluation of the same event was conducted in the same IRRI facilities in 1997-1998 with seeds provided by Cargill, Philippines. The greenhouse and its location were both evaluated for compliance with the biosafety standards and requirements by both IBC and the NCBP before experiments were started.

The first bioefficacy verification of MON 810 against the Asian corn borer (Ostrinia furcunalis) was conducted in Lagao, General Santos City in Mindanao from December 1999 to March 2000. It was a joint project of Agroseed Corporation (later continued by Monsanto) and IPB, UPLB.

Multi-location tests were conducted during the dry and wet seasons of 2001-2002. Nineteen (19) multi-location sites were approved by NCBP.

After two years of multi-location tests with no adverse effects being observed in the immediate environments of the test sites, the proponents decided that they were ready for the next stem: commercial production of MON 810 corn. Under the Department of Agriculture Administrative Order No. 8, Series of 2002, Monsanto applied to the BPI for the commercial production of MON 810.

Throughout the whole process, which took almost six (6) years, from the laboratory to multi-location field tests, and then commercial release in December 4, 2002, the whole range of issues concerning biotechnology and Bt corn were discussed and then resolved.

According to Dr Santiago Palizada, Biotech core team member.Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), Department of Agriculture, Govt. of Philippines, “During the 5 year period of commercial production, the BPI continuously monitored the performance of MON 810 with special focus on the effects of GM corn on the environment, the pest incidence, and the non-target organisms in the production area.”

“By the end of 5 year period, it was determined that resistance to the ACB had not diminished. An extension of another 5 years of commercial production was granted by the BPI in 2007.” he adds.

When the BPI approved the commercial production of MON 810 in 2002, about 120 ha were planted to the crop. This area increased to 12,000 ha the following year and by 2008, reached 400,000 ha in 2009.

The first approval for commercial production of MON 810 was followed by applications and approval of another GM corn with resistance not only to the ACB but also to herbicides, as well as of corn with stacked traits.

“Public concern regarding the field tests and eventual commercialization of MON 810 is an interesting phenomenon and the first in the Philippine Agriculture. Throughout the highly-charged debates, one compelling argument for the propagation of the Bt corn in the Philippines arose, from the farming sector, no less. It was a corn farmer, during one of the public debates held at DA in 2002, who pointed out that the choice of growing Bt corn was theirs and that nobody should deny them that choice. Furthermore, he claimed, it was he who knows what are involved in crop production and would be able to make an intelligent decision.”, says Dr Santiago Palizada, Biotech core team member, Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), Department of Agriculture, Govt. of Philippines.

Since last five years, the government of Philippines has hastened the process in whatever way possible. Govt. has handed over the certificates of ownerships to local tribal farmers who now own the mountain slopes covered with rows of standing crops. Using weedicides, these grassland slopes were converted into crop fields suitable for Bt corn cultivation.

Authorities claim that Bt Corn introduction has led to the increase in production from four tones per hectare to 12 tonnes per hectare in less than five years. From a meager 10,000 Pesos to 30,000-40,000 Pesos annually, the income of small farmers have also taken a leap, thereby making them happier a lot.

The crops next on list include ring spot pest resistant GM papaya, fruit & shoot borer resistant eggplant and GM rice called Golden rice. These crops would add to the crops already in the market, the Bt corn, soybeans, cotton, potato, soybean, sugar beet and canola.