Singapore, Jan 21, 2010: Mr Santiago A. Palizada is a member of Post Approval Monitoring committee, Bureau of Plant Industry, Biotech Core team, (BPI-BCT) Dept. of Agriculture, Govt. of Philippines. Here he shares his views with Biospectrum on the introduction of biotech crops, Public-Private Partnerships and regulatory proces followed in agribiotech sector in Phillipines.

In my own point of view, the Philippine government institutions under the umbrella of the Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and State Colleges and Universities (SCU’s) like the University of the Philippines at Los Baños, Diliman, Manila and Visayas have strong collaborations and partnerships with the private industry stakeholders on agricultural biotechnology encompassing from technology generation to commercialization. Specifically, some of the attached bureau’s or agencies of the DA deeply involved on agricultural biotechnology includes the Bureau of Plant Industry, Bureau of Animal Industry, Philippine Coconut Authority and Philippine Rice Research Institute (Please refer to the corresponding websites of the organizations for their specific functions and services on agricultural biotechnology).

Private stakeholder partner organizations in the Philippines involved on agriculture biotechnology have active participation in bringing the technologies to the Filipino farmers. They play vital role in commercializing the GM technology.

The University of the Philippines Los Baños – Institute of Plant Breeding (UPLB-IPB) is one of the examples of the premier government institution involved in the development of agricultural biotechnology in the Philippines. UPLB-IPB spearheads the project on the development and commercialization of Philippine Fruit and Shoot Borer (FSB) resistant eggplants containing MAHYCO Bt eggplant Event, EE-1 in the Philippines.

 I would like to quote the statement of Atty. Arthur C. Yap, Secretary of the Philippine Department of Agriculture in his message to the book, entitled “Modern Biotechnology & Agriculture – A History of the Commercialization of Biotech Maize in the Philippines”, authored by Leonardo Gonzales, Emil Javier, Dolorez Ramirez, Flerida Cariño and Arthur Baria, published on 2009 by STRIVE Foundation, Los Baños, Laguna.

“Biotechnology has become – and remains to be – one of the most important tools of government, in close collaboration with the private sector, to modernize Philippine agriculture and ensure for Filipinos, especially Filipino farmers, a prosperous and food-secured future.’’

“The way for the adoption of biotechnology in the Philippines, specifically in the agriculture sector, has been paved by genetically-modified corn, more specifically the corn variety infused with the Bacillus thuringiensis gene or more popularly known as Bt corn. The process followed by the government in approving the various stages in the commercialization of the crop, from limited trials to the final approval for the corn’s propagation, have unquestionably proven the viability of establishing a regulatory framework and a set of protocol that take into account the concerns of all stakeholders while ensuring the safety of humans, animals, and the environment. Our process could be a model for the whole of Southeast Asia.”

On December 4, 2002, the Philippine Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Plant Industry (DA-BPI) approved the commercialization of MON810 - the first genetically modified plant. That can be considered as major breakthrough.

 

In 1987, scientists from the University of the Philippines Los Banos (UPLB) and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), the Quarantine Officer of the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), and the Director for Crops of the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD), recognizing the potential harm of the introduction of exotic species and genetic engineering formed a committee and formulated the biosafety protocols and guidelines for genetic engineering and related research activities for UPLB and IRRI researchers. The committee went on to draft a Philippine biosafety policy, which was submitted to the Office of the President.

In March 17, 2006, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo issued Executive Order No.514, "Establishing the National Biosafety Framework", prescribing guidelines for its implementation, reorganizing the National Committee on Biosafety of the Philippines, and for other purposes. The NCBP now involves more government agencies such as the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and Department of Health (DOH) to reflect the breadth and complexity of issues related to modern biotechnology. Other Departments and agencies which shall participate in biosafety decision making where appropriate, are the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), in promoting and protecting Philippine interests on biosafety in bilateral, regional and multilateral forums; the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), in relation to biosafety decisions which have impact on trade, intellectual property rights, investments and consumer welfare and protection; the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples, in relation to biosafety decisions which have a specific impact on indigenous peoples and communities; and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), in relation to biosafety decisions which have impact on the autonomy of local government units.

Then on October 15, 1990, recognizing the potential for modern biotechnology both in improving the lives of the people and in creating hazards if not handled properly, President Corazon C. Aquino issued Executive Order 430, creating the National Committee on Biosafety of the Philippines (NCBP) that formulated, reviewed and amended national policy on biosafety and formulated guidelines on the conduct of activities on genetic engineering. Thus, the NCBP comprised the representatives of the Departments of Agriculture (DA); Environment and Natural Resources (DENR); Health (DOH); and Science and Technology (DOST), 4 scientists in biology, environmental science, social science and physical science; and 2 respected members of the community.

Again on July 16, 2001, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo issued the Policy Statement on Modern Biotechnology, reiterating the government policy on promoting the safe and responsible use of modern biotechnology. On April 3, 2002, Department of Agriculture issued an Administrative Order No. 8, Series of 2002, implementing the guidelines for importation and release into the environment of plants and plant products derived from the use of modern biotechnology.

Since its creation, the BPI- BCT has been responsible in providing administrative and technical support in the processing of application forms, evaluate completeness and sufficiency of the submitted applications, conduct of environmental risk assessment and establish registry of regulated products. The BPI-BCT was also tasked to document reports, proposals, guidelines and other procedural activities relevant to AO No. 8.

There are wide range of application forms for propagation, direct use, field testing, and contained use. The renewal forms are petition for the renewal of permit for propagation and permit for direct use. The risk assessment forms are the following: (1) risk analysis report for propagation, (2) risk analysis report for direct use, (3) risk analysis report for limited fields testing, (4) risk analysis report for multi location fields testing, (5) risk assessment report for propagation of stacked genes, and (6) risk assessment report for direct use of stacked genes.

Through the BCT, the implementation of biotechnology regulation was effectively managed. The perseverance, resourcefulness, dedication and continuous capability building of the Biotech Core Team members in performing the task of modern biotechnology regulation led for the Philippines to become a model for developing countries for its science based and transparent biosafety regulatory system for biotech crops.

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.

 

Under the Department of Agriculture Administrative Order No. 8, Series of 2002, Monsanto applied to the BPI for the commercial production of MON 810. 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.

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.

 

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 knows what are involved in crop production and would be able to make an intelligent decision.

Specifically, the major crops currently under the field trial in the Philippines are corn, papaya and eggplant.