FOCUS ON ASIA
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"The Bohol Provincial Board has recently approved a resolution banning BT-corn and other genetically modified organism products in the province."
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DA relaxes posture on GMO products
Wenna A. Berondo
The Freeman (Philippines), October 22, 2004
http://www.thefreeman.com/local/index.php?fullstory=1&issue=articles_20041022&id=23714

The regional office of the Department of Agriculture has softened its position on Bacillus Thuringensis-corn and using Genetically Modified Organism products.

This after receiving strong opposition from Central Visayas farmers, particularly in Bohol, the biggest agricultural province in the region. The Bohol Provincial Board has recently approved a resolution banning BT-corn and other genetically modified organism products in the province.

Jose Quitazol, DA 7's assistant regional director for operations said that although tests show that GMO products are safe for the health and environment, they couldn’t force the people to patronize these.

"We can’t push with BT-corn because we respect your decision," Quitazol told farmers during a dialog with DA, Department of Agrarian Reform and Department of Environment and Natural Resources officials at CENDET yesterday.

The official said that several provinces in Mindanao and Luzon have already tried growing BT-corn and found no negative effects. He said that it has improved the quality and double the farmers' production.

"The whole world is already using it. Big companies in Mindanao are promoting it but here we don’t promote it because we respect your decision," he said.

Farmers are opposed to planting BT-corn and using GMO products because of their alleged negative effects to the environment and the consumers.

Nick Abasolo, chairperson of Kilusang Mambubukid ng Pilipinas-Cebu said that BT-corn is used by big fertilizer and pesticide companies to sell their products.

He stressed that BT-corn requires specific fertilizers and pesticides that are produced by BT-corn seed suppliers themselves.

"Farmers cannot use them because they are not good," Abasolo said.

Because of the strong opposition of farmers to BT-corn, Quitazol said that they instead encourage them to plant hybrid rice and corn seeds.

Quitazol also belied the allegations that hybrid seeds will not grow without using inorganic fertilizer.

"We have tested it in Bohol. In fact, we encourage you to use organic fertilizers when you plant hybrid seeds. Using organic fertilizers had resulted to big difference in the production," he told the farmers.