Biotech Updates

GM Transgenic Events Approved in the Philippines

July 6, 2007

The Philippine’s Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) Assistant Director Clarito Barron in a press conference last Tuesday (July 3) disclosed that there were 41 transgenic events that were allowed entry to the country for food, feed, and processing. These include genetically modified (GM) soybean, canola, potato, cotton, sugarbeet, and alfalfa. Dr. Choy Mamaril,  also added that there are four transgenic varieties that are approved for propagation including the Bt corn developed by the U.S. agrochemical firm Monsanto Co., a herbicide tolerant corn also  by Monsanto, a Bt corn variety developed by Swiss company Syngenta AG, and the Round-up Ready and Bt corn variety of Monsanto. 

The press conference called by the Bureau of Plant Industry was attended by different members of the Press and the Science and Technology Review Panel of the BPI to address the health concern regarding Monsanto NK603.

For details contact Dr. C. Mamaril, supervising agriculturist of the Bureau of Plant Industry, at choymamaril@yahoo.com.