GMO entry in Negros Occidental bucked

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — Organic farming advocates and allied groups in Negros Occidental are opposing the proposed entry and development of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in the province.

The groups said that introducing GMO testing will undermine decades of work that made Negros Occidental the leader in organic farming, food sovereignty and ecological sustainability.

Edgardo Uychiat, president of the Negros Island Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development Foundation Inc., said the province’s success in organic farming is not compatible with genetic modification.

San Carlos Bishop Gerardo Alminaza underscored the moral and spiritual dimensions of the issue.

“We are stewards, not owners, of this land. To test GMOs in Negros Occidental is to sow seeds of greed where God calls us to sow seeds of life,” Alminaza said.

This developed after the Sangguniang Panlalawigan on Tuesday approved on first reading a resolution providing rules and guidelines on research, development, handling, use, movement, release and management of GMOs.

Provincial administrator Rayfrando Diaz II said the groups’ reaction were “premature and unfair,” as a public hearing on the matter will be conducted on Sept. 9 to clarify and allow stakeholders to voice their opinions on the issue.