Move to lift ban on GMO bucked

MANILA, Philippines — Three Catholic bishops in Negros Occidental are opposing a proposal to lift a ban on the entry of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in the province.

In a statement, Archbishops Patricio Buzon, Louie Galbines and Gerardo Alminaza of Bacolod, Kabankalan and San Carlos, respectively, said the removal of the GMO ban would endanger public health and threaten the  livelihood of local farmers.

The bishops said the repeal of the ordinance, which prohibits cultivating GMOs anywhere in the province, threatens the ecological identity that Negros has built for nearly two decades.

“To weaken or repeal it would not only be imprudent. It would be irresponsible, unjust, and dangerous,” the bishops said, adding that local officials should resist any pressure that may be exerted by politicians or corporations wanting to allow the entry of GMO.

They cited a global research showing that GMO contamination is irreversible, and the industrial monoculture associated with these crops worsens soil degradation and water depletion as well as decreases pollinator populations across farming communities.

The prelates said that health risks linked to glyphosate, a chemical used in GMO farming, are undeniable.

They said the Negros Island must preserve its identity as the country’s organic agriculture capital, noting that farmers need fair markets, irrigation, insurance and resilient seeds rather than dependency on GMOs.

“In this moment of climate emergency, food insecurity and ecological crisis, we reiterate our unchanging and united stand. Negros must remain GMO-free. This is our moral duty, ecological responsibility and pastoral conviction,” the bishops said.

They urged provincial and local officials to affirm the ban, saying that any reversal threatens constitutional rights to health and ecological protection as well as the dignity of farmers and communities.

The bishops called on parishes, schools, the youth and civil society groups to defend the island’s ecological heritage and unite in protecting the land, seeds and the future.