Biotechnology in the Philippines

An Nicole Canaway Emil Gabriel Gabrang

• The Philippines is the first ASEAN country to initiate a biotechnology regulatory system with the issuance of Executive Order No. 430 in 1990, which established the National Committee on Biosafety of the Philippines (NCBP). The countries biosafety regulatory system follows strict scientific standards and has become a model for member-countries of the ASEAN seeking to become producers of agricultural biotechnology crops.

• Agricultural biotechnology is recognized by the Philippine government as one of the potent tools to attain food security and sustainable agriculture, and promote health and food/environmental safety. This section traces the development of modern agricultural biotechnology in the country. It contains a slideshow of notable milestone events in the history of modern agricultural biotechnology R&D in the Philippines that evolved since 1970s.

1979Establishment of UPLB BIOTECH The National Institutes for Microbiology and Biotechnology (now called National Institute for Molecular Biology and Biotechnology) of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), was established.

1987GE Guidelines Formulation Public sector scientists formulated the guidelines for genetic engineering (GE).

1990Executive Order No. 430The National Committee on Biosafety of the Philippines (NCBP) was established by virtue of Executive Order No. 430 on 15 October 1990.

1991NCBP Biosafety Guidelines NCBP issued the country's first biosafety guidelines that covers primarily the importation, transport and contained use of GMOs. It contains procedures for evaluation and required containment levels for each activity.

1995Presidential Proclamation No. 526 In February 2, 1995, then president Fidel Ramos issued Proclamation no. 526 constituting the various biotechnology institutes within the University of the Philippines System as the network of the national institutes of biotechnology, and designating the said network as National Center of Excellence in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology.

1996Bt corn greenhouse trial / GM rice congressional hearing The NCBP revised the country's biosafety guidelines.

The first greenhouse trial of Bt corn and the congressional hearing on genetically modified (GM) rice were conducted.

1997National Biotechnology R&D Program Billed as the “Biotechnology: Pole-vaulting Philippine Agriculture in the 21st Century”, the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) approved the National Biotechnology R&D Program for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources spearheaded by the DOST’s Philippine Council for Agriculture Forestry and Natural Resources (PCARRD).The Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act of 1997 (AFMA), which was passed and signed by then President Fidel V. Ramos, fully recognized the importance of biotechnology in modernizing Philippine agriculture.

1998Papaya Biotechnology Network Southeast Asian countries, including the Philippines, formed the Papaya Biotechnology Network to develop virus-resistant and delayed-ripening papaya varieties.

1999DOST-PCARRD Crop Biotechnology Program The DOST-PCARRD Crop Biotechnology Program (Coconut, Mango, Papaya, Corn and Banana) was implemented.

1999 - 2001

Field Testing of Bt Corn The first field testing of Bt corn was conducted in 1999. Monsanto Philippines and Pioneer-HiBred conducted multi-location field trial of Bt corn in 2001.

2000DA Biotechnology Program The Department of Agriculture's Biotechnology Program Implementation Unit was established.

2001Philippine Policy Statement on Modern Biotechnology

Former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo issued policy statement on safe and responsible use of modern biotechnology.

2002DA Administrative Order No. 8 / Bt Corn Approval -The Department of Agriculture issued Administrative Order No. 8 which governs the import and release into the environment of biotech plants/products. -After seven years of rigorous scientific study and evaluation, the Bt corn was approved for planting in the country.

2005Herbicide-tolerant Corn Approval -The second biotech crop, a herbicide-tolerant corn, was approved for cultivation in the country.-Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo issued the Proclamation No. 861 establishing the National Biotechnology Week

2006National Biosafety Framework The National Biosafety Framework was established through the virtue of Executive Order No. 514.

2007Institutionalization of the National Biotechnology Week -The Philippine government institutionalized the annual celebration of the National Biotechnology Week thru Presidential Proclamation 1414.-The Philippines became one of the signatories to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety on January 8, 2007.

2008Creation of Biosafety Clearing House (BCH) Pilipinas The National Committee on Biosafety of the Philippines (NCBP), Departments of Science and Technology (DOST), Agriculture (DA), Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and Health (DOH) announced the official launching of the BCH Pilipinas: The Philippine Biosafety Clearing House (BCH), on 7 August 2008.

2009Completion of Bt Eggplant Limited Confined Trial The NCBP issued the Certification of Satisfactory Completion of Confined Trial of Bt eggplant to the Institute of Plant Breeding, Crop Science Cluster, University of the Philippines Los Baños.

2010Completion of Bt Cotton Confined Field Testing -The Cotton Development Authority has completed the confinec field testing of Bt cotton.-DA-BPI has issued permits for Bt eggplant multilocation field trials for three sites in March 2010 and for the remaining four trial sites in June 2010.-More than 540,000 hectares planted with Bt corn.

2011Completion of Golden Rice Confined Field Testing / Launching of Philippine Genome Center -The Philippine Rice Research Institute completed the confined field testing for Golden Rice.-The Philippine Genome Center (PGC) was launched in November 2011 at the University of the Philippines Diliman. Health, agriculture, biodiversity for drug discovery and bioenergy, forensics and ethnicity, and ethical, legal, and social issues associated with genomics research are the priority areas of PGC.

2012Philippine area planted to biotech maize reached 750,000 ha. In 2012, the area planted to biotech maize in the Philippines is projected to increase to 750,000 hectares, up 16% from the estimated hectares of biotech maize in 2011. Notably, the area occupied in 2012 by the stacked traits of Bt/HT maize is 675,000 hectares, compared with only 545,000 hectares in 2011, with the stacked trait maize occupying 90% of total biotech maize hectares in 2012, reflecting the preference of farmers for stacked traits and the superior benefits they offer over a single trait.