The Philippines Department of Agriculture has prepared regulatory guidelines concerning the use of genetically modified organisms.
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However, in a weekend interview with Business World, Agriculture assistant secretary Segfredo Serrano said that president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo would have to approve the guidelines before their release.
Serrano said that the new guidelines would constitute “a science-based regulatory mechanism that will enable us to handle new categories of products”. They will regulate the introduction of GMOs into the marketplace as well handle field testing. A key element of the guidelines is that GMO companies will be obliged to provide sufficient information on the products they wish to bring into the country.
Companies wishing to undertake field testing, meanwhile, will have to apply for permission.
The guidelines do not include provisions for labelling of products containing GMOs, as such a move requires more research and inter-agency activity. However, the guidelines are intended to serve as a prerequisite for any labelling measures that will be released in future. Environment lobby groups such as Greenpeace have been calling for labelling provisions to be included in the guidelines.
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By GlobalDataPresident Macapagal-Arroyo will be presented with the guidelines next week.
