The Bureau of Plant Industry- Biotechnology Office has organized a webinar entitled “Biotech Regulations in the Philippines” on August 18, 2020 with target participants from Region IV-B (MIMAROPA).The main purpose of this activity is to raise awareness and brief DA Regional counterparts, Provincial and Municipal Agriculture Officers (PAO/MAO), Corn Coordinators, BPI-Plant Quarantine Officers and other concerned/interested government agency on how biotechnology crops are regulated in the Philippines.

Dr. Maria Genaleen Diaz, BPI-Biotech Consultant and a Professor from the University of the Philippines, has shared her knowledge on the basic concepts on biotechnology and the potential applications of biotech products. Ms Geronima Eusebio, Supervising Agriculturist from BPI, discussed the basis of biotech regulations in the Philippines and the locally developed GM crops in the pipeline including Bt eggplant, Golden Rice, and Bt cotton.

Concepts on Insect Resistance Management (IRM) Strategy and its importance has been discussed by Dr. Joel Adorada who is the Head of the BPI Post Approval Monitoring Group. He emphasized the importance of the implementation of IRM in delaying resistance development of Asian Corn Borer to Bt corn. Furthermore, Dr. Peter Magdaraog, Supervising Agriculturist, has provided the participants information about the list of GM corn approved for commercial propagation in the country and the adoption data for Region IV B for the period of August 2019 to February 2020. According to Dr. Magdaraog, there was a total of 15,225ha planted to GM corn in the region during the said period. BPI is maintaining a list of the GM corn approved for planting for the information of general public especially the corn dealer and farmers. This is also to ensure that seeds utilized by farmers and consumers are compliant to BPI regulations.

BPI aims to disseminate relevant information about biotech regulations not only in Region IV-B, but in other regions of the Philippines as well.