Gov't urged to guard against entry of GMO products

The Ecological Society of the Philippines (ESP) is urging the government to initiate testing procedures to determine whether any of the crops and consumer goods imported from abroad and sold in the market today contain so-called genetically modified organisms (GMO). 

“This is a serious problem. Genetically modified crops are not safe beyond reasonable doubt. It has been banned in other countries, especially in Europe, and the government should protect us from the influx of imported GMOs,” said ESP president Antonio M. Claparols.

Genetic engineering has been practiced since the late 1970s after scientists discovered a method of mapping or reading DNA.

“Ordinary consumers are in no capacity to test each and every product in the market for GMOs, that is why we are urging the government to do this job for us and tell us which products contain GMOs and which products are safe to eat,” Claparols added.

Greenpeace Southeast Asia commissioned a GMO test in the Philippines in 2001 and discovered at least 30 popular brand names with GMO content.

“While some of those companies promised to remove GMO ingredients in their products, we need to be sure that they did,” Claparols said. “We also need to know if there are more processed food and agricultural crops out there in the market that are contaminated with GMOs.”

According to Claparols, among the crops that commonly use biotechnology are rice, corn and soybeams.