GMO ban stays in Negros Occidental

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines  – The ban on products with genetically-modified organisms in Negros Occidental remains in force despite complaints from livestock and poultry industry players who claimed that the measure is hurting their businesses.

Gov. Isidro Zayco said that Ordinance 007 is still being implemented pending a review by the Provincial Board. 

“I cannot be held liable for dereliction of duty because the implementation continues,” he said, as he reacted to a warning issued by groups advocating for organic farming.

The review was prompted by the realization that the province does not have the technical capability to determine whether the product contains GMO or not and that it needs P230 million to set up laboratories provincewide including the training of personnel.

The ordinance was passed in 2007 in compliance with a requirement when the province bid to host the international organic conference.

Zayco also clarified that a call for a moratorium does not rest on him but with the legislative body, as he cited a legal opinion by provincial legal officer Jose Maria Valencia.

Valencia, at the same time, opined that the stakeholders can go to court and seek legal remedies.

Additional costs

Zayco, however, admitted difficulties in the implementation, saying that while Bacolod has an anti-GMO ordinance, it has declared a moratorium on its implementation pending capability building measures. Most of the GMO products enter through Bacolod ports, he said.

The Negros Hograisers Association, Negros Occidental Poutry Raisers Association and the Association of Backyard Raisers in Negros Occidental have called on the provincial government to declare a moratorium pending the review and possible amendments in the ordinance.

They claimed that they incurred P.9 million in additional costs for feeds after the ban was enforced in April this year. Hogs and poultry raisers were forced to source their feed requirements from Panay which translated to an additional P2 per kilo of feeds. They consume 15 tons or 15,000 kilos of feeds daily.