Sta. Rosa, NUEVA ECIJA — Farmers and scientists raise alarm over the entry of genetically-modified (GM) rice variety after multinational giant Bayer Crop Science reportedly applied for the importation of LLRICE62 in food, feed and processing categories of the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI).

LibertyLink® rice 62 (LLRice62) is a variety of rice genetically-modified to tolerate the herbicide Glufosinate ammonium. It was developed by Bayer Crop Science, a giant multinational corporation (MNCs) from the United States involved in developing bio-engineered plant and animal varieties.

"LLRICE62 is a rice variety included among the deregulated rice lines in the US, meaning there wasn't any thorough investigation to prove that it is safe for humans and whose approval was based only by the written claims of biotech companies such as Bayer," according to
Veronica Promentilla, Advocacy Officer of MASIPAG.

MASIPAG, or Magsasaka at Siyentipiko para sa Pag-unlad ng Agrikultura (Farmers and Scientists for Agricultural Development) is a non-governmental organization involved in the development and propagation of sustainable agriculture.

MASIPAG particularly emphasizes the protection and cultivation of traditional rice varieties and organic farming among its constituency.

According to Chris Panerio, MASIPAG Vice Chairperson for Luzon, among those who submitted letters of protest were Gabay ng Bagong Pag-asa - Gapan (GBP), GBP-Bagong Sikat, Kawanggawa Multi-Purpose Cooperative, Inc. (MPCI), Samahang Tinig and Pinagkaisang Magsasaka ng Pamaldan, all from Nueva Ecija province.

Not accepted anywhere else

In their letter of protest to BPI obtained by GLNS, the farmers claim "no country has commercially cultivated LLRICE62 or any other GM rice variety worldwide, because it is not acceptable by the market."

In August 2006, MASIPAG avers, a controversy erupted in the United States after rice stocks were discovered to be illegally contaminated with GM rice. A similar contamination was also subsequently discovered in France, Sweden, Switzerland and Germany.

As a result, Japan reportedly suspended the importation of rice from the United States while the European Union strictly regulated the entry of rice from the US.

According to MASIPAG, a legal petition was even filed by the Center for Food Safety at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to rescind the approval of LLRICE62 and LLRICE06 because these can be considered as "plant pests" that would "contaminate ordinary rice, propagate weeds which is hard to control, and multiply chemical residues."

Both GM rice varieties were reportedly approved by the USDA in 1999, but were never cultivated anywhere in the world.

No capacity

"Wala ring kapasidad ang ating bansa upang i-monitor, magbukod, at mag-label ng ganitong mga klaseng produkto, kaya lalong walang dahilan upang papasukin ang anumang uri ng palay ng GM dito, (The country does not have the capacity to monitor, segregate and label products such as these, thus, there is no reason to allow the entry of any GM rice here), " Promentilla claims further.

Promentilla fears that the entry of LLRICE62 may be compounded after the Philippine government accepted Public Law 480 (PL 480) of the US Department of Agriculture.

PL 480 of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) enables the export of 69,000 MT of rice to the Philippines and includes a $20M loan package.

"Tiyak na ang Pilipinas ang magiging kauna-unahang bansang pikit-matang tatanggap ng GM na bigas," Promentilla said further.

Floodgates

Furthermore, scientists fear that the approval of LLRICE62 would open the floodgates for the entry of other GM rice varieties in the country, following the approval for cultivation of various GM corn varieties such as Bt corn, Roundup-ready corn, and the Roundup-Ready/Bt corn.

Bt corn, was bio-engineered to contain a naturally occurring soil bacterium, Bacillus thuringiensis (or Bt) in order to control the common crop pest - the larvae of the European corn borer.

Bt corn was introduced in the country in 2003.

Roundup Ready corn was engineered to include the popular pesticide brand.