Biotech experts: GMO crops passed rigorous tests

All genetically modified (GMO) crops have passed thorough rigorous tests before they were released commercially under a permit from the Agriculture Department. This was the position taken by Filipino biotech scientists and experts during a recently held training course for regulators and educators at the Philippine Rice Research Institute in Nueva Ecija. Saturnina Halos, chair of the Department of Agriculture’s Biotechnology Technical Advisory Team, said that all GMO crops available in the market were subjected to careful and detailed studies. Following strict conditions, she said GMOs were compared with non-GMO counterparts. Results of field tests and other studies were also reviewed by different independent scientists under the Scientific and Technical Review Panel. “We are very scrupulous when it comes to GMO regulation. We don’t just accept evaluation of studies abroad. We have to have our own reviews and evaluation of those studies. We have our own scientists," she said. Some scientific studies have claimed that GMO varieties produce higher crop yields than normal plants, and higher tolerance levels against drought, salinity, and cold. —MR Gavin/JE/VS, GMANews.TV