By CESAR JOLITO III
A group has expressed strong opposition to the proposed provincial ordinance regulating genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in Negros Occidental, emphasizing the need to protect farmers, food security, and the province’s reputation as the Organic Capital of the Philippines.
In a statement issued on Monday, October 6, the MASIPAG Provincial Consultative Body – Negros (MASIPAG PCB-Negros) called on the provincial government to uphold Negros’ status as a GMO-free province and reject any legislation that would allow the planting or distribution of GMO crops.
According to the group, the introduction of GMO crops such as corn would make farmers dependent on costly seeds and chemical inputs from large corporations, ultimately burdening small-scale growers with debt and financial instability.
“We have seen the effects of this in Panay Island, where farmers lost their lands, were forced to lease or pawn them, and were even displaced from their own farms,” MASIPAG said in a statement.
“We don’t want this to happen in Negros,” they added.
MASIPAG stressed that the proposed ordinance disregards the precautionary principle and fails to recognize scientific evidence linking GMO use to potential risks to human health, the environment and the long-term sustainability of agriculture.
The group also criticized the ordinance for prioritizing corporate interests over the welfare of farmers and the public.
“The real progress is one that strengthens life and the environment, not one that profits only a few,” MASIPAG-Negros chairperson Myrna Decendario said.
MASIPAG urged the provincial government to maintain the province’s GMO-free policy and protect its thriving organic agriculture sector.
They also appealed to other local government units, including Kabankalan City and Binalbagan, to pass resolutions opposing the entry and planting of GMO crops within their jurisdictions.
“To all Negrenses, we call on you to unite to protect a GMO-free Negros,” MASIPAG declared.
“Let us defend the farmers’ right to seed, food security and environmental well-being,” they added./CJ, WDJ