GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISM IN THE PHILIPPINES:

ANALYZING THE IMPACT OF GMOs IN THE PHILIPPINE CONTEXT

A Research Paper Presented to The

Faculty of The College of Arts and Sciences
Naga College Foundation Incorporated

In Partial Fulfillment
The Requirements for The
Science, Technology, and Society

Albea S. Camalla
Julius A. Saludes
BS CRIMINOLOGY 1-CC
December 2022
Introduction
The Philippines is one of the countries that acquired and implemented
Genetically Modified Organisms or so-called GMOs. Since the year it was started to
implement, it has become a concern to different Filipinos. The government sector,
consumers, and farmers. However, conflicts are more often between the government
and farmers because the GMOs implemented here in the Philippines are focusing more
on Agri-Crops for a certain issue rather than non-crops and both have their stands
regarding the implementation of it. GMOs have been promoted as an innovative
advance in the worldwide endeavor. Regardless of the benefits, this could bring to the
Filipinos, still, it has simultaneously been criticized for its potential to bring about
significant disruption to the environment.

Background of The Study

The use of genetically modified organisms, also known as "GMOs," continues to
raise controversy. This issue is a result of the divergent perspectives of countries with
an interest in the production or consumption of GM crops. GMOs could enhance food
production, according to proponents in underdeveloped countries, by making plants
more resistant to pesticides, which would reduce the need for farmers to purchase often
expensive or inaccessible chemicals. However, many organizations and countries are
wary of or overtly hostile to GMOs because of the possibility of undesirable ecological
and agricultural impacts.

As one of the first nations in Asia to authorize and sell a GM crop, the Philippines
is a useful case study for analyzing a developing nation's strategy for managing the
environmental implications of GM crops in the face of outside pressure. One of the first
Asian nations to establish biosafety legislation was the Philippines, however, existing
regulations fall short of protecting the environment due to a lack of enforcement and
coverage gaps. The regulatory process needs to be made more efficient, and legislation
that would give the agencies in charge of enforcing it more authority must be approved.
Objectives
● Reasons for acquiring Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in the
Philippines
● Different Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) food and non-food in the
Philippines
● Benefits and potential risks of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in
the Philippines

Method(s)
With merely the researcher's expertise, the information could not possibly be
included in this study. With the use of the internet and laptop/PC, the researchers were
able to find information that will identify the reasons for acquiring GMOs in the
Philippines, different GMO food and non-foods in the PH, and the benefits and potential
risks of GMOs in the PH.

Discussion
In 35 years, or 2049, there will be nine billion people on the planet. Agriculture
faces a difficult problem in figuring out how to sustainably feed all of these people with
nutritious food. Even though there is a growing need for food, including both grains and
animal protein, most key crops are now producing at a level that is not increasing.
Meeting the task of raising yields, demands a persistent commitment to creating a
stable supply of superior varieties and lines for all important crops. To cover the gap left
by conventional breeding, which is insufficient to meet demand, genetically modified
organism (GMO) crops are being created. However, there is still disagreement on
whether GM crops are safe for the environment and human consumption. Additionally,
since the Philippines is one of the countries experiencing food scarcity, Filipino
researchers introduced GMOs in agriculture as a way to combat nutrient deficiency and
malnutrition. What were the reasons why the Philippines acquired genetically modified
organisms (GMOs)? The answer to that question is complex, but at its foundation, there
is a lack of understanding of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), how they impact
crops and the food supply, and the depth of the problem that agriculture will face over
the next two decades and beyond. The researchers purposefully focused on agriculture
and plants in the previous phase because GMOs are largely acknowledged in the
medical world. The creation of recombinant proteins, which are frequently employed to
provide effective medicines for a variety of illnesses, has not been attempted to be
banned or demonized. The most notable example of this is the fact that genetically
modified bacteria produce human insulin 3, which is frequently used to treat diabetes. It
is well established that the use of biotechnology is having an impact on the reduction of
poverty and hunger in developing countries, especially China and India (if one can still
classify these two as developing), where the development and deployment of GM crops
have been adopted. Economic gains are translating into improving agriculture-based
economies, and higher and more stable yields are easing some of the concerns about
food security.

This is where GMOs introduced in the Philippines such as the Bacillus

thuringiensis (Bt) corn, Bt talong (eggplant), and Golden Rice, enter: as a solution to
relieve and, eventually, end the battle against hunger. It also aims to give the farmers a
chance to provide food while farming sustainably and efficiently without the threat of
having shortages or attacks of insects that kill their crops, GMO experts and advocates
say. In areas of the world like the Philippines where food is very essential in living and
frequently the main source of nutrition, Golden Rice was introduced that aimed to offer a
low-cost, effective, easily distributed, and delivered, dietary source of vitamin A. The
research teams led by Ingo Potrykus and Peter Beyer took 25 years to perfect Golden
Rice to the point where field tests could be carried out. The majority of the scientific and
regulatory obstacles have been solved. For this research to be funded, private firms had
to agree to offer unfettered access to their intellectual property rights for the multiple
patented components of the gene constructions, necessitating an unequaled
collaboration between the public and private sectors. Bt corn is also a GMO in which
through genetic engineering, the Bt gene was incorporated in the corn plant’s DNA to
enhance its resistance against insect attacks, such as the Asiatic corn borer. This
method helped many farmers produce corn resistant to insects and saved them money
from using pesticides. Bt corn required 54 percent fewer pesticides than ordinary hybrid
[OH] corn to produce the same amount of corn grain from 2003 to 2011, Gonzales said.

The cultivation of GM crops poses risks not only to the environment but also to
humanity. Since it talks about GM crops, farmers and consumers might be the most
affected especially in their health and their daily living. The fact that GMOs are not yet
fully accepted by farmers because of the possible risks they think that they could give to
our environment, the local government might lessen their support to our local farmers
and inversely, they will increase support for those who are using GMOs or might import
other GMO goods from other countries. Risks to consumer health are still unknown but
this would be possible if we reach the point where GMO products are only what we’re
intaking. While in the environment, one prominent risk is "gene flow," which is the
possibility that the engineered genes (Transgenes") from GM crops might escape and
be incorporated into wild populations. Gene flow is a natural part of evolution and
occurs with conventional crops as well as engineered crops. However, in the
biotechnology realm, gene flow refers to the possibility that GM crops will hybridize with
their wild relatives, resulting in the transfer of the transgenes from the GM crops to their
wild counterparts. For this reason, GM organisms have been identified as a potential
risk through which "foreign and potentially invasive genes may be introduced into a new
environment. The subject matter of GMOs divides people. GMO proponents contend
that these organisms are not only safe for us and the environment, but they could also
be a very positive development. The risk of harmful effects on our environment is high
and difficult to predict, according to those who are anti-GMO. The extent of potential
environmental harm from the spread of GMO genes into wild plants and microbes must
be assessed. The environment may be impacted by GM crops in both the short and
long term. Crops are being modified in various ways through breeding. The three most
prevalent types of modification are drought tolerance, disease resistance, and pesticide
resistance. Crops that we frequently work with can undergo additional, more minor
alterations.
Conclusion
Based on the results gathered, researchers concluded that the Philippines still
has a long way to go whether it be in terms of research, policy, or usage. With the
ever-growing innovations and discoveries in science, the current roster of GMO crops
can further improve. There are conflicting claims made in this research study about
whether consuming genetically modified organisms (GMOs) is good or bad for human
health. However, at the current time, people are more focused on the benefits given to
them. More Grains and Rice enrichment are some of the benefits farmers could get
from utilizing genetically modified organisms. There are counterarguments to every
claim of a health risk associated with GMOs, either refuting the claim or arguing that
GMOs have a more positive impact than negative ones. The potential emergence of
allergens to genetically modified organisms and toxicity from it are the two most
significant GMO risks to people. However, studies also demonstrate that GMOs have
advantages such as improved food nutrition.

References
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Genetically Modified Organisms. (n.d.). Genetically Modified Organisms. Retrieved
December 6, 2022, from
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