By Marilyn Galang/PNA
SCIENCE CITY OF MUÑOZ, Nueva Ecija — The Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) has assured that the government will never allow production of anything that could put people’s health in danger.
PhilRice project leader Reynante Ordoño gave this assurance in an interview on Wednesday after a protest action by a group of farmers against the impending field trials for genetically engineered “golden rice” at the experiment center here.
The farmers, who came from different provinces, conducted a rally in front of the PhilRice gate here to stop the government from conducting the trials.
The golden rice, which has good traits from corn incorporated into it, is expected to solve the country’s Vitamin A deficiency problem. The grains will also be rich in beta-carotene.
Farmers, however, fear it could pose a health hazard and have adverse socio-economic impact.
Ordoño, however, allayed this concern, saying the field trials are aimed at making sure the golden rice will not be hazardous to humans.
Scientists, he said, may discard the project if they find it not fit for human consumption.
“Sa existing po na mga batas ngayon, ang lahat po ng pagkain ay tinitingnan na may kaakibat po na risko. So lahat naman po ay mayrong kaakibat na risko. Wala naman pong such thing as zero risk kaya since meron pa rin pong level of risk kaya kinakailangan pong tingnan at suriin na mabuti para ma-ensure na kapag lumabas siya sa market ay walang mako-cause na harm sa mga kakain (In today’s existing laws, all foods are being looked into as to the risk that they pose. So, all have risks associated. There is no such thing as zero risk so, since there is still a level of risk, it is necessary to look and check carefully to ensure that when it comes out into the market, it will not cause harm to those who will consume it),” Ordoño explained.
He said rice scientists will never hesitate to scrap the plan to produce golden rice once they find it harmful, noting that they were used to discarding research projects such as those that failed in expected yield volume.
The creation of golden rice, he also noted, has been very transparent.
“Yung mga sina-submit naming data ay nagiging public domain so pwede pong i-scrutinize at nang lahat ay ma-satisfy pagdating sa development po nito (Those data that we have submitted became public domain, thus, it can be scrutinized and so that everyone will be satisfied when it comes to its development),” he said.
The trials will be done on a 200-square meter lot inside a 1,000-square meter area at the PhilRice experiment center here. The place will be totally controlled that even bird could not pick a seed, Ordoño said.
The field trials will be done once the local government and the Department of Agriculture (DA) issue their respective permits.
