Philippine Discovered and Invented Bio-Corn want to sow in USA and ASEAN countries

Philippines eyes working with US, ASEAN on genetically modified crops

The Philippines is open to collaborating with the United States and members of the Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN), to share its experience on how biotechnology allowed Filipino farmers to improve their productivity, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Wednesday.

 In his remarks during the agriculture and food security conference for the ASEAN diplomatic community in Washington DC, Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia Jr. said the Philippines is willing to share the knowledge and experience it has obtained in the 10 years it has implemented its science-based regulatory system for products of modern biotechnology and also learn from the experiences of the US and ASEAN.

 The Philippines is considered a leader in biotechnology in Southeast Asia, being the first country in the region to have a regulatory system for biotech products in place and the first to grow a major biotech crop for food, feed and processing – Bt corn – that was approved for commercial production in 2002.

 "To date, biotechnology is contributing towards increased farmers' incomes and food security," Cuisia said, citing the increase not only in land area devoted to Bt corn production – from 11,000 hectares in 2003 to 685,000 hectares in 2011 – but also in the number of farmers from 10,000 in 2003 to 300,000 in 2011.

 The conference, attended by Philippine embassy officials, was organized by the US Department of State and Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the American chemical manufacturer E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company (DuPont) as a forum for participants to gather and exchange information on the role of agricultural biotechnology in achieving sustainable agriculture production.

 "The Philippine Government policy is to promote the safe and responsible use of modern biotechnology as one of the means to achieve food security, equal access to health services, a sustainable and safe environment and industry development," Dr. Josyline C. Javelosa, Philippine Agriculture attaché, told US and ASEAN diplomats during a panel discussion at the DuPont Chesapeake Farms in Maryland, last Oct. 16.

 "This enabled Filipino farmers to increase their incomes and adopt sustainable agricultural practices," Javelosa said, citing results of a study that showed Bt corn farmers earned 38 percent more than other corn farmers. The additional value of Bt corn to corn productivity is estimated between $100 million to $400 million.

 Others in the panel discussion on "Food Security, Agriculture Technology and the Role of Government" were Jack Bobo, senior advisor for Biotechnology from the State Department; Dr. Pace Lubinsky, USDA Science advisor; Dr. Judy Chambers, director, Program on Biosafety Systems of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research; Dr. John Duesing, senior director for Regulatory Science Support and Operations of DuPont Pioneer. The panel was moderated by Max Holtzman, USDA senior advisor.

 In the discussions, Cuisia sought the comments of panel members on the warning by Greenpeace that the Philippine government's approval of genetically modified crops will lead to a food crisis because inputs for crops are dependent on supplies controlled by giant agrochemical corporations.

 In response, the panel members said farmers are intelligent and would adopt a technology with economics as the driver. According to them, genetically modified crops like Bt corn require less insecticide. Panel members also agreed on the need to address public misperceptions about biotechnology by coming out with the best messages on its safety and benefits.

Javelosa said the Philippines is not considering biotechnology as the only approach to improve farm productivity and sustainability but is only one of several options it would like farmers to have access to. The Philippines is also very active in promoting organic agriculture.

The daylong event included field tours at the 3,300-acre DuPont facility in Chestertown, Maryland, that gave participants an opportunity to see biotech crops in the field, observe harvest activities, and listen to briefings by farmers and researchers.

The program was opened by DuPont vice president Jim Borel and USDA Deputy Undersecretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services Darci Vetter. This was followed by a presentation about DuPont and DuPont Pioneer in ASEAN by DuPont director for International Government Affairs Geoff Gambles.

GMA News

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Commission on Election disqualifies 12 more partylist groups from 2013 polls

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) announced Wednesday that it has disqualified 12 existing party-list groups from running in the 2013 polls.

Comelec chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr., in a press conference, said that among those disqualified were:

1. AGRI
2. AKMA-PTM
3. AKO AGILA
4. AKO BAHAY
5. BANTAY
6. PACYAW
7. PM MASDA
8. KAKUSA
9. COFA
10. ARARO
11. KATUTUBO
12. OPO

Brillantes noted that the 12 participated in the 2010 elections.

Among the 12 that were disqualified based on unanimous votes, KAKUSA or Kapatiran ng mga Nakulong ng Walang Sala, had one incumbent congressman - Representative Ranulfo Canonigo. A party-list that claims to represent political detainees, Kakusa has Romeo Jalosjos as its president and chairman emeritus.

The poll body had earlier announced that it had disqualified Ako-Bicol, APEC, 1-CARE, Aangat Tayo and 12 other party-list groups.

The Comelec has been undergoing a re-evaluation of old and new party-list groups as part of their efforts to cleanse the party-list system, which has been criticized as being dominated by bogus organizations or by groups whose nominees were either multimillionaires, former government officials or members of powerful political clans.

The announcement of the disqualifications brought to 87 the total number of party-lists up for review and still awaiting decision from the poll body. Brillantes had earlier said that they were reviewing 115 existing party-lists.

When pressed by reporters about the reasons for the disqualifications, Brillantes refused to elaborate, saying that the reasons were stated in the promulgations they had released. As of press time, however, copies of the resolutions were still unavailable.

Brillantes noted that the common denominator in disqualifying the party-list groups was their non-compliance to the eight-point guidelines enumerated in the 2003 case of Ang Bagong Bayani v. Comelec.

In the Ang Bagong Bayani case, the Supreme Court issued guidelines ensuring that only those who belong to marginalized and underrepresented sectors can run for party-list seats in Congress.

Brillantes said that they would be finishing all rulings and discussions on existing party-lists by October 30. He had earlier said that they would not make any more announcements until the final decisions had been signed by the poll body's commissioners. He said that this would be applied so that the disqualified party-lists could easily get hold of the resolutions and run to the Supreme Court.

3 new applicants denied party-list accreditation

Brillantes said that three new applicants for the party-list elections had also been denied. He said that the applicants were: RAM GUARDIANS, Alyansa para sa Demokrasya, and Association of Airline and Airport Workers.

"The three were denied because they were not qualified to run for the 2013 polls," Brillantes said.

Still no decision on Akbayan yet

Brillantes also said that they had not yet decided on the party-list Akbayan or Akbayan Citizens' Action party, whose presence in the party-list system has been questioned by various groups led by Anakbayan and the National Union of Students of the Philippines, which noted that many of its members were now entrenched in the executive department.

The members include Presidential Adviser on Political Affairs Ronald Llamas and his deputy, Ibarra Gutierrez III, Commission on Human Rights Chairperson Loretta Rosales and National Anti-Poverty Commission Chairman Joel Rocamora.

On Wednesday, various groups led by Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) secretary-general Renato Reyes, filed another complaint for the cancellation and or removal of Akbayan, citing reasons such as: the said party-list was not qualified to run in the party-list elections because it was no longer a marginalized and underrepresented political party, Akbayan nominees did not belong to the marginalized and underrepresented sectors that Akbayan claimed to represent; and Akbayan enjoyed government support and funding which gave it undue advantage over party-list groups.

Asked about this, Brillantes said that they would look into the nature of the complaint.

Inquirer News

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US - USS McCampbell Warship Patrolling Spratly Islands rescued Filipino Fishermen Sinking boat in the West Philippine Sea

USS McCampbell (DDG-85) is an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer in the United States Navy, named for Captain David McCampbell (1910–1996), the Navy's leading ace in World War II. She was built at the Bath Iron Works in Maine. USS McCampbell patrolling the West Philippine Sea (South CHina  Sea) when Filipino Fishermen rescued. 

US warship rescues Filipino fishermen from sinking boat in midnight operation

USS McCampbel a- U.S. Navy warship rescued five Filipino fishermen Wednesday after helicopter pilots spotted them flashing a lighter in the middle of the night while standing on the roof of their sinking boat, officials said.

A Navy helicopter discovered the fishermen in international waters just after midnight; hours after the fishing boat started taking on water, said Tina Malone, a U.S. Embassy spokeswoman in Manila.

The guided-missile destroyer USS McCampbell, which was closest to the scene, launched two boats to rescue them.

Malone said the fishermen were given a checkup and found to be in good health. They will be brought ashore when the USS McCampbell arrives in Manila on Wednesday as part of a five-day goodwill visit by the USS George Washington aircraft carrier strike group.

The carrier and accompanying warships are patrolling the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) in a show of American power in waters where China has been squabbling with neighbors such as Vietnam and the Philippines over who has the control of a string of tiny islands.

The U.S. says it wants to keep the strategic waters, believed to be rich in gas and oil deposits, open to international navigation and has urged China and other claimants to settle territorial disputes peacefully. Washington also has a defense treaty with the Philippines and has been helping to modernize the poorly equipped Philippine navy to defend Manila's claims. ( http://goo.gl/eABPq )

Fox News

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