An advocacy group has expressed concern over the ongoing review of Oriental Mindoro’s long-standing ban on genetically modified organisms (GMOs), warning that the province’s safeguards could be weakened or repealed without sufficient public consultation and transparency.
In a statement sent to the Inquirer on Saturday, June 27, Magsasaka at Siyentipiko para sa Pag-unlad ng Agrikultura (Masipag) said it was concerned over consultation activities being conducted by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (Searca) and the Provincial Agriculture Office (PAgO).
While discussions are reportedly underway on possible amendments to the province’s existing regulations, Masipag noted that no draft ordinance, committee report, technical assessment, or formal policy proposal has been released to the public.
Right to know
‘The people of Oriental Mindoro have the right to know exactly what changes are being proposed, what scientific and policy evidence supports them, and who stands to benefit,’ the group said.
According to Masipag, the developments in Oriental Mindoro reflect what it described as a growing national trend in which local governments’ GMO regulations, crafted through democratic processes and local autonomy, are being challenged.
It cited similar efforts in Negros Occidental and other provinces that had previously imposed restrictions on genetically modified crops.
The group also pointed to what it described as unresolved legal and regulatory issues surrounding GMOs.
It cited the 2024 Court of Appeals ruling that issued a writ of kalikasan and a writ of continuing mandamus in cases involving Golden Rice and Bt Eggplant, saying the court identified significant deficiencies in the country’s biosafety risk assessment, environmental monitoring, and regulatory oversight while reaffirming the precautionary principle.
‘Instead of first addressing these deficiencies and strengthening biosafety governance, discussions appear focused on dismantling local safeguards,’ Masipag said.
The group also asked: ‘Why open communities to GMO cultivation when questions on risk assessment, contamination, accountability, and long-term ecological impact remain unanswered?’
Ban based on public consultations
Masipag stressed that Oriental Mindoro’s existing GMO ban was not enacted arbitrarily but was the product of extensive public consultations and forms part of the province’s broader environmental policies aimed at protecting biodiversity, local seed systems, ecological agriculture, and community control over food production.
The group likewise disputed claims that GMO technology is the best path toward sustainable agriculture, arguing that growing scientific consensus favors agroecology and organic farming as more effective responses to climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution.
‘With the Philippines bracing for the impacts of an incoming Super El Niño – bringing higher risks of drought, crop failure, water scarcity, and food insecurity – the group warned that reliance on proprietary seeds and chemical inputs will only deepen vulnerability. Public resources should instead strengthen farmer-led agroecology, conservation of local seeds, and systems built for resilience – not corporate-controlled technologies,’ the statement reads.
In a telephone interview on Saturday, Vice Gov. Antonio ‘Jojo’ Perez Jr., the presiding officer of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, said the provincial board has yet to receive any proposal from the Provincial Agriculture Office or any other entity seeking to amend or repeal the ordinance.
‘It will all pass through the SP and its concerned committees. But as of now, we have not received any communications regarding this matter. But we will study the proposals if there would be any for amendment or repeal,’ Perez said.
Masipag maintained that for any review process to be considered legitimate, full transparency is essential.
The group called for the immediate release of all documents, studies, and proposals related to the review and urged provincial officials to uphold the principles of precaution, local autonomy, environmental accountability, and meaningful public participation.
‘At a time when climate extremes are becoming more frequent, the future of Philippine agriculture will not be secured through expansion of GMOs,’ Masipag said.
‘It will be secured by strengthening what belongs to the people: agroecology, biodiversity, local seeds, and food sovereignty.’