RP, U.S. promoting biotech

RP, U.S. promoting biotech

MANILA (AFP): The Philippines and the United States are
jointly undertaking a five-year program aimed at enhancing
biotech research here, a presidential palace statement said
Sunday.

Under the US$7-million, five-year program both parties would
look into boosting agricultural productivity through field
research on biotechnology, the statement said.

"Absolutely, I think the Philippines will be one of the
leaders in biotech in the Asian region," the statement quoted
John Alexander, an expert in the field from the US Department of
Agriculture, as saying.

Environmental activists have been pressing the government into
rethinking its agenda of increasing crop production by
introducing genetically modified crops after officials allowed
the "field testing" of gene-altered corn last year.

Proposed legislation that would ban entry of imported
commodities with genetically modified ingredients as well as
implementing control mechanisms on their local production have
been pending in Congress.