Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap has ordered the department's Region 11 office to look into reports that the Bt (Bacillus thuriengensis) corn planted in two farming villages in Mindanao, have been affecting the health of residents in the area, even though initial investigation indicated the complaint had no basis.

Residents of Barangay Tuka in Bagumbayan, Sultan Kudarat and Barangay Kalapagan in San Mariano, Davao Oriental have reportedly fallen ill - a matter attributed by some quarters to their exposure to Bt corn planting areas.

"Though without concrete basis, the issue is possibly being revived since a similar incident hit Sitio Kalyong, Polomolok, South Cotabato last year," Yap said. Still, he directed Regional Executive Director Roger Chio to look into the matter.

Prompt field verification and interview on March 12, 2004, by the regional and national agriculture officials in the community of Kalyong revealed that the so-called foul odor of the Bt pollen was actually caused by the spraying of insecticide by a farmer wjo planted normal corn adjacent to the Bt corn.