MANILA - Vivencio Mamaril, chief of the biotechnology section of the Bureau of Plant Industry in the Philippine Department of Agriculture was cited as saying the department could approve the commercial use of a Bt corn variety developed by Syngenta AG (SYT) as early as next month, and that the agency is awaiting data from field trials of the genetically modified corn variety, adding: "We have found Syngenta's Bt 11 to be an efficient agent against corn borer. If Syngenta provides us the data that we need within April, then we can issue the approval as early as May."

The story says that approval of Syngenta's Bt corn variety would bring to two the number of Bt corn varieties approved for commercial use in the country. In December 2002, the agency approved the commercial use of a Bt corn variety developed by Monsanto Co. (MON) of the U.S.