Filipino scientists are at the forefront of the campaign to develop better-yielding and more nutritious biotechnology agricultural products.

Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap stresses this as he spoke glowingly of the achievements of the Department of Agriculture (DA) Biotech Program before farmers from Biliran and Leyte.

This program, adds Yap, has extended full support to the work of scientists at PhilRice and CODA to develop biotechnology agricultural products that would ensure food security and reduce the importations of agricultural commodities.

Yap said research is being done to develop Golden Rice, which contains the genes necessary to activate the biochemical pathway for Vitamin A.

The final product provides triple benefit as the Vitamin A rice will be crossed with the local biotech tungro and bacteria blight-resistant rice.

This variety, Yap stresses, was developed through genetic engineering and it is characterized by an intense color that indicates the concentration of Vitamin A.

Another product with huge commercial potentials is transgenic cotton, which is doubly resistant to cotton bollworm, Yap revealed.

Apart from these, Yap also announced the promotion of new agricultural products like biofertilizers, banana planters and tissue culture, and PhilRice Wagwag (NSIC tubigan 1), which has a higher yield.

With biofertilizers, the DA chief, the use of inorganic fertilizer is reduced.

These biofertilizers have led to additional one metric ton yield per Biofertlizers created 25, 000 jobs for Filipinos in 2004.

Banana planters and banana tissue culture also increased yields between 10 percent and 15 percent.

For tissue culture alone, 200 jobs were generated.

PhilRice Wagwag was developed through traditional Wagwag seeds. It is a dwarf, is non-seasonal and products 140 cavans per hectare. Maturity ranges from 90 days to 100 days.

The eating quality is like traditional wagwag, according to Yap.