The Philippines has to revise its own regulatory system for genetically modified crops or biotechnology products to ensure that beneficial products get commercialized at minimum regulations and still be safe for human and environmental consumption.

"There's a point where you can assure safety but anything more than that will be unnecessary," Western Michigan University-Biotechnology Biodiversity Interface (BBI) program manager Hector Quemada, told a biotechnology forum.

"While keeping a product safe for the environment and consumers, regulations should not be too precautionary," he said.

It is believed that overregulation on genetically modified (GM) crops can prop up costs or result in prohibitive pricing of these crops during commercialization. Too much regulation may also unreasonably protract commercialization schedule of a product.

For instance, the development of the Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) corn in the Philippines involved a sizable cost for regulation alone accounting for 60 percent of total development cost, and only 40 percent of the cost accounts for research and development (R&D).

To be successful in the biotechnology industry, Quemada said the Philippines has to enhance not only the regulatory environment but the economic, legal (liability and intellectual property), and educational environment in the country.

It has to boost the private sectors' capacity in scientific or applied research, entrepreneurship, business experience, and product development.

The public sector also has to beef up capabilities in intellectual property generation, basic scientific skills, and training.

Science Secretary Estrella Alabastro told the same forum that the Philippines may need to prioritize many biotechnology R&D to programs considering that the US invested huge amount for this sector in order to make gains in pharmaceuticals, food, and agriculture.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has funded a program in the Philippines that will develop the country's regulatory capacity on biotechnology products.