The US rice stocks alleged by Greenpeace to be contaminated with genetically modified organisms (GMOs) have passed tests conducted by the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) and found to be free of the controversial LL62 and LL601 strains.

Director Alicia Ilaga of the Department of Agriculture-Biotechnology Program Office (DA-BPO) stressed that both rice varieties have not been approved for importation and consumption in the country, under the DA Administrative Order (AO) 8.

Ilaga also showed a BPI report detailing the tests conducted on rice shipments from the US in the last two months.

BPI and the National Food Authority (NFA) earlier tested the rice shipments after Greenpeace insisted that some supermarkets in Metro Manila were selling GMO-contaminated rice.

Rice samples from five supermarkets were subjected to initial testing using the lateral flow method at the BPI office in San Andres, Manila . All the rice samples yielded negative results for LL62 and LL601 GMO rice strains.

A BPI plant quarantine officer was also sent to the United States last December 2007 to oversee the loading of the rice at the Lake Charles Point and Jacinto Port on board the cargo ship Liberty Eagle.

Last Feb. 20, the vessel arrived and docked at the Subic Bay Free Port in Zambales, where the stocks were subjected to the test though a lateral strip, a protein-based kit used to detect the presence of LL62 and LL601. A total of 65 samples were tested. Again, the result was that the two GMO rice strains were absent.

Last week, Greenpeace claimed that based on the test conducted by Yokohama-based Genetic ID Japan Inc., the Blue Ribbon Texas Long Grain was “contaminated” with GMO rice strain LL601.

Ilaga was surprised by the finding. “Hindi sa hindi siya safe, hindi pa lang talaga siya approved dito sa atin (It is not because it is not safe. It has not been approved here),” he said.

LL601 and LL62 are genetically modified rice varieties resistant to herbicide. LL62 has already been deregulated in the US and has been approved for planting by farmers in America.

LL601 has also been declared safe for human consumption by no less than the US Food and Drugs Authority (USFDA), the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), Ilaga said.

She added that the Philippines itself has not yet produced a GMO rice variety.

Golden rice (a GM rice variety rich in Vitamin A, and resistant to tungro and bacterial leaf blight) is still being developed under Philippine conditions.

The Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) said golden rice is likely to be permitted between 2011 and 2012 should field tests yield positive results.

PhilRice supervising science research specialist Antonio Alfonso also assured that even the country’s own GMO rice in the making will undergo strict scrutiny and must pass the stringent standards of the National Biosafety Council of the Philippines (NBCP) before it can be allowed for human consumption.

“ Dahil sa bio-safety regulation, even at an early stage kung may negative result, ititigil naman agad ‘yan. Yung mga natatakot lang naman e ‘yung hindi nakakaintindi sa technology. Sino ba naman ang magde-develop ng allergic or toxic rice? (Due to the bio-safety regulation, the study will be stopped if there are negative results. Those who are afraid are the ones who do not understand the technology. Besides, who would develop a rice variety with toxic effects?), “ Alfonso said.

At present, alternative rice varieties Tubigan 7 (NSIC RC 142) and Tubigan 11 (NSIC RC 154) are available in the market.

PhilRice said these are not GMO varieties but are resistant to bacterial leaf blight (BLB) that causes huge losses to rice farmers.

BLB is a disease that attacks the leaves of the rice, where carbohydrates are produced.

PhilRice is also developing rice varieties that can adapt to changing climatic conditions, such as drought, flooding and too much heat. Rice varieties of this type are still being developed in the laboratory or at the field-testing stage.

PhilRice Midsayap and PhilRice UP Los Baños are also developing drought-tolerant rice varieties. The two PhilRice satellite offices have produced lines ready for field-testing.

PhilRice is also developing submergence-tolerant rice varieties that can stay submerged in water for two weeks. These varieties will be field tested in low-lying areas.

Meanwhile, research is still being done for heat-tolerant rice varieties.

Nenita Desamero, PhilRice chief science research specialist, said the rice varieties are meant to ensure production in extreme weather conditions as a result of global warming.