BACOLOD CITY: With a sweeping ban against living and non-living genetically modified organisms in currently implemented in Negros Occidental, an invited scientist advocating against GMO produce admits the law passed in the province “needs to be reworded” and should focus on the ultimate thrust of aiming to an organic bowl in the country.

Dr. Camilo Beltran, a biochemist engineer who specializes in post-genomic sciences and a research associate at the Center for Integrated Research in Biosafety, University of Canterbury in New Zealand was the first resource speaker invited by the provincial council in a six-day en-banc marathon hearing in reviewing the Anti-GMO law that has earned so much criticism for its sweeping coverage.

Ordinance 007 calls for the total banning of all living and non-living GMOs, which includes even pharmaceutical products, feeds and processed foods containing GMOs.

In yesterday’s hearing, Beltran admitted that the ordinance is “so broad” and while he maintains the province should be very firm on their stand to ban GMO products, “you have to make a distinct definition” of what items should remain under the ban.

Currently, Beltran said the Philippines has accepted 49 varieties of GMO products including corn, cotton, potato, canola, sugar beet and alfalfa, all of which “has not gone through any scientific testing but only based on dossiers submitted by producers.”

But nevertheless, he says, the ordinance must be reworded and made “realistic” and should not totally ban but “perhaps regulate” some GMO products particularly pharmaceutical products and those being used in research.

When grilled by members of the council, Beltran admitted there is currently no established study showing absolute proof of the hazardous effects of GMO on human health but warned of “potential risks.”

But board member Melvin Ibañez said in aid of legislation, “concrete evidence” of its effects to human health is needed for the province to justify the ban.

Board member Edgardo Acuna on the other hand said that based on Beltran’s presentation, “the ordinance is pointless if Negros Oriental will not put a similar ban on the other side of the island.”

While both provinces have a memorandum of agreement to make Negros Island an “organic bowl,” there is no anti-GMO ordinance in the other province and in fact, there are reports of GMO corn plantations in Negros Oriental.

Beltran agrees “there must be a joint venture,” stating that organic and GMO can never co-exist.

However, the livestock and poultry industry in Negros Occidental that captures a big chunk of the national market says the continued ban on GMO products, specifically corn and soybeans which are pure GMO and which they use as feeds, “would lead to the collapse of our livestock industry.”

While the debate continues, Acuna said the vision is remains noble, “but there is a big question on availability” which “even Beltran can’t answer.

“We need to fast-track this because we understand that there are businesses getting affected,” Acuna said, adding that the debate might get more heated when “we get to the point of raising the question of choice.”