Manila (13 August) -- Agriculture Secretary Alcala assured the critics of the Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) eggplant that granting for commercial production will only take place if and when it has completed all the process and proven hundred percent safe.

This he said in a press conference in Davao City as he attended the Kaniyogan Festival held at SM Davao Monday (August 9).

The genetically modified eggplant is currently undergoing field testing. The testing was being conducted by the Institute of Plant Breeding of the Department of Agriculture and funded by foreign seed companies. Tests were being done in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

Alcala stressed that the government follows certain procedure before granting the permission for commercial production. It was learned that the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Plant Industry (DA-BPI) requires two experimental seasons before a GM crop is allowed to be produced commercially.

The first season was already completed and genetically modified eggplants were successfully harvested in Pangasinan, Bicol, and Camarines Sur.

Contrary to reports claiming that it could contaminate the production of upland crops planted near the testing area, Alcala clarified that all the testing are done in secured and limited area.

Critics also raised the issue of food safety. They claimed that the analysis done by Dr. Seralini of the Bt bringal, which was crossed with Bt eggplant in the Philippines shows that tests were invalid, and that Bt bringal may cause liver, blood, and stomach problems. The tests also do not validly measure the long-term effects of Bt eggplant.

Also, as Seralini pointed out, the recommendation of Mahyco, the corporation that partnered with Monsanto that consumption of Bt bringal be limited to 50-100 g for a person per day for five days "for a safe dose level" puts to doubt the safety of Bt eggplant as food.

Also, they complained about the lack of information that should have been disseminated to the farmers. They claimed that their calls for release of information about the Bt eggplant were met with silence by agencies under your supervision, such as the Bureau of Plant Industry. They think that BPI has the obligation to release information on Bt eggplant because its study and eventual release will affect Filipino farmers and consumers.

Meanwhile, Alcala acknowledged having received all these complaints from critics. However, he reiterated fair judgment in deciding whether to signal a go for commercial production or move to cancel it.

The second season of the UPLB-IPB research on Bt eggplant will cover the last quarter of this year. If all tests are made successfully, then commercialization will most likely follow. (PIA XI)