LOS BAÑOS, Laguna, Philippines – The genetically modified (GM) crops issue continues to polarize local government units (LGU) in the country.

First was the GM or biotechnology maize, now popularly known as Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) corn, which triggered confrontations between the protagonists in the first decade of the current century.

Notwithstanding the strong, at times violent, opposition by some groups against the crop, biotech corn has been generally welcomed in Philippine farms.

In fact, the Philippines is now considered a “biotechnology mega-country a country joining the ranks of other developed and developing nations across the world are now planting biotech crops in 50,000 or more hectares. As of 2009, the Philippines was devoting 450,000 hectares to Bt corn.

In round one, the GM advocates convincingly won.

Now the bone of contention is Bt eggplant, which is in the penultimate experimental phase before it will be released for commercial production.

Over the past half decade, government researchers have been conducting studies on a GM eggplant that promises to control the dread fruit and stem borer (FSB), the most destructive pest attacking the country’s number one vegetable crop.

The process involves four stages:

Phase 1, which entails contained research in laboratories and screen houses, was done from 2006 to 2007 at the University of the Philippines Los Baños-Institute of Plant Breeding (UPLB-IPB).

Phase 2 (small confined trials) was done also at UPLB from 2007 to 2009.

In the third phase, the government, through the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Plant Industry, requires two experimental seasons before a BM crop is allowed for commercial release (final stage).

The first-season trials have been done at UPLB-IPB; Pangasinan State University (PSU) campus in Sta. Maria, Pangasinan; and Central Bicol State University of Agriculture (CBSUA) in Pili, Camarines Sur.

The second-season trials are set to be done subsequently in seven sites: PSU-Sta. Maria, UPLB-IPB, CBSUA, Iloilo (Sta. Barbara town), Visayas State University (VSU, Baybay, Leyte), UP Mindanao (Davao City), and University of Southern Mindanao (USM, Kabacan, North Cotabato).

The anti-GM groups opposed the scientific trials. Some local government units eventually pitched in.

The LGUs’ polarity is best exemplified by the Sangguniang Bayan (SB) of Pili and Sangguniang Panglunsod (SP) of Davao City, which is opposing the trials being done by UP Mindanao (UP Min) based in the city.