Biotechnology Regulation in the Philippines
Since 1991, the Philippines has had a regulatory system governing the conduct of all biotechnology activities in the country. Transgenic research in plants and microorganisms has been carried out in the Philippines during the past 12 years. The National Committee on Biosafety of the Philippines (NCBP), a multi-agency and multi-disciplinary body, has overseen the task of implementing all biotechnology regulations. In 2003, the Department of Agriculture (DA) promulgated Administrative Order (AO) No.8 based on the Philippine Quarantine Act, which transferred to the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) the supervision for any planned release of transgenic crops in the country. DA AO 8 covers risks assessments for food, feed and environmental safety. As of 2003, the biosafety regulatory bodies of the Philippines have approved 130 contained experiments, mostly plants and some microorganisms; five (5) transformation events for field testing in rice and corn; two (2) transformation events for propagation (commercial release) in corn; and 17 transformation events for GM crops intended for use as food, feed or processing material in several crops.