1. Philippine president reverses course on transgenics
2. KMP To Hound GMO Testing In The Provinces
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1. Philippine president reverses course on transgenics
(April 20, 2001 --Cropchoice news) -- The president of the Philippines made a 360-degree turn on transgenic foods.
Cropchoice reported two weeks ago that the Crop Protection Association of the Philippines (CPAP) and members of the National Academy of Science and Technology of the Philippines (NAST) were pressuring President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to reconsider her stand against transgenic foods.
It worked.
She now wants to move ahead with the commercial planting of transgenic crops and sales of food with ingredients derived from the technology.
At the same time, the president instructed the Agriculture, Health and Trade and Industry departments to develop mandatory labeling policies for transgenic foods so that consumers know what they're buying.
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2. KMP To Hound GMO Testing In The Provinces
NEWS RELEASE
April 19, 2001
Reference: RAFAEL MARIANO, Chairperson
The militant Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) on Thursday vowed to hound the planned field testing of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) with protests in the six provinces and 32 villages in the country as they celebrated the International Peasants Day of Struggle Against Agro-chemical TNCs, GMOs and Patents on Life in a protest rally in front of the Department of Agriculture (DA) in Quezon City.
KMP chair Rafael Mariano said "the peasantry will hound the planned field testing of the so-called "golden rice" with intense protest actions, our organizations in Isabela, Bukidnon and South Cotabato have started their campaign. Farmers will not allow profit thirsty transnational corporations turn our lands into a dump site of poison seeds."
Mariano also lambasted the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) spokesperson Duncan Macintosh statement that it will not conduct GMO tests without the approval of the government.
"Macintosh is a PR expert, his claim clearly shows that IRRI only wanted to win over the trust of the government for their selfish agenda to pursue the testing. IRRI is a master of deception and this was proven during the Green Revolution when it promised a bountiful harvest for the farmers, but in reality, it only increased farmers’ dependence on agro-chem TNCs poisonous pesticides and herbicides," Mariano stressed.
The KMP also assailed the Macapagal-Arroyo government for its inaction on their demand to ban the field testing of genetically modified organisms. "Now that its first 100 days is approaching it is imperative that the Macapagal-Arroyo government should now issue a concrete policy on agriculture, especially on the issue of genetically modified organisms," the peasant leader said.
It can be remembered that during Macapagal-Arroyo's first working day as president, farmers presented to her administration the peasant agenda and she promised that within two weeks concrete results can be expected but up till now nothing has materialized of her promise.
"It is as if the president forgot who placed her in Malacanang, all the farmers are demanding is that what is due them as citizens of this country. The farmers are demanding for their basic right to health and freedom from exploitation but as can be seen through the government's inaction it is for the big transnational agro-corporations and against the peasantry," added Mariano
"The government should stop thrashing around the bush and take the peasants' demands by the jugular. Mrs. Macapagal-Arroyo's silence on the issue works for landlords and agro-chemical corporations and against the peasant masses," Mariano concluded. ###
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Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP)
Peasant Movement of the Philippines
URL: http://www.geocities.com/kmp_ph