To ensure the safety of the public, products produced through modern biotechnology are controlled from the research and development (R&D) phase to the commercialization stage. All local R&D activities related to genetically modified organisms (GMOs) must be approved by the National Committee on Biosafety of the Philippines (NCBP). Activities related to the commercialization of GM plants and plant products are regulated by the Department of Agriculture (DA) through the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI).

The NCBP is tasked to ensure the safe application of modern biotechnology involved in small-scale laboratory work, large-scale contained work, greenhouse trials, and in the planned release of GMOs. No person or institution, private or government, is allowed to release into the environment any GMO without the approval of the NCBP. The Committee is chaired by the Undersecretary for R&D of the Department of Science and Technology.

Approval of a GM crop in the Philippines follows the Rules and Regulations on the Importation and Release Into the Environment of Plants and Plant Products Derived From the Use of Modern Biotechnology (DA Administrative Order No. 8 Series of 2002). The domain of the AO covers importation for contained use, field-testing, propagation, and importation for direct use. The Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) handles and approves (or disapproves) all applications for biosafety permits. The AO requires the conduct of two sets of parallel review to ensure the safety of products being applied for.

The internal review is performed by the four DA regulatory agencies working separately and independently according to their mandates:

• Bureau of Plant Industry, BPI – for environmental safety
• Bureau of Animal Industry, BAI – for feed safety
• Bureau of Agriculture and Fishery Products Standards, BAFPS – for food safety
• Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority, FPA – environmental safety of plant-incorporated protectants crops like Bt corn

The external review is conducted by the Scientific and Technical Review Panel (STRP), a pool of non-DA independent scientists and technical experts. Membership to the STRP is strictly based on technical expertise on relevant fields, professional accomplishments as evidenced by positions held in science-based organizations, and recognitions received from peers from the scientific and academic community.

For every external review to be conducted, the STRP members are selected randomly based on the field of expertise. They are then tasked to evaluate the product safety separately and independently of one another.

As an example, in the approval for the propagation of Bt corn MON810 (the GM corn type submitted by Monsanto), no less than 32 scientists and experts from the STRP and the four DA agencies reviewed the application. All came to the conclusion that the Bt corn MON810 is as safe to eat as conventional corn. This was the basis for the BPI Director’s decision to approve the application.