I am a warrior writer but not an advanced technology guy, so when I read Betheena Unite’s news report, “DA Inaugurates Crop Biotechnology Center In Nueva Ecija[1]” (30 September 2021, Manila Bulletin, MB.com), I asked myself: “What good is that for PH Agriculture?”
PH Secretary of Agriculture William Dar and US Agricultural Attaché Ryan Bedford jointly unveiled the marker of the Crop Biotechnology Center at the campus of PhilRice in Muñoz, Nueva Ecija on Thursday, 30 September 2021.
Ms Betheena says Mr Dar said at the unveiling, “This OneDA Family Center (Crop Biotechnology Center) is… the ground zero for increasing (the productivity of) various crops to feed the growing population of this country.” She does not explain why he calls it “Family Center,” but as this one involves significantly improving the productivity of various foods, not to mention coming out with new foods, I must remember that the Filipino Family is the target of Agriculture:
Ms Betheena says the Center “aims to advance biotechnology research for development and innovation, and generate various products that will enhance the competitiveness of Philippine agriculture. It will also push for food security and climate change resiliency.”
What is good for agriculture must be good for the family. I mean, the ultimate measure of good is not any new food from the Center but new good for the Family.
Biotechnology is a new term, but the concept is old. The simplest definition I can think of is this: “Biotechnology is life influencing life.” We are actually familiar with it, except the name. For instance, how do you think bread is made? Yeast (life) is introduced into a loaf (from another life form, soybean) – that’s biotechnology that has been practiced since time immemorial!
Mr Dar said:
This inauguration heralds a monumental responsibility. Today, we established our country’s firm leadership in agricultural biotechnology in the ASEAN region.
The Center has been funded under the US Public Law 480 Program. It focuses on “applying advanced technologies that contribute to the improvement in performance, yield, and quality of important commodities including rice, corn, coconut, and various high-value crops such as mango, garlic, onion, tomato, cotton, cacao, banana, and abaca.”
I say, through the Center, we can produce good, better and best foods and other farm products, but we must at the same time protect the family, the farmer’s as well as the consumer’s, from any technology fallout. Biotechnology must be extra-carefully carried out.
During the Center’s inauguration, the DA also launched “Golden Rice,” a product of biotechnology carried out jointly by PhilRice and IRRI – the gene that produces beta carotene is inserted into rice; that eaten, the human body produces vitamin A. Mr Dar said:
We are the first country to approve Golden Rice for commercialization. As such, the rest of the world will be looking (into) our experience with it before they join the bandwagon.
Ultimately, I hope the Center will come up with new & improved farming systems with biotech crops that will emancipate the Filipino farm family from poverty.@517
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