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While
most of the developed world is closely monitoring the
financial woes in the US, many developing economies like
the Philippines still face the same threats such as food
and energy security, as well as a looming water
shortage.
These,
along with global warming, may cause significant
problems in the long-term but some Philippine scientists
believe that the solution is more obvious than some
realize.
 Dr.
Benigno Peczon, former president and CEO of the
Biotechnology Coalition of the Philippines (BCP), said
many of these problems can be solved with biotech
research.
The most
pressing concern for Dr. Peczon is the looming water
crisis, since the Philippines is largely agricultural,
and called for more research in efficient water usage
for farms, in particular.
“We can
use biotech to grow things using water optimally,” he
said, adding the current practices are “very wasteful.”
He said addressing the issue can help ease problems in
food and water.
He was
speaking to reporters during the sidelines of the book
launch of Straight Talk in Biotechnology, a two-volume
series on biotech practices in the Philippines last
week.
Dr.
Peczon, who is senior editor of the books, added that a
dominant issue nowadays is fuel security and biotech has
the answer in the form of biofuels.
He said
the Philippines could be left behind in this field,
especially since close neighbors like Thailand are into
ethanol production “in a big way.”
“Ultimately, it is a failure of the science community
and people who are supposed to invest in it. We have to
involve businessmen and we have to make our intellectual
property rights laws clear,” he said.
However,
he noted positive developments like securing larger
budgets from Congress in 2008 which, he said, gave them
a 50-percent increase in their budget.
Other
scientists during the event seemed to take the book’s
title more literally and did much straight talking
themselves.
Dr.
Teresita Espino, former research professor at the
University of the Philippines (UP) Los Baños, lamented
all the “hype” regarding jatropha as a biofuel source.
“It’s
just not economical,” she told the BusinessMirror, and
pointed out the expense of harvesting jatropha seeds and
unrealistic income expectations by farmers.
Dr.
Espino, who was a contributor to the first volume of
Straight Talk, said better alternatives were
coconut, sugar cane, corn and root crops. She said these
crops were more efficient because, in the event of a
food shortage, the shift will be relatively easy.
Jatropha, on the other hand, is unsafe for consumption.
She
suggests a mix of the her preferred crops, particularly
with typhoon-prone regions, such as Region 5 and 13,
where root crops such as cassava and potato, are viable.
Safety
Perhaps
one of the biggest challenges faced by biotechnology, in
particular with genetically modified (GM) food, is the
negative stigma associated with it.
Another
contributor, Dr. Nina Barzaga, dean of the College of
Public Health in the University of the Philippines and
current BCP president, said: “Most of the people who
have some problems with biotech are actually worried
about the safety of the product.”
She said
this was borne out of the lack of credible information
which is why her contribution is important, as well. She
added the environment today is more friendly toward
genetically modified food since a lot of people are
already using and consuming it.
The
primary GM products in the Philippines are Bt corn and
soybeans, which are used for animal feed.
Dr.
Peczon minced no words when he said he encountered much
resistance in getting the books started.
“Most
people do not understand biotech. When you talk about
it, right away they think about the negative,” he said,
adding that it’s a “very controversial topic.”
With the
release of the books, he intends to target not only the
educated but also the mainstream population or masa,
as well as children.
He has
optimistic prospects for this field and stresses that
only a concerted effort can move the country forward. He
said: “This [the books] is the first step, but we have a
long way to go, the important thing is we learn to work
together.” |
