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Archives
April 1-15, 2000
Public info campaign on GMOs launched
by Rita T. dela Cruz
Genetically modified organisms (GMOs),
products of modern biotechnology, have lately been lambasted
by the press and other interest groups because of its
supposed health and environmental risks.
Scientists note the issues raised against
GMOs are merely products of misinterpreted scientific
reports culled from literature with misleading observations.
Furthermore, continuous dissemination of such misinformation
has made the public and policy makers ignorant and subsequently
easily manipulated by the campaign of foreign interest
groups against GMOs.
Concerned with this turn of events, the
Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR) and the Women
Association of Scientists in the Philippines (WASP)
conducted a workshop on how to effectively disseminate
accurate information about GMOs. Held on 24 March 2000
at ATI/BAR Boardroom, the workshop was a gathering of
leading Filipino scientists in modern biotechnology
from PhilRice, UPLB, NIMBB-UP Diliman, NIMBB-UP Manila,
BPI, and PCARRD. In attendance were scientist-administrators:
Dr. Nina Barzaga, Director, NIMBB-UPManila, Dr. Leocadio
Sebastian, Deputy-Director, PhilRice, Dr. Virginia Monje,
Director, NIMBB-UPDiliman and other biotechnology scientists:
Dr. Amuerfina Santos, Dr. Cynthia Hedreyda, Dr.Albert
Aquino, Dr. Mariechel Navarro, and Dr. Vivencio Mamaril.
Dr. Saturnina Halos, Agricultural Policy consultant
on Biotechnology at BAR, chief of the UPNSRI DNA Analysis
Laboratory and the president of WASP, facilitated the
holding of the workshop.
The scientist participants agreed on initiating
an information campaign to promote proper interpretation
of scientific findings on GMOs. The public information
campaign will be funded by BAR. The campaign will involve
holding public meetings/symposia to be conducted by
scientists, airing radio plugs and TV ads, and publishing
articles in popular broadsheets. The information campaign
will spearhead the program of the Secretary’s Advisory
Group-Information, Communication, Extension Cluster
(DA-STAG-ICE) on disseminating information on appropriate
technologies for agricultural modernization. 
April 1-15 2000 Articles: ::
2001 budget proposals for R&D reviewed
::
Corn sector: strategies towards global competitiveness
::
Fishermen empowerment through coops development
::
Pest management info database now accessible
::
Public info campaign on GMOs launched
::
The call to improve fertility of acidic soil
::: More April 2000 articles :::
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