| The second regional
training workshop on Public Awareness and Participation with
emphasis on risk communication emphasis on risk communication
was conducted jointly with the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI)
of the Department of Agriculture in the Philippines. BPI is
the regulatory agency in-charge of issuing approval permit
for field trials for commercial release of GM crops. Being
a regulatory body, it has an extensive experience in making
the public aware as to the risks involved in the commercial
release of BT corn, i.e. Mon810. It has employed renowned
procedures so as to enable the public participation in the
assessment of risks posed by GM crops and its safe deployment.
Twenty one researchers (8 males and 13 females) from the
project participating countries attended the training workshop.
Resource persons from the government research agencies, the
industry and NGOs were invited to give lectures and conduct
practicum. The risk communication workshop was conducted by
the competent development communicators from the Department
of Development Communication of the University of the Philippines
at Los Baños. The training workshop topics included
the following:
- The Philippine experience in the formulation of its Biotechnology
Regulations EO 430 and AO 8 series of 2002
- Country reports on biotechnology regulations
- Synthesis of Asian Biotechnology regulations
- The extent of farmers participation in framing biotechnology
regulations
- The extend of the industry sector participation in framing
biotechnology regulations
- Principle of risk communication
- Assurance of food, feed and environment safety
- Role of tri-media in public participation and awareness
of GM crops
- Workshop on risk communication and the role of tri-media
The country reports of the participants have shown that each
country has sufficient means of involving the public in framing
up Biotechnology regulations. The synthesis of the output
of the workshop on risk communication and the role of media
is presented in the training manual.
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