| This workshop was
conducted by the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) of the Philippine
Department of Agriculture (the project’s focal agency)
on 25-28 May 2004 at the Aloha Hotel in Manila. A total of
25 participants (15 female and 10 male) from various government
research and regulatory agencies, NGO, farmers and the Industry
people from different parts of the country attended the 5-dy
activity.
This workshop was conducted on the premise that safety of
any approved biotechnology product does not end in risk assessment
alone. During such process, scientists or assessors are able
to identify, if any, some risks in the adoption of the technology.
It is along this line that scientists are also able to identify
mitigating measures or come up with risk management strategies.
As it seems, risk assessment and risk management are interrelated
scientific processes that need utmost attention among the
scientists, field men and other stakeholders. Interlocking
and interconnected frameworks need to be developed and designed
to scientifically calculate and identify risks decision model
and risk management strategies.
This training workshop shall therefore enhance the present
capacities of scientists, field men, technology developers,
users and regulators in the domain of risk assessment and
management of GM crops. An enhanced national biosafety framework
shall also be realized. Specifically, the workshop aimed to
enable the participants to: 1) understand the principles of
risk assessment of GM crops; 2) undertake a scientific and
technical risk assessment of GM crops; 3) identify risks and
design mitigating safety measures for GM crops.
The following topics were discussed in order to achieve the
above objectives:
- Developments in Modern Biotechnology: Past and Future
- BPI’s Role in the Philippine Biosafety Regulations
- The Philippine Experience in the Approval of Corn Mon
810 Transformation Event
- Principles of Risk Assessment for Contained and Field
Use
- Workshop on Case Studies: 1) The Corn Mon 810 Laboratory
and Greenhouse Proposals; 2) The Corn Mon 810 Application
for Propagation
- Parallel Workshop on Food, Feed and Environment Risk
Assessment
- Discussion on Molecular Properties- Transformation System,
Inserted DNA, Genetic Stability, and Expressed material
- Food, Feed and Environment Safety
- Principles of Monitoring Genetically Modified Crops
- IRM of Bt Corn
The participants also visited a town in Central Luzon Province
of Pampanga where majority of the farmers grow Bt corn.
As its main output, the participants were able to discuss
freely the various aspects involved in the scientific assessment
of risk posed by GM crops or any transformed event before
it is approved for release into the environment. The workshop
also enabled various regulatory and monitoring agencies to
harmonize processes and procedures in risk assessment and
management as prescribed in CPB. Proceedings for this workshop
have already been published by BPI.
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