Bacolod City – A coalition of organizations, communities, and individuals in Negros Occidental has issued a formal declaration in opposition to the testing and cultivation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in the province.
The “Declaration Against GMO Testing in Negros Occidental,” signed on September 1, reaffirms the province’s identity as the “Organic Agriculture Capital of the Philippines,” and warns that GMOs are incompatible with its long-standing commitment to sustainable farming.
The declaration, which includes the signatures of religious leaders, farmers, scientists, civil society organizations, and advocates, states that allowing GMO testing would “contradict its long-standing identity as a GMO-free zone” and “place at risk the integrity of organic systems painstakingly built by farmers, local governments, and civil society.”
According to the document, organizations like IFOAM-Organics Asia have consistently maintained a position that GMOs are fundamentally incompatible with organic agriculture, which is rooted in the principles of health, ecology, fairness, and care.
The document asserts that the “corporate-driven, high-risk model” of genetic engineering is in direct conflict with these values, posing unacceptable risks to ecological systems, farmers’ rights, and consumer trust.
The signatories emphasized that GMOs reduce biodiversity, disrupt ecosystems, and foster dependency on external, corporate-produced inputs.
“This declaration is prompted by an ordinance allowing the entry of GMOs in the province, currently being deliberated in the Sangguniang Panlalawigan / Provincial Board,” said the Caritas Bacolod Social Action Foundation Inc.
The declaration comes amid a history of pro-organic policies in the province. In 2007, the Negros Occidental Sangguniang Panlalawigan passed Provincial Ordinance No. 007 that banned the entry of genetically modified plants and animals into the province, in line with the vision of becoming the ‘organic food bowl of Asia.’
The provincial ban, however, has faced challenges over the years. In 2009, some livestock and poultry industry groups complained that the ordinance was hurting their businesses by increasing the cost of feed.
Despite this, other sectors, including the Hotel & Restaurants Association of Negros Occidental, have continued to advocate for the ban, arguing that it is essential for the province to maintain its organic agriculture status.
Those who signed the declaration were Diocese of San Carlos, Caritas Bacolod, Negrosanon Initiative for Climate and Environment, Nisard Foundation, IFOAM Asia, KAISAHAN, NIOPA, Peacepond Farmers Association, Sipaway Seagrass Guardian, Consumers Collective, Tabunan Small Farmers Assn., MASIPAG, Vermiculture Producers Assn. Negros, Philippine Reef and Rainforest Conservation Foundation, PDG Inc., Provincial Council for Women, Modesto Jalandoni Farmers Assn., Victorias Organic Farmers Inc., Lunhaw Integral Ecology Ministry, and Confederation of Indigenous People Organizations in Southern Negros Occidental Inc. (Theresa Mae Dulman via tvds photo by tvds)