8 th National

Biotechnology Week

Bioteknolohiya paran sa Kalikasan, Kalusugan, Kagandahan, Kabuhayan at Kaunlaran OK ang 5K sa Kalusugan Pangkalahatan: Mamamayan at Kalikasan

GATEWAY MALL, ARANETA CENTER, QUEZON CITY,

November 26 - 30, 2012

Marrying life and technology

Allergens, risks and protecting allergic consumers, micro and macro impacts of the GM (Bt) corn in the country and Assessment of Potential Allergenecity of GMOs in foods based on scientific evidence converge in a public forum.

Dr. Richard Goodman

Dr. Leonardo Gonzales

Along with the 160th birth anniversary of Andres Bonifacio, heroes in health and science, continuing to pursue biotechnology for a better quality of life, attempt to marry life and technology at a public forum in lieu of the 8th National Biotechnology Week celebration at Gateway Mall, Araneta Center, Quezon City, November 27.
Dr. Richard Goodman posited that challenges for consumers were brought about by an increasing prevalence of food allergy, increasingly complex foods that are consumed from multiple sources, and unclear labeling and news reports including misinformation to the public and it is up to the public to demand for correct diagnosis, labeling, sourcing of ingredients and value added products. The research professor of the Department of Food and Science and Technology in the Food Allergy Research and Resource Program at the University of Nebraska Lincoln strongly suggests several conscious consumer practices to the public such as avoiding consuming their allergen-specific food, cooking legumes to inactivate lectins, protease inhibitors and amylase inhibitors among others. Consumers, according to Dr. Goodman, must be educated to be tolerant or to respond with immunity. The response of the immune system is imperfect, sometimes slow however, pretty good and genetics and environment impact the outcomes. Dr. Goodman emphasized that risks from microbes and chemicals in food present a risk for all consumers, risks of food allergy and celiac diseases are to specifc consumers, those who have become sensitized are empowered. On the other hand, Dr. Leonardo Gonzales, a Senior Policy Researcher and international Consulting Agricultural Economist, shared the impacts of technology specifically with GM corn technology which is already ten years old. According to his study, the average yield advantage of Bt corn over the ordinary hybrid is 19% and at a cost advantage of 10% from 2003-2011 and it has consistently outperformed 29% in meeting the food and poverty threshold. Same is true with the fertilizer use efficiency of yellow corn and labor use efficiency. Bt corn required 54% less pesticides in order to produce the same amount of corn grain. Likewise, it showed substantial development in aggregate farm income, preharvest labor savings and incremental income from seed and fertilizers. Dr. Gonzales pushed for the development of strategic linkages in GM Corn communities with livestock poultry production areas and advocating for quality standards for corn. Dr. Goodman, also presented several assessment of potential allergenicity of GMOs in foods based on scientific evidences.

Assistant Secretary of Health Paulyn Jean Ubial opens the public forum at the last stretch of the 8th National Biotechnology Week.

Bioteknolohiya paran sa Kalikasan, Kalusugan, Kagandahan, Kabuhayan at Kaunlaran

GATEWAY MALL, ARANETA CENTER, QUEZON CITY,
November 26 - 30, 2012

OK ang 5K sa Kalusugan Pangkalahatan: Mamamayan at Kalikasan

Celebration of life and technology

8th Biotechnology Week Celebration culminates with a stronger call for promoting biotechnology use

Extending gratitude to different partner organizations for their commitment in highlighting the wide range of beneficial applications of biotechnology in agriculture, medicine, environment and industries to meet the increasing and sustained demands of improved food productivity and healthcare products, the Department of Health passes on the torch of hosting the next Biotechnology Week celebration to the Department of Education. Dr. Ma. Corazon Dumlao, Officer-in-charge of the Health and Nutrition Center of the Department of Education, representing Secretary Armin Luistro, accepted the Students from different schools get a glimpse of the development of Bt Corn, Biotech Farmers journey in using it and pertinent information on crop biotechnology, on November 30, at the Gateway Mall, Araneta Center, Quezon City. opportunity of hosting next years celebration from Assistant Secretary of Health Paulyn Jean Ubial. In a nutshell, Dr. Dumlao, in her acceptance, positioned education as a critical role in laying the foundation of young ones for promoting life and biotechnology and as the education system molds the learner to be creative, imaginative and innovative. Biotechnology affects the lives of children and the Department of Educations role is fundamental. DepEd promises to bring in all the schools for next years celebration. The closing ceremonies also presented the winners of Fashion for Biotech Contest dubbed Biotech Corn: From Farms to Fashion Ramp which featured the ingenuity of young designers using corn husks. The students were informed on the improvements of biotechnology since then up to the present times to meet the basic needs such as food and clothing and how biotechnology helped farmers in the Philippines. More so, with traditional biotechnologies, plant breeders, in the videos shown, were able to develop new and improved crops. However, the methods usually took long periods of time before breeders get the desired characteristics. As of 2011, as stated in the Biotech sQuizBox distributed to the students, 16.7 million farmers in 29 countries planted biotech crops in 160 million hectares of land. By 2050, the world is expected to be 9.2 billion and agriculture must double its food production to feed the world.

The Bt Corn Story

Students learn the history of Bt Corn and the challenges faced by Biotech Farmers

L. Anonuevo, A. Rosales, M. Tanghal

Students register for the public viewing of videos Bt Corn Story and Adoption Pathways of Bt Corn Biotech Farmers on the last day of the 8th National Biotechnology Week Celebration.