Philippine Biotechnology

Biotechnology is the fusion of biology and technology. It is the application of biological techniques to product research and development. In particular, biotechnology involves the use by industry of recombinant DNA, cell fusion, and new bioprocessing techniques.

The Philippines is the first ASEAN country to initiate a biotechnology regulatory system with the issuance of Executive Order No. 430 in 1990, which established the National Committee on Biosafety of the Philippines (NCBP). The countries biosafety regulatory system follows strict scientific standards and has become a model for member-countries of the ASEAN seeking to become producers of agricultural biotechnology crops.


Food and Agricultural Organization listed the pros of biotechnology, which are stated below:

• Better resistance to stress,
• More nutritious staple foods,
• More productive farm animals for the environment,
• More food from less land,
• GMOs might reduce the environmental impact of food production and industrial processes,
• Rehabilitation of damaged or less-fertile land,
• Bioremediation,
• Longer shelf lives,
• Biofuels.
• Investigation of diseases with genetic fingerprinting,
• Vaccines and medicines,
• Identification of allergenic genes.

However, there are also cons on biotechnology:

• Genes can end up in unexpected places,
• Genes can mutate with harmful effect,
• "Sleeper"genes could be accidentally switched on and active genes could become "silent",
• Interaction with wild and native populations,
• Impact on birds, insects and soil biota
• Transfer of allergenic genes,
• Mixing of GM products in the food chain,
• Transfer of antibiotic resistance
• Loss of farmers' access to plant material,
• Intellectual property rights could slow research,
• Impact of "terminator"technologies.

References:
Biotechnology Philippines (2008). Retrieved on October 7, 2010 from http://www.biotech.da.gov.ph/
 FAO (2003). FAO Lists Biotech Pros and Cons. Retrieved on October 7, 2010 from http://www.monsanto.co.uk/news/ukshowlib.phtml?uid=7120
 MedicineNet, Inc. (2010). Definition of Biotechnology. Retrieved on October 7, 2010 from http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=2467