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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.

Assistant Secretary of Health

Paulyn Jean Ubial opens the public

forum at the last stretch of the 8th

National Biotechnology Week.

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-specic 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, prettygood and genetics and environment impact the

outcomes.

Dr. Goodman emphasized that risks from

microbes and chemicals in food present a risk

Marryinglife andtechnology

Allergens, risks and protectingallergic consumers, micro and macro

impacts of the GM (Bt) corn in the

country and Assessment of Potential

Allergenecity of GMOs in foods

based on scientic evidence converge in

a public forum.

8thNationalBiotechnologyWeek

Bioteknolohiya paran sa

Kalikasan, Kalusugan,

Kagandahan, Kabuhayan

at Kaunlaran

OK ang 5K sa

Kalusugan Pangkalahatan:

Mamamayan at KalikasanGATEWAY MALL,ARANETA CENTER, QUEZON CITY,November 26 - 30, 2012

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 specically 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 efciency of yellow corn and labor

use efciency. 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 advocatingfor quality standards for corn.

Dr. Goodman, also presented several assessment

of potential allergenicity of GMOs in foods based

on scientic evidences.

Dr. Richard Goodman

Dr. Leonardo Gonzales

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Celebration

of life andtechnology8th Biotechnology Week

Celebration culminates with

a stronger call for promoting

biotechnology use

The BtCorn Story

GATEWAY MALL,

ARANETA CENTER, QUEZON CITY,

November 26 - 30, 2012

Extending gratitude to different partner

organizations for their commitment in

highlighting the wide range of benecial

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, Ofcer-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 traditionalbiotechnologies, 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.

Bioteknolohiya paran sa Kalikasan, Kalusugan,

Kagandahan, Kabuhayan at Kaunlaran

OK ang 5K sa Kalusugan Pangkalahatan:

Mamamayan at Kalikasan

Students learn the history of

Bt Corn and the challenges

faced by Biotech Farmers

L.Anonuevo,A.Rosales,M.TanghalStudents 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.