Tuesday, May 01, 2007 Group lauds PB for passing ordinance vs GMO
THE Negros Organic Agriculture Movement (NOAM) lauds the passage of Provincial Ordinance No. 7, "The Safeguards Against Living Genetically Modified Organisms," last April 25 after two public hearings sponsored by Adolfo Mangao, Sr., chair of the SP's Committee on Agriculture.
The landmark legislation partly fulfills the commitment of Negros Occidental Governor Joseph Marañon and Negros Oriental Governor George Arnaiz to achieve a unified sustainable agricultural and rural development in the entire Negros Island, using the organic agriculture as a framework for development.
The MOA called for the two provinces to respectively pass legislations banning the entry, importation and introduction of genetically-modified plants and animals. It is expected that Negros Oriental will soon follow suit with its own provincial ordinance.
"Our counterparts in Oriental, the Organic Negros Alliance (ONA) are now also working towards the passage of a similar ordinance. We hope that this ordinance will become another impetus towards moving the entire island to the achievement of the goal of Negros as Organic Food Bowl," says Joel Alapar.
Alapar is the executive director of the Peoples' Agricultural Plan for the 21st Century (PAP21), one of the active members of the NOAM.
"This is a long-awaited step in the right direction, although truth be said, there is a far distance to be traveled before we can truly achieve the dream of Negros as an Organic Food Bowl in Asia," Alapar said.
"We were active in the two public hearings called for by the City Council. While a number of our proposals were not incorporated into the final draft, we are satisfied with the fact that Section 6 and 7 of the ordinance have been improved and in itself is already a step in the right direction," he added.
Lawyer Benjamin Ramos, Jr., Executive Director of Paghidaet sa Kauswagan Development Group (PDG), said the ordinance represented a milestone and an achievement of political will in the area of legislation.
"This is almost comparable to NOAM-ONA's Joint Civil Society Comprehensive Agenda for Negros as Organic Food Island in Asia," he said. (Press release)
