Gov. Aumentado recallsall distributed GMO Corn
Governor Erico Aristotle C. Aumentado through his Executive Order No. 30 recalled all distributed Genetically
Modified Organism (GMO) Corn in the province of Bohol and reactivated the GMO Monitoring Committee.
Executive Order No. 30 was signed by Gov. Aumentado last June 6, 2023, and was released last Wednesday after
the Public Forum on Anti-GMO Sangguniang Panlalawigan Ordinance No. 2003-10 held at BPSTEA, Tamblot St.,
Tagbilaran City facilitated by the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) led by Provincial Agriculturist Liza
M. Quirog.
The forum was attended by 48 Municipal Agricultural Officers/Municipal Agricultural Officers (Mas/MAOs), 15
corn coordinators from the top producing corn in Bohol, 30 farmer leaders (corn associations), 12 representatives
from government line agencies,10 members of the Organic Technical Working Group (TWG), 4 Anti-GMO
Monitoring Teams and representatives from the Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Health (DOH),
Dept. of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Dept. of Science and Technology (DCST), and Dept. of
Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
In his E.O., the governor said that the Provincial Government of Bohol (PGBh) has enacted Provincial
Ordinance No. 2003- 010 “Prohibiting the use and planting of GMO in the province”.
He said that there have been reports of the planting and distribution of GMO Corn in Bohol which is in violation
of the Anti-GMO Ordinance. In fact, he said that this was verbally acknowledged by a DA-7 representative during
the El Nino Task Force Meeting held on May 12, 2023.
The governor emphasized in his order that it was stated in Section 3 of the ordinance that “No person shall
conduct any laboratory or field testing or any activity whatsoever for the propagation of or experimentation related
to GMOs of any plant, animal or microorganism in any area within the territorial jurisdiction of the province of
Bohol” and Section 4 where “Any violation of this ordinance shall be meted with a fine of not more than Five
Thousand Pesos (P5, 000.00) or imprisonment nor exceeding one (1) year or both fine and imprisonment at the
discretion of the court; while juridical entities involved shall also be subject to closure”.
According to the governor that by virtue of the powers vested in him by law, he ordered the immediate cessation
of GMO distribution, reactivation of GMO Monitoring Committee and to carry out in the implementation of the
order is the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) together with the Multi-Sectoral GMO Monitoring
Committee to include the monitoring of the progress of the retrieval and disposal, and take all necessary legal steps
to safeguard the interest of the people to maintain an ecologically balanced province.
The action of the governor has been welcomed by the Anti-GMO advocators in Bohol who have been dismayed
after knowing that GMO Corn entered and planted in the province in 2019 even though the province has an existing
approved ordinance in 2003 saying no to GMOs that would surely affect the Hybrid and Open Pollinated Variety
(OPV) and most especially the native corn varieties in Bohol.
PGBH INTERVENTION FOR GMO CORN FARMERS
The PGBh through the OPA had a proposed intervention for the 350 affected farmers who have planted GM
Corn seeds to 405 hectares (has.) distributed to the different known corn municipalities in Bohol for the conduct of
technical briefing, provision of hybrid yellow corn seeds, provision of foliar fertilizer, provision of free tractor
services for land preparation, and the provision of corn harvester.
The intervention has the proposed allocation amounting to P3, 402, 000.00 for crude oil consumption only
breaking down in the following expenses: tractor services in the amount of P1, 701, 000 for the 24, 300 liters at P70.
00/liter; and Corn Harvester services with the same amount of consumption and expenses as the tractor services. By
Atoy Cosap
