1. Application of Modern
Biotechnology

2. Health Products
Recombinant DNA technology- widely accepted since
the mid 1980’s such as insulin, hepatitis vaccine,
growth hormone,and interferon.
Recombinant human insulin- first modern biotech
drug approved and commercially released in 1982

3. Health Products
More than 130 biotech medications are now in the
market and are for treatment or prevention of
different diseases.
More than 300 biotech drugs in late clinical trials
concerning treatments for threatening diseases such
as heart disease, cancer, hepatitis infection,
Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease, etc

4. DNA FINGERPRINTING
use to identify individuals (Parent’s identification)
not available as in the cases of badly burned or
decomposed bodies
Identifying individuals is through the unique and
distinct DNA pattern of an individual

5. AGRICULTURAL
GM or bioengineered crops were initially grown in
1991 in China (tobacco)
Soybean, cotton and corn in US in 1999
These biotech crops were grown by 8.25 million
farmers in 17 countries including the Philippines

6. Traits of the Dominant GM Crops
herbicide tolerance (66.5 %)
insect resistance (18.8)
Both herbicide and insect resistance (7%)
BT crop like corn and cotton have protection against
pests like corn borer and the cotton bollworm

7. GM Products Grown in Different
Countries (Asia)
Country Product
China GM crops on a commercial sale (1.5 M
ha of Bt cotton in 2001, 3.7 M ha in
2004)
Indonesia Planted 10,000 ha of Bt cotton in 200
Philippines The commercial planting of Bt corn
was approved in the Philippines in
December 2002
15,000 ha of Bt corn were grown and
this more than doubled to 50,000 ha in
2004

8. PRODUCTS IN PIPELINE
Future products of modern biotechnology include
crops with better post harvest and processing qualiti
More than 30% of crops are wasted on post harvest
losses (insect pests, pathogens, loss of acceptability as
in loss of firmness, color or texture.

9. RESEARCHES
Developing papaya with longer shelf life to address
the problems of post harvest losses
We now have transgenic fruit bearing papaya tress
Have identified several transgenic papaya trees
representing four different events with good
horticultural traits including delayed ripening trait
Ongoing physiochemical, biochemical, and molecular
characterization of transgenic papaya research
Ongoing Resistance to papaya ring spot virus
research

10. In Philippine Rice Research Institute, the researchers
are field testing transgenic bacterial blight resistant
rice plant.
Golden rice- produce from crossing transgenic rice
containing the genes synthesize Vitamin A in the
grain with local elite rice varieties. It will be
containing high vitamin A for those who are suffering
for Vitamin A deficiency

11. Assuring the Safety of
Products of Modern
Biotechnology

12. The general public historically has resisted new
technologies. The first time the tomato we know now
was introduced, it was thought to be toxic and bad for
the health, considering that the original tomato was
so small! For a while, drinking coffee was banned in
France and in England in the 17th
century because it
was thought to “dry up brain fluids, leading to
exhaustion, impotence and paralysis.” Even lately,
people were apprehensive about the health concerns
of the microwave oven and the cell phone.

13. 1974, a group of experts led by Nobel Laureate James
D. Watson voluntarily halted experiments involving
transfer of genes of dangerous toxins from one group
of microorganisms to another or involving genes of
tumor viral genomes.
1975, a group of experts met at Asilomar, California.
This led to the establishment of guidelines for use in
recombinant DNA research. This guidelines became
the model for guidelines adopted by other countries.

14. In the mid 1980’s, several scientists from the
University of the Philippines of Los Baños and from
the International Rice Research Institute worked on
draft guidelines for experiments involving
recombinant DNA technology. The resulting draft
guidelines recommend the establishment of the
National Committee on Biosafety of the Philippines
(NCBP).
The NCBP was created by Executive Order 430 in
October 1990.
The draft guidelines were subjected to nationwide
consultation and were adopted as the Philippine
Biosafety Guidelines in 1991.

15. After 15 years, we can say now that we have a working
national biosafety framework in the country. Several
departments are involved in regulating the research
and development (R & D) and testing of involving
genetic modification or GM organisms as well as
products derived from GM plants in the country .
These are the Department of Science and Technology
(DOST), Department of Agriculture (DA),
Department of Health (DOH), and the Department of
Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

16. The herbicide tolerance trait will allow treatment
with herbicide of such crops to manage weeds
without affecting these crops.