Economy

GMO corn eaten and planted in Philippines potentially toxic, scientists warn

Greenpeace demands immediate market withdrawal, moratorium on GMO approvals

MANILA — Another genetically-modified (GM) corn variety,
approved for food, feed, processing, and propagation in the Philippines
has been shown by studies to be potentially toxic to humans. The new
research, carried out by a French scientific research institute(1),
involves biotech firm Monsanto?s NK603 GMO corn (marketed commercially
under the name Round-up Ready) which was approved as food and feed in
the country in 2003, and for propagation in 2005.
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Philippines: Local pharma pushes for amendments to existing patent rules

MANILA — The Philippine Chamber of Pharmaceutical Industry (PCPI) urges the
Senate and the House of Representatives to immediately agree on the
common provisions of the proposed bill amending the Intellectual
Property Code (IPC) to bring immediate relief to the people and try to
address the divergence by filing a separate bill in the next Congress.
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Philippines economic growth, stability here to stay, Arroyo tells investors

SINGAPORE (via PLDT) ? Saying that the Philippines is firmly on a “path to permanent economic growth and stability,” President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo urged Saturday foreign investors to invest in her country and partake of its economic surge.

“I hope that the gentlemen and ladies around this table?. and for those of you who are the movers and shakers of the business community, please come and be a part of the profitable part of the Philippines economic surge,” the President said in her speech during the dinner with the co-chairs of the World Economic Forum (WEF) on East Asia 2007 at the Shangri-La Hotel here.
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Court stops Davao law that bans aerial spraying

By GERMELINA A. LACORTE

The Regional Trial Court suspended for three months the city ordinance that is supposed to take effect tomorrow, June 23. The Davao City residents who claimed to have been affected by the chemicals sprayed from the air by banana companies denounced the decision. ?Our agony will be prolonged,? said one of them.

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WHO, Unicef call for renewed commitment to breastfeeding

In the Philippines, the rate of exclusive breastfeeding at four to five months fell from 20% in 1998 to 16% in 2003. It is estimated that 16,000 deaths of children under five in the Philippines are caused by inappropriate feeding practices, including the use of infant formula.

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