Bansalan Mayor Quilin Sarte (4th from Left)and Legacy Monsanto Corporate Affairs Head Chat Garrido-Ocampo (3rd from left) hold a copy of Municipal Resolution No 107, S. 2012 which declares Bansalan’s support for the promotion of agricultural biotechnology to modernize agriculture in the municipality. Also in the photo are key barangay captains and municipal government officers.
It may be recalled that Bansalan issued a resolution in 2012 “allowing the implementation of the provisions of R.A. 8435 specifically on the prescribed policies in section 3 of the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act of 1997 purposely to modernize the agriculture sector by transforming the said sector from a resource-based to a technology-based industry”
The said resolution underscored that the commercialization of biotech products is needed to enable farmers to compete in a globalized economy and to deliver solutions to technical problems affecting crops and livestock.
The municipal government therefore resolved that “the Municipality of Bansalan, through the Municipal Agriculture Office shall see to it that strong and beneficial partnerships are forged with the public and the private sectors, the academe, professional associations, international organizations, institutions and corporate (sic) in furtherance of biotechnology in agriculture.”
“We are largely dependent on agriculture, hence we should strive to help our farmers earn more and improve their lives,” said Mayor Sarte. “It is our responsibility to look at science and carefully study what it can offer that will help our farmers. Both farmers and consumers should be able to benefit from agricultural technology which have clearly met the requirements of the Philippine law and other existing regulations.”
Legacy Monsanto’s Corporate Affairs Head, Chat Garrido-Ocampo, thanked Mayor Sarte for her support to local farmers and offered to be available anytime that the local government officials would need more information not only about agricultural biotechnology but also about the work of Legacy Monsanto. “We are extremely proud of the work that we do which really improves farmers’ lives. We have made breakthroughs in agriculture which not only addresses challenges faced by farmers but which also make farming sustainable and environment-friendly.”
Legacy Monsanto has developed a number of products through biotechnology creating a positive impact on the care of environment since the trait technology and corn hybrids developed through the said process require little or no chemical pesticide application. Meanwhile, Bansalan is the second municipality to have supported agricultural biotechnology. The first one was the municipality of Malungon in Sarangani Province.
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