The three Bishops of Negros Occidental issued a united and urgent appeal on Sunday, Nov. 23, to keep Negros GMO free.
The bishops said they are against a proposed ordinance pending before the Sangguniang Panlalawigan that seeks to re-introduce Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) into Negros Occidental, calling it “a dangerous reversal” of nearly two decades of GMO-free and globally recognized sustainable agriculture in Negros Island.
The statement was signed by Bacolod Bishop Patricio Buzon, Kabankalan Bishop Louie Galbines and San Carlos Bishop Gerardo Alminaza.
“This is not just a policy issue. This is a moral, ecological, and public health concern. Negros has long chosen life through organic and sustainable agriculture. To reverse this now — without scientific consensus and without genuine public consultation — places our people and our land at risk,” the bishops said.
The statement comes as Negros continues to recover from the devastating impacts of Typhoons Tino and Uwan, which exposed the island’s fragile ecological state — denuded forests, silted rivers, substandard infrastructure, eroded mountainsides, and widespread flooding, Alminaza said.
The bishops warned that GMO agriculture, with its dependence on toxic chemicals and patented seeds, will worsen ecological vulnerability and deepen farmer indebtedness.
They also expressed concern over the Philippine government’s silence at COP30 in Belém on the global fossil fuel phaseout roadmap, noting that this inconsistency reflects a troubling pattern.
“At a time when the world is moving toward ecological responsibility, we cannot afford to move backward at home”, they said.
The bishops emphasized that Negros’ GMO-free status has become a global model, drawing international recognition through Terra Madre, Slow Food movements, and decades of organic farming efforts that empowered local farmers, protected local seeds, and strengthened food sovereignty.
“Seeds are life. Seeds carry memory, culture, and future. No corporation should control what God has given freely to our people”, they said.
The bishops are calling on the provincial government to:
• Defend and fully enforce Negros’ GMO-free ordinances;.
• Reject the reintroduction of GMOs in the province;
• Restore and strengthen support for organic and ecological agriculture;
• Ensure transparent, science-based, and community-led consultation on all matters affecting food security and farmers; and
• Align local policies with Laudato Si’, Laudate Deum, and global commitments toward integral ecology.
“For nearly twenty years, Negros has protected its land, its farmers, and its identity. For the sake of the next twenty—and the generations beyond—Negros must remain GMO-free,” they said.
The bishops called on all Negrenses, parishes, civil society organizations, farmers’ groups, and local governments to stand together to safeguard the island’s ecological integrity and food sovereignty.*