The three bishops of Negros Occidental issued a united and urgent appeal on Sunday, November 23, denouncing the proposed reintroduction of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in the province and calling the move “a dangerous reversal” of nearly two decades of GMO-free and globally recognized sustainable agriculture on Negros Island.
Bishops Patricio A. Buzon of Bacolod, Louie P. Galbines of Kabankalan, and Gerardo A. Alminaza of San Carlos signed the statement, stressing that the issue goes beyond policy and strikes at the moral, ecological, and public health commitments the island has upheld for years.
“This is not just a policy issue. This is a moral, ecological, and public health concern,” they said, adding that Negros “has long chosen life through organic and sustainable agriculture.”
The bishops said reversing this commitment “without scientific consensus and without genuine public consultation” places both the people and the land at risk.
Their statement comes as Negros continues to recover from the devastation brought by Typhoons Tino and Uwan, which exposed the island’s fragile ecological state—denuded forests, silted rivers, substandard infrastructure, eroded mountainsides, and widespread flooding.
They warned that GMO agriculture, with its dependence on toxic chemicals and patented seeds, will worsen ecological vulnerability and deepen farmer indebtedness.
They also raised concern over the Philippine government’s silence at COP30 in Belém regarding the global fossil fuel phaseout roadmap, saying the inconsistency reflects a troubling pattern: “At a time when the world is moving toward ecological responsibility, we cannot afford to move backward at home.”
The bishops noted that Negros’ GMO-free status has earned international recognition through Terra Madre, Slow Food movements, and decades of organic farming that strengthened food sovereignty and protected local seeds.
“Seeds are life. Seeds carry memory, culture, and future. No corporation should control what God has given freely to our people.”
They urged the province to defend and fully enforce GMO-free ordinances, reject the reintroduction of GMOs, restore support for organic and ecological agriculture, and ensure transparent, science-based, community-led consultations.
The prelates also called on local leaders to align 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 groups, farmers’ organizations, and local governments to stand together to safeguard the island’s ecological integrity and food sovereignty.*
