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WHEREAS, DA Administrative Order No. 8, s. 2002 regulates the importation and release into the environment of plant and plant products derived from the use of modern biotechnology and provides that “no regulated article shall be allowed to be imported or released into the environment without the conduct of a risk assessment performed in accordance with this Order”;

WHEREAS, risk assessment refers to the procedure that identifies, evaluates and predicts the occurrence of possible hazards to human and animal health and the environment and designs the mitigating measures to avert or minimize these hazards;

WHEREAS, risk assessment is the cornerstone for a decision to issue a permit for regulated articles for food and feed or processing under AO No. 8, s. 2002, as amended by AO No. 22, s. 2007;

WHEREAS, AO No. 8 provides that the expert advise of, and guidelines developed by relevant international organizations and regulatory authorities be taken into account in the conduct of risk assessment;

WHEREAS, AO No. 8 has adopted the risk assessment principles of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, of which the Philippines is now a Party;

WHEREAS, risk assessment under AO No. 8 is conducted in accordance with international standards such as those set by the Codex Alimentarius Commission, the Food and Agriculture Organization, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and other relevant international bodies;

WHEREAS, the Bureau of Plant Industry, the Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Product Standards, and the Bureau of Animal Industry, in accordance with their mandates, and AO No. 8 employ risk assessment guidelines for regulated articles for direct use as food and feed or processing using the Codex Principles for the Risk Analysis of Foods Derived From Modern Biotechnology (CAC/GL 44-2003) and the Codex Guideline for the Conduct of Food Safety Assessment of Foods Derived From Recombinant-DNA Plants (CAC/GL 45-2003);

NOW, THEREFORE, I , ARTHUR C. YAP, Secretary of the Department, in accordance with the Consumer Act of the Philippines and Section 19, Chapter 4, Title IV, Book IV of Executive Order No. 292, series of 1987, do hereby issue this Order:

Adopting the Codex Principles for the Risk Analysis of Foods Derived From Modern Biotechnology (CAC/GL 44-2003) and the Codex Guideline for the Conduct of Food Safety Assessment of Foods Derived From Recombinant-DNA Plants, or otherwise known as the Codex Plant Guideline (CAC/GL 45-2003).

Directing the DA Policy and Planning, in consultation with the Biotech Core Teams of the Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Product Standards, Bureau of Plant Industry, and Bureau of Animal Industry, to revisit existing safety guidelines for the assessment of regulated articles for direct use as food and feed or processing under AO No. 8, s. 2002, as amended by AO No. 22, s. 2007 with a view to harmonize with said Codex Standards.

This Order shall take effect thirty (30) days after its publication in a national newspaper of general circulation.

Adopted: 13 Oct. 2008

(SGD.) ARTHUR C. YAP
Secretary