Historic Breakfast! Philippines 1st Country To Approve Golden Rice

Yesterday, I shared a historic breakfast with a friend and fellow agriculturist, Julie Llamo, where we tasted the first GMO Rice produced in the Philippines, the Golden Rice or Malusog Rice.
A sack of the Golden Rice, which was developed to address Vitamin A Deficiency in many countries around the world, was given to me by Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) Midsayap Station Chief Dr. Sailila Abdula.
Over 30 years since the idea of fortifying Rice with Beta Carotene to address Vitamin A Deficiency in many rice-eating countries was pursued by Professor Ingo Potrykus, then of the Institute for Plant Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, and Professor Peter Beyer of the University of Freiburg, Germany, Golden Rice or Malusog Rice is now grown in the Philippines, making us the first country in the world to approve the propagation, marketing and consumption of the genetically modified rice.
In spite of the controversies which marked the introduction of GMO crops like Corn and Eggplants in the country, I supported the propagation of the Golden Rice in an experimental field in Northern Luzon when I was Secretary of Agriculture.
I felt comfortable about Golden Rice when I was briefed that the genes containing Beta Carotene which give it the yellow coloration actually came from Yellow Corn.
Yesterday, I decided to have Golden Rice for breakfast to contribute to increasing awareness for this genetically modified crop which could address Vitamin A Deficiency among Filipinos, especially children.
For me, Golden Rice tasted better than the ordinary rice.
Parang may margarine o butter ang lasa kaya malinamnam.
While I had always promoted the use of Non-GMO Food from crops, I am comfortable with the Golden Rice knowing that the genes which gave it the yellow coloration for more Beta-Carotene also come from Corn which many Filipinos consider as staple food.

#farmingisendlesslearning!