QuestionsQuestions (MTC MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR NO. 02, S. 1996)
EO 514 was issued by the President under the powers vested by law to establish and operationalize the National Biosafety Framework (NBF) for the Philippines, provide guidelines for implementation, strengthen the National Committee on Biosafety of the Philippines (NCBP), and ensure compliance with the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety.
It adopts the NBF for the Philippines, which is attached as Annex A, and provides for its operationalization.
It applies to the development, adoption, and implementation of biosafety policies, measures, and guidelines, and to biosafety decisions covering the research, development, handling and use, transboundary movement, release into the environment, and management of regulated articles.
To (1) strengthen science-based determination of biosafety for safe and responsible use of modern biotechnology; (2) enhance decision-making to be efficient, predictable, effective, balanced, culturally appropriate, ethical, transparent, and participatory; and (3) serve as guidelines for implementing international biosafety obligations.
The administrative system and decision-making processes established in the NBF must be complied with.
It strengthens the NCBP and provides that its mandate, functions, composition, and organization are set forth in the NBF.
Their mandates, jurisdictions, and other powers in relation to biosafety and biotechnology must be guided by the NBF and coordinated with the NCBP and each other.
DOST, DENR, DA, and DOH must allocate funds from existing budgets to implement the NBF, including support for the NCBP and its Secretariat. Starting 2006, the funding requirements must be included in the General Appropriations Bill submitted by each of those departments to Congress.
DOST, DENR, DA, and DOH must enter into agreements on the sharing of financial and technical resources to support the NCBP and its Secretariat.
The NCBP and its present members continue to exercise their functions under EO 430, s. 1990 until reorganization under the NBF is completed.
Reorganization must commence immediately after the departments enter into the resource-sharing agreement and must be completed within one year from the effective date of such agreement.
They must assume their positions upon completion of the reorganization.
All orders, rules, and regulations inconsistent with EO 514 are repealed or amended. For avoidance of doubt, certain issuances continue unless amended by the issuing departments/agencies: DA Administrative Order No. 008, s. 2002; the NCBP Guidelines on Contained Use of GMOs except provisions on potentially harmful exotic species (which are repealed); and all Bureau of Food and Drugs issuances on products of modern biotechnology.
Provisions on potentially harmful exotic species are repealed.
It takes effect fifteen (15) days after publication in two newspapers of general circulation.