The Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rice Research Institute (DA-PhilRice) has announced the approval of a biosafety permit for the commercial cultivation of GR2E Golden Rice in the Philippines, following a 60-day public comment period for the proposed approval in 2020 (see AgbioNews Nov 23, 2020). Golden Rice has been approved for direct use as food and feed, or for processing (FFP) in the Philippines since 2019 (AgbioNews Dec 18, 2019). The biosafety approval of Golden Rice, developed by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), reportedly represents the first authorisation for commercial cultivation of a genetically engineered rice in South and Southeast Asia. Golden Rice can now be planted for commercial production as per the terms and conditions specified by the DA-Bureau of Plant Industry (DA-BPI). However, the product still needs to seek varietal registration by the National Seed Industry Council (NSIC), which approve varieties based on consistent agronomic field performance, and the production of seeds increased before the product is brought forward to farmers and consumers.

Golden Rice is a biofortified product that contains elevated levels of vitamin A and is intended to act as a method to control Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) as part of a complementary, food-based solution to existing nutritional interventions, such as diet diversification and oral supplementation. The product contains the genetic event IR-00GR2E-5 and possesses complete copies of the genes Zmpsy1, SSU-crtI and pmi. Zmpsy1 codes for phytoene synthase protein and was isolated from maize (Zea mays). The SSU-crtI produces a carotene desaturase protein isolated from the bacterium Pantoea ananatis, while pmi produces a phosphomannose isomerase enzyme that is used as a cell selection tool.