The SEARCA Biotechnology Information Center (SEARCA BIC) hosted the Annual Biotechnology Information Centers (BICs) of the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA) Global Knowledge Center Network Meeting held in the Philippines on 03-06 March 2009.

The annual event that was participated in by 18 country nodes' representatives coming from Bangladesh, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam, was highlighted with the sharing of accomplishments and experiences on communicating biotechnology in their respective countries.

Through a video conference, Dr. Clive James, founder of ISAAA, inspired the BICs with a new mandate of “Knowledge, Technology, and Poverty Alleviation” where he laid down ISAAA’s noble role of contributing to the Millenium Development Goals of reducing poverty by 50% in 2015. The roadmap towards BICs’ goals by 2015 has been already set. Bounded with their respective commitment targets, all were enthused of saying, “Yes, we can! Starting off 2009!”

The group also took a study tour to biotech corn farms in Pampanga where they saw insect resistant, herbicide tolerant and stacked corns planted in farmers’ fields. The network also visited the ISAAA SEAsia Center office at IRRI, the SEARCA and the SEARCA BIC offices, as well as other key facilities in the Los Baños science community.

(Rochella B. Lapitan, SEARCA BIC).