TIGBAUAN, ILOILO- A world-class biotechnology laboratory has risen in this seaside town 24 km west of Iloilo City.

The P431-million laboratory for Advanced Aquaculture technology was turned over recently to the Philippine government by the Japanese government, which provided P400 million for its construction.

The Philippine government gave a counterpart fund of P31 million for the state-of-the-art research facility, which was built within the 40-ha complex of the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center Aquaculture Department (SEAFDEC AQD).

Agriculture Secretary Luis Lorenzo Jr. receive the laboratory in behalf of the Philippines government for Japan Embassy First Secretary Eiji Ueno, Who represented Japanese ambassador to the Philippines Eojiro Takano during the turned over ceremony.

Among those witnessed the turnover were SEAFDEC AQD officials and staff headed by Dr. Rolando R. Platon (chief), Department of Agriculture (DA) Undersecretary Cesar M. Drilon Jr., director Felix Gonzales of the Chamber of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (CFAR), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) resident representative in the Philippine Osamu Nakagaki, officials of the DA-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic resources (BFAR), Iloilo Gov. Niel Tupas, mayors of some Iloilo towns, and officials of the UP Visayas and Iloilo State College of Fisheries.

A joint initiative of DA and Philippine government-hosted SEAFDEC AQD, the laboratory is now being operated by AQD and BFAR.

The project was approved by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) and endorsed to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in August 2000 as among the Philippine governments "candidate projects" under Japan's Fiscal year 2002 General Grant Aid Program.

The "Exchange of Notes" by then Ambassador Yoshihisa Ara and Vice President and then con-current DFA Secretary Teofisto Guingona representing their respective governments took place on Dec. 12, 2001.

The cornerstone-laying for the laboratory was held on Feb. 23, 2003.

Construction of the laboratory was complete in a year's time by the contractors-CC Overseas Corp., Taisei Corp., and Marubeni.

IN his acceptance speech, Lorenzo said that the laboratory was established by the Japanese and Philippine governments to maximize gains from aquaculture production in the country and Southeast Asia without jeopardizing the sustainability of the environment and the industry itself.

The laboratory has five components. These are Endocrinology and Genetics, Feed Technology, Algal production Technology, Microbiology, and Enclosed Wet laboratory.

Lorenzo concluded: "I urge the researcher and workers form various institutions who will be working here to make this laboratory the center of biotechnology for aquaculture not only in the Philippines but also in the whole of Southeast Asia." (SEAFDEC AQD News)