A LEGISLATIVE agenda that seeks to establish an “independent” biotechnology center and promote biotech-based industries is currently being advanced in Congress.

In a speech read for him during the opening ceremonies of the National Biotechnology Week in Quezon City, Sen. Edgardo Angara disclosed that the Joint Congressional Commission on Science, Technology and Engineering (Comste) is advancing a biotech legislative agenda.

“[The] legislative agenda is directed toward the establishment of an independent biotechnology center of excellence and promotion of biotechnology-based industries,” said Angara.

The senator noted that the seed capital for the biotech center being envisioned by Congress will be funded by a seed capital that will be provided by the government. The money will be used to conduct directed and impact-oriented research and development (R&D).

He said the R&D spending of the biotech center should be tax-deductible.

To promote biotech-based industries, Angara said legislative policies should be geared toward the granting of incentives to companies that invest in the commercial production of biotechnologies; granting of incentives to multinational corporations that will set up R&D centers in the Philippines; and the establishment of venture capital fund and business incubators to help emerging small biotech companies.

Angara noted that the local biotechnology sector is currently being confronted by a number of challenges which include lack of good scientists, low R&D spending and the lack of incentives for investors.

The chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture noted that the Philippine government spend only 0.15 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) in 2002 for R&D.

“What this super-technology can do for us in the future, given a supportive environment, is amazing,” said Angara.

Meanwhile, two Cabinet officials cited the need to harness biotechnology for the country to boost food production, develop cheaper but effective medicines and upgrade the production of commodities using higher-yielding crops with higher nutritional content.

Environment Secretary Lito Atienza said government is confident that “through biotechnology, we can get better results to our ceaseless pursuit on prosperity and development.”

“If we do not use biotechnology for our favor, we may just be left out by other governments and other societies who would harness it for their own good,” he told a group of scientists and biotechnology advocates.

Science and Technology Secretary Estrella Alabastro underscored the need to learn from the experiences of researchers and open channels of communication about new issues on biotechnology and their implications.

“If we could wave a flag for biotechnology, it would have three colors,” she said. “Red for medical, green for agricultural and white for industrial applications.”

Proclamation 1414, signed by President Arroyo last year, declared the last week of November as National Biotechnology Week in a bid to sustain greater awareness, education and understanding of biotechnology, including its many applications.

Biotechnology production developed by local scientists already include biofertilizers, ethanol-production-inducing bacteria and micronutrient enhancement products.

As early as 1998, high-level biotechnology research started and developed products such as transgenic papaya resistant to bunchy top virus and ringspot virus, delayed ripening of papaya and mango, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) corn, and marker-assisted breeding in coconut and coconut with high lauric acid content.