Dr. Dolores Ramirez, a Filipino national scientist famous for her research works in biochemical genetics and cytogenetics of plants, urges for biotechnology research and education support in priming transformation of Filipino lives. In her keynote speech during the 10th Year Anniversary of the University of the Philippines Graduate Program on Molecular Biology and Biotechnology and 4th Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Symposium held recently, Dr. Ramirez said, “MBB covers wide spectrum of life and sciences and its application to agriculture, health, industry and to the environment can offer solutions that can contribute to improving Filipino lives”. She urges for awareness and appreciation of MBB as early as possible so that misconceptions are diminished through time. She added that biotech research and its products can also trigger transformation in Filipino lives, one example of which is the Bt corn being adopted in the country for more than 7 years now.

Local biological researches are also being conducted in both public and private R&D institutions that are expected to commercialize agricultural biotech products in the country in the next few years. “Bacterial blight resistant rice and Golden rice are being developed by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice). Likewise, the University of the Philippines Los Baños is working on the development of banana and abaca resistant to bunchy top virus as well as papaya with delayed ripening trait,” said Dr. Ramirez.

However, Dr. Ramirez called for stronger government funding support to biotech R&D in the country. “Support to science in the country is negligible. Last year, government expenditure to biotech R&D was only 0.12% of the country’s gross domestic products (GDP)” she said. Furthermore, she stressed that improvement of biotech research facilities in public and academic institutions must also be given high priority by the government. She challenged those doing research work on MBB to do more collaboration with the research institutions from other countries such as shuttle research and student exchange program.

The MBB symposium and anniversary was organized by the UPLB MBB Graduate Program in cooperation with the SEARCA Biotechnology Information Center and the Institute of Chemistry, UPLB. (Rochella B. Lapitan, SEARCA BIC)

For more information, please contact:

Ms. Jenny A. Panopio
Special Project Coordinator & Network Administrator
Biotechnology Information Center
SEAMEO SEARCA
College, Laguna 4031
Email: jap at agri.searca.org
Tel: (63-49)536-2290 loc 169 or 406
Tele/Fax: (63-49)536-4105
URL: www.bic.searca.org