“Biotech scare no more”, say print and radio media practitioners from Visayas during the Media Workshop on Creating Public Awareness, Knowledge and Understanding of Biotech Crops, held at Sabin Resort Hotel, Ormoc City, on 12 May 2009.

The media workshop tackled basic concepts of agricultural biotechnology, global status of biotechnology, biotechnology safety risk assessments, and biotechnology R&D activities and adoption in the country.

During the workshop, Dr. Jose Bacusmo, president of the Visayas State University (VSU), stressed “the need to forge partnership with the media as it is vital to communicate biotechnology to the public, especially to the Visayas region, which is presently in the hype of scare issues on biotechnology.” On the other hand, Dr. Juliet Roa, a VSU social scientist and director of the Philippine Rootcrops Research and Development Institute, said, “Media must have a thorough learning of biotechnology, a cutting-edge technology that our country must not fall again. By marrying the functions of scientists and media, misconceptions and unresolved issues on biotechnology will be scientifically answered.”

The media workshop was organized through collaboration among the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA), the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture through Biotechnology Information Center (SEARCA BIC), Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD), Program for Biosafety Systems Southeast Asia (PBS SEasia), and the Visayas State University.

For more information, email bic@agri.searca.org or visit www.searca.bic.org. (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