BioteKomiks: How Comic Artists Represent Biotech in the Philippines 

Comics is a unique way to demonstrate real-life situations in our society. Artworks can reach a wide audience because they are more expressive than words, and they evoke emotions that boost the interest, curiosity, and empathy of the audience. Through art, the creators can also connect with other people.

Due to these reasons, it is important to represent biotechnology through art. By providing visual information about biotechnology to the public, they will have greater awareness and understanding of the field. Visuals also help people become aligned and reduce the ambiguity about the topic being discussed.

The power of art, specifically cartoons, was demonstrated in BiotechToons, a contest for cartoonists on biotechnology. It was organized by ISAAA and the SEAMEO Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) - Biotechnology Information Center in collaboration with the Philippine International Cartoons, Comics, and Animation (PICCA), Inc. in 2011. About 75 entries were submitted to the contest, which provided a wider perspective or substantial overview of biotechnology. 

With the success of BiotechToons, ISAAA Inc., in partnership with the Philippine Agriculture and Fisheries Biotech Program (DA Biotech), decided to tap again into the comic artists’ talents to depict science concepts into illustrations. BioteKomiks contest was launched on October 3, 2023, to highlight the perspective of Filipino artists regarding the impact of Pinoy Biotek in Philippine agriculture and fisheries.

More than 30 participants demonstrated their creative perspectives on the wonders of Pinoy Biotek through a four-panel comic strip. The contest judges include Yvette Tan (multi-awarded author and columnist at Manila Bulletin), Stephanie Bravo-Semilla (freelance cartoonist and former illustrator at the Philippine Daily Inquirer), and Mark Lester Chico (Assistant Professor at the University of the Philippines Los Baños).

The top three artworks in each category (professional and amateur) were exhibited and awarded during the General Assembly of the Biotechnology Coalition of the Philippines on December 6, 2023, at Bayview Hotel, Manila.

Professional Category Winners

The top three winners in the professional category were Alexis Raphael L. Moreno (freelance artist), Bladimer C. Usi (The Manila Times and Samahang Kartunista ng Pilipinas), and Kevin Ray Valentino (freelance artist).

Prof Tilaok

Alexis Raphael L. Moreno created the top entry titled “Prof. Tilaok.” In the comic strip, Prof. Tilaok is a scientist introducing a Low-cost Portable Molecular Diagnostic Platform for Rapid Detection of Select Poultry Pathogens (LMDP) to a local poultry farmer to see its effectiveness and potential benefits for his farm.

LMDP is a technology developed to help the poultry industry in the Philippines. The LMDP system consists of a preparation device, sample collection, and a small instrument wirelessly connected to a smartphone. The app runs the assay and shows the results in less than an hour. Poultry farmers and scientists can use this tool to quickly detect diseases in chickens to prevent spreading and improve income.

Kayamanan/Treasure

The second-place entry titled “Kayamanan” (Treasure) was designed by Bladimer C. Usi. The comic is about a conversation between a father and his son. The father believes that biotechnology can be inherited by his son and the future generation.

Puno ng Ligaya/Tree of Happiness

Kevin Ray Valentino developed the third winning entry “Puno ng Ligaya” (Tree of Happiness). The four-panel comic shows a vignette of a farmer’s life and how Coconut Somatic Embryogenesis Technology (CSEt) has positively impacted his family’s coconut harvest.

CSEt was developed by researchers from the Philippine Coconut Authority to mass propagate Makapuno. It is a tissue culture process where a piece of plumule is taken from the nut. A plumule is the growing point found in the embryo that will turn into the shoot and root. It will be cultured in a mixture of nutrients and grown in an artificial environment. Later on, it can produce hundreds of Makapuno plantlets.

The other finalists in the professional category were Kevin Polon (freelance comic artist), Joshua Ison (Institute of Plant Breeding, University of the Philippines Los Baños), Paolo Jomadiao (freelance artist), Arnel Ramos Coronel (Liwayway Magazine), and Erma Dianne Decena (Emapta Versatile Inc).

Amateur Category Winners

The top three winners in the amateur category were Daryl B. Ceribo from the University of the Philippines Los Baños, Hershey A. Balan from the National University Laguna, and Jean Vollerie Regalado Boyles from Maranatha Christian Academy of Imus.

Bt, Best Talong/Eggplant

Daryl B. Ceribo created the top-winning entry titled “Bt, Best Talong/ Eggplant.” The comic strip shows a Filipino farmer who is about to spray pesticide onto eggplant, unaware that the eggplant is a talking, biotechnologically-improved Bt eggplant (Bt talong). In the comic strip, Bt talong likens its innate pest-deterrence mechanism to vaccination, which is more understandable to the farmer. In the end, the farmer realizes the benefits of Bt talong, such as reducing the need for pesticides and the number of rejects, which lower production costs, increase returns, and boost revenue.

Bt eggplant was developed by researchers from the Institute of Plant Breeding at the College of Agriculture and Food Science at the University of the Philippines Los Baños (IPB-CAFS-UPLB). It is resistant to the eggplant fruit and shoot borer (EFSB) pest due to a naturally occurring protein derived from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt).

Maita

Hershey A. Balan produced the entry titled “Maita” which won as second-placer in the category. Maita is a superhero and the guardian of Bt corn, which has long-term benefits to farmers. She also shares about the impact of other biotech crops in the Philippines, such as Bt eggplant, Bt cotton, and Golden/Malusog Rice.

B-TEK MAN

Jean Vollerie Regalado Boyles developed the “B-Tek Man” illustration, which won third place. BIOTEK MAN is a super scientist ready to help the people by providing crop biotechnologies for the greater good. He provides Filipino farmers with better solutions to cope with the food demand and maintain their livelihoods.

The other finalists in the amateur category were Reiñer Jan A. Castelo (University of the Philippines Los Baños), Gillian Nicole A. Jamias (De La Salle University Manila), Aaron Nichol D.C Dacumos (Central Luzon State University), Wendelyn C. Tutor (Barobo National High School), and Arriane Lumabi Brazil (University of the Philippines Tacloban College).

The comic artists effectively used art to demonstrate the advantages of Pinoy Biotek to the Philippines’ agriculture and fisheries. Most entries framed biotechnology as a tool for social progress, improving the Filipinos’ quality of life. The public can better understand the technology and its impact on the country through the artists' visual representation of biotechnology in comics.

Watch this video for the list of finalists and winners. Like and share Pinoy Biotek on Facebook.

For further reading:

• Visual Representation of Science: How Cartoonists Define Crop Biotechnology
• Science and Popular Media: How Cartoonists Visualize Crop Biotechnology
• ISAAA Brief 45 - Cartoons: Popularizing Crop Biotechnology