ASCA8 Enhances Biotech Expertise in Asia Through Experiential Learning Program
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“Agricultural biotechnology is not just about science—it is about the plant and the people. It is about the farmer sowing seeds with hope, the mother ensuring food for her children, and the communities striving for a more sustainable and resilient tomorrow,” declared Dr. William Dar, ISAAA Board Chair and former Secretary of the Philippine Department of Agriculture during the opening ceremony of the 8th Asian Short Course on Agribiotechnology, Biosafety Regulation, and Communication (ASCA8). The short course was organized by the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA), Inc.
Over 50 participants, partners, and experts joined ASCA8, which was held in Muntinlupa City from September 8 to 12, 2025. ASCA8 provided the participants with experiential learning opportunities that encompassed all aspects of the biotech crop value chain.
“Innovation must always walk hand in hand with sound regulation, ethical responsibility, environmental sustainability, and open communication. This is why ASCA8 is so important. This short course is more than just a training program—it is a community of learners, a platform for collaboration, and a family of advocates. Together, we are shaping a future where farmers have better choices, where consumers enjoy safer and healthier food, and where societies become more resilient to climate change and other global challenges,” Dr. Dar highlighted.
Aside from intensive discussions on research and development, commercialization, regulation, and communication, the participants were also exposed to visits and direct engagement with key biotech players in the Philippines. The tours included visits to R&D facilities at the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), GMO detection laboratories at the Bureau of Plant Industry, International Rice Genebank, Corteva seed plant, and biotech corn fields at Maize Life and Farming Sciences in Laguna.
Dr. Barbara L. Caoili, Director of the National Crop Protection Center at UPLB, praised the course for its relevance to policy and communication. She stated, “The topics are well thought off so that they will definitely help scientists and regulatory advisers guide policy makers on the registration, use, and monitoring of agribiotech products. The science communication and policy advocacy session interests me the most since this will help us popularize our technologies.”
Another participant, Ms. Nur Azizah from the Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture, said, “I loved every part of this course, because it can enhance knowledge and practical skills through hands-on activities, tours to biotech research facilities, and farms, provide a platform for interactive discussions with prominent international experts, and promote a collaborative environment for networking among participants and experts.”
ASCA8 is co-organized with the Malaysian Biotechnology Information Centre (MABIC), Pt-Bio, CropLife Asia, CropLife Philippines, CropLife Indonesia, CropLife Vietnam, USDA Foreign Agricultural Service/US Embassy Jakarta, the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD), Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Studies and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), Bayer Asia Pacific, FuturaGene, National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (BIOTECH) of the University of the Philippines Los Baños, Corteva Agriscience, and Science Communicators Philippines (SciCommPH).
For interested sponsors and participants of ASCA 2026, send an email to meetings@isaaa.org.
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