Biotech Updates

Biotechnology Gets Attention at Senate of the Philippines

November 20, 2019

"As a country (the Philippines) that is among the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change, it is crucial that we as a nation would have a paradigm shift…we must make use of the expertise of our researchers who are involved in biotechnology," said Senator Nancy Binay, chairperson of the Senate Committees on Tourism, Cultural Communities, and Social Justice, Welfare and Rural Development, during the opening ceremonies of the Technology Exhibit of the 15th National Biotechnology Week (NBW) on November 18, 2019 at the Senate of the Philippines, Pasay City.

The exhibit featured the importance of biotechnology in attaining and sustaining food security, equitable access to health services, sustainable and safe environment, and industry development. Among the exhibitors are the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA), Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture – Biotechnology Information Center (SEARCA-BIC), Department of Agriculture, and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). The exhibit runs for one week as a build-up activity for the NBW which will take place at the National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI) on November 25-29, 2019.

"I am hoping that this exhibit will not only increase the appreciation for the contribution of biotech to providing solutions to our most pressing problems but also make us aware of the challenges we still have to work on," Sen. Binay stressed. ISAAA SEAsiaCenter Director, Dr. Rhodora Aldemita, enlightened the participants on the current status of biotech crop adoption worldwide as well as the benefits of the technology, particularly to the Filipino farmers.

For more information, contact knowledgecenter@isaaa.org.


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