Philippine National Scientist Expresses Support to Biotech

Dr. Dolores Ramirez, a Filipino national scientist, expressed her support to biotechnology during the 10^th Year Anniversary of the University of the Philippines Graduate Program on Molecular Biology and Biotechnology and the 4^th Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (MBB) symposium. In her keynote speech, she stressed that, "molecular biology and biotechnology has wide applications to agriculture, health, industry and to the environment and can offer solutions to improving Filipino lives." She also cited the widely adopted Bt corn in the country which has transformed lives of many Filipinos and called for support to local biotech products such as golden rice, bacterial blight resistant rice, abaca resistant to bunchy top virus and papaya with delayed ripening and resistance to papaya ringspot virus.

However she noted that: "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 thus called for stronger government funding support to biotech R&D for the improvement of biotech research facilities in public and academic institutions; intensified collaborations with research institutions from other countries; and  revitalized biotechnology awareness and appreciation initiatives. 

For details on the event and on biotechnology in the Philippines, visit SEARCA BIC website at http://www.bic.searca.org or e-mail Jenny Panopio at: bic@agri.searca.org.