BAR TODAY || Official Quarterly Publication of the Bureau of Agricultural Research

DA launches biotech program under PL480 fund
by Rita T. dela Cruz

October-December 2000
Volume 2 No. 4

Subsequent to the signed law under the R.A. 8435 or the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act (AFMA) of providing 4% of the total R&D budget for biotechnology, the Department of Agriculture (DA) recently launched the Philippine Agriculture Fisheries Biotechnology Program under the Public Law 480 Food for Peace Program Loan Fund. This five-year program is aimed at putting into place a policy and regulatory framework for the safe use and commercial application of biotech products in the country. Likewise, it aims to enable the DA regulatory agencies to implement their specific regulatory functions with respect to these products; enhance the institutional capacity of the cooperating research centers; facilitate application of DNA-based technologies; and upgrade the institutional capability of DA through studies, trainings, and educational opportunities.

The DA Biotech Program has five sub-components, namely: Policy Analysis and Advocacy, Institutional Development and Capacity Enhancement, Research and Development, Risk Analysis, Assessment, Management and Communication and Biotechnology Commercialization.

The program is set to start as soon as the PL480 2000-01 fund is released. Meanwhile, support in the form of a start-up fund was requested from the Livelihood Enhancement for Agricultural Development (LEAD) Program of the National Agriculture and Fisheries Council (NAFC) to expedite the implementation of the biotech program.

Two memorandum of agreements (MOAs) were signed on 22 December 2000 to implement the activities of the LEAD-funded project. A P13-million grant was released to UP Los Baños (UPLB) for the institutional capacity enhancement of the DA regulatory agencies. The support covers the establishment of laboratories, procurement of necessary equipment for the detection of genetically modified organisms in plants, plant products and feeds, and provision of corresponding training and capability-building of the required personnel. The support also allows UPLB-BIOTECH to purchase a DNA sequencer to facilitate the in-depth analysis of the genetic make-up of an organism. DA has identified the UPLB-BIOTECH to be among the accredited research institutions in the detection of transgenics. Also part of the signed agreement was the P7-million grant awarded to UPLB Foundation Inc. to institutionalize the Program Implementation Unit, Steering Committee and Technical Committee, which are necessary for the efficient and effective implementation of the DA Biotech Program. Likewise, computers and peripherals shall be provided to the DA Policy Analysis Service (DA-PAS) and the Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Products Standards (BAFPS) to facilitate research, coordination and communication on biotech policy issues and establish national food standards for transgenics. Presently, the UPLB Foundation Inc. has received a total of P2.1 million as part of the initial release.

The program is in its initial phase of implementation, which includes the preparation of the Manual of Operations for the management, coordination, monitoring and evaluation of different components of the program; convening the Steering Committee; and establishment of the Technical Committees. The initial proposal submitted to the Department of Budget and Management is set for review to make it more responsive to the needs and activities for the year 2001.