Biotech in the Philippines

1. Biotech Tutorial
4-Biotechnology in the
Philippines
Evelyn Mae Tecson-Mendoza, PhD
Member, National Academy of Science and Technology Philippines
Professor Emeritus, Institute of Plant Breeding, Crop Science Cluster,
College of Agriculture, University of the Philippines Los Baños
©Copyright EMTecsonMendoza 2004-2013

2. Policies & MilestonesPolicies & Milestones
1979 National Institutes of
Biotechnology and Applied
Microbiology established
by Presidential Decree
under Pres. Ferdinand E.
Marcos.Marcos.
Under the University of
the Philippines Los Baños,
with then Chancellor Emil
Q. Javier as concurrent
first Director.

3. Institute of Plant Breeding (IPB),Institute of Plant Breeding (IPB),
Crop Science Institute
College of Agriculture
University of the Philippines
Los Baños
IPB is a national institute mandated to improve and develop new varieties of crops and
conduct needed researches to support breeding objectives; lead institution for plant
biotechnology as per Seed Development Act of 1992

4. Biotechnology in the PhilippinesBiotechnology in the Philippines
1979 National Institute of Biotechnology and
Applied Microbiology established by PD
under Pres. FE Marcos
1986-1992 Biotechnology—flagship
program under Pres. CC Aquino
1990 EO 430 creating National Committee
on Biosafety of the Philippines (NCBP)
1992-1998 Biotechnology---major S & T
program under Pres. FV Ramos; UP Biotech
institutes established by UP Pres. EQ Javier

5. Biotechnology in the PhilippinesBiotechnology in the Philippines
1997 Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization
Act included provision for biotechnology
2000 Institutionalization of biotechnology in
government programs, Pres. JE Estrada
2001 Policy statement on modern biotechnology2001 Policy statement on modern biotechnology
by Pres. GM Arroyo
2002 Administrative Order (AO) No. 8 Rules and
Regulations for the Importation and Release into
the Environment of Plants and Plant Products
Derived from the Use of Modern Biotechnology

6. Pres. G M Arroyo’s Policy
Statement on Biotechnology
“We shall promote the safe and
responsible use of modern
biotechnology and its products as one ofbiotechnology and its products as one of
several means to achieve and sustain
food security, equitable access to health
services, sustainable and safe
environment and industry
development…”
July 2001

7. Agriculture
• Improved crop varieties, mostly by
conventional breeding; GM crops for
selected traits are emerging technologies
• Tissue culture raised planting materials and
Biotechnology in the
Philippines
• Tissue culture raised planting materials and
cut flowers
• Biopesticides, local formulations of Bt,
Biocon
• Biofertilizers-- Nitroplus, legume inoculant;
Azospirillum; Mycorrhiza, Nitroplus, Cocogroe, etc
• Animal improvement, embryo transfer (ET)

8. Biotechnology in the
Philippines
Animal health
• Vaccines, a few developed locally; mostly
imported
• Diagnostics, mostly imported• Diagnostics, mostly imported
Foods and Feeds
• Diagnostics for important pathogens

9. Industrial and other biotech products
• Industrial enzymes, potential technologies
• Amino acid production, mostly imported
Biotechnology in the
Philippines
• Amino acid production, mostly imported
• Specialty biomolecular chemicals,
monoglycerides, nata de coco--- need
product development
• Recovery of value-added products from
wastes, mostly imported; local potential
technologies

10. orchids
Prof. Emerita de
Guzman
Prof. Helen Valmayor
makapuno
orchids
1960s

11. 1980s Dr. RC Barba led
research on banana
tissue culture at IPB

12. Plant Biotechnology-Based
Bioindustries in the Philippines
Tools
Equipment*
Computer
softwares Biochemicals
Process/Techniques*
Various DNA analyses*; Tissue
Institute of Plant Breeding, CA, UPLB
1975
Services
Products
Various DNA analyses*; Tissue
culture (disease-free mother plants,
for initial seedlings)**
Diagnostics*
Tissue cultured seedlings***
Transgenic crops
Genes
Pharmaceuticals*indicates relative
usage

13. Commercialization of Plant
Tissue Culture Technologies
Orchids
Banana
Davao Musatech (Stanfilco), largest in the
world; produces 23 M seedlings per yearworld; produces 23 M seedlings per year
Dolefil has capacity to produce 6 M per
year
Lapanday
Secura Plant Genetics
Makapuno
Sugarcane

14. Development of transgenic crops with
improved traits difficult to attain using
traditional breeding techniques is ongoing at
UPLB and at PhilRice.
The research in the International Rice Research Institute
based in Los Baños, Laguna is not described herein.

15. We are testing our transgenic papayas with
delayed ripening trait at IPB
AGSajise
ACIAR-DOST-IPB-UPLB

16. At
Field testing of bacterial blight resistant
transgenic rice (IR 72-Xa21
•Cloned the coat protein gene of the rice
tungro spherical virus (RSTV) and
transformed IR 72; tested transgenic rice
in screenhouse http://www.philrice.gov.ph

17. Philippine Rice Research Institute (Philrice) Is FieldPhilippine Rice Research Institute (Philrice) Is Field
Testing Golden RiceWith IRRI.Testing Golden RiceWith IRRI.

18. One of the first commercial Bt corn fields in South
Cotabato (July 2003). The lady farmer-owner said
that she would plant the Bt corn hybrid again
because of the higher yield and corn borer-
resistance. The latter meant non or less use of
pesticides.

19. Foreign biotech products testedForeign biotech products tested
and adopted in the Philippinesand adopted in the Philippines
For propagation
Single transformation events
◦ MON 810
◦ Corn NK603
◦ Corn GA21
◦ Corn Bt11
For direct use as food, feed or for
processing
As of 2013
Single traits/events
corn 16 potato 2
Soybean 7 sugarbeet 1
More than 700,000 ha of GM corn planted in PHL
◦ Corn Bt11
◦ MON 89034
Stacked traits
◦ Corn MON810xNK603
◦ Bt11xGA21
Canola 1 alfalfa 1
Cotton 3 rice 1
Stacked traits
corn 26
cotton 3

20. genomicsgenomics
study of genomics provides
knowledge and
information
On genome composition, gene expression,On genome composition, gene expression,
and metabolic processes.
Can accelerate improvement of breeds of
crops and animals through better
fundamental insights and strategies using
genomics tools

21. Philippine Genome ProgramPhilippine Genome Program
UP Diliman
◦ NIMBB
UP Manila
◦ IMBB◦ IMBB
◦ National Institutes of Health (NIH) UP Manila
Genome sequence & diagnostics for TB, malaria
UP Los Baños
◦ IBS, CAS
◦ IPB-CSC, CA

22. Agriculture Program of theAgriculture Program of the
Philippine Genome CenterPhilippine Genome Center
AIM: ENHANCE AGRICULTURALAIM: ENHANCE AGRICULTURAL
PRODUCTIVITYTHROUGH GENOMICS
LEAD AGENCY: UPLB
Drs. RP Laude, EMTecson-Mendoza,AC Laurena,
MS Mendioro, ETM Ocampo, MGQ Diaz, RN
Garcia.

23. Program Title: Marker Assisted Breeding
for High Fiber Quality and Virus Disease
Resistant Cultivars of Abaca
Use of GenomicsTools inUse of GenomicsTools in
Crop ImprovementCrop Improvement
Project Title: Abaca Functional
Genomics: High Throughput Discovery of
Genes and Molecular Markers

24. Construction and Analysis of Saba Expressed SequenceConstruction and Analysis of Saba Expressed Sequence
Tags (EST) Library and Functional Analysis of SelectedTags (EST) Library and Functional Analysis of Selected
TraitsTraits
To construct cDNA/EST libraries of Saba
To analyze the generated ESTs;To analyze the generated ESTs;
To identify novel and economically important
banana Saba genes.

25. L.Gueco,IPB
Field genebank of Wild Musa balbisiana collections at NPGRL
L.Gueco,IPB
Evelyn MaeEvelyn MaeTecsonTecson--Mendoza, Project LeaderMendoza, Project Leader
Study Leaders: Roberta N. Garcia, Rita P. Laude,Study Leaders: Roberta N. Garcia, Rita P. Laude, LaverneeLavernee GuecoGueco,,VisitacionVisitacion
HuelgasHuelgas
:Funded by : DA Biotech PIU:Funded by : DA Biotech PIU

26. Development of DNA Markers for GeneticDevelopment of DNA Markers for Genetic
Diversity Analysis, Fingerprinting and SexDiversity Analysis, Fingerprinting and Sex
Determination of Pili (Determination of Pili (Canarium ovatumCanarium ovatum))
DannyTecson2010
Roberta N. Garcia, Evelyn MaeTecson-
Mendoza and Leon O. Namuco
IPB, CA UPLB
Funded by the Department of Agriculture
BAR BIOTECH
DannyTecson2010