Business Potential for Agricultural Biotechnology - Asian Productivity ...

Business Potential for Agricultural Biotechnology Products in the Philippines
In PAFBA II (2002–10), the economic potential of the technologies proposed for R&D was
used as the “killer”/discriminating criterion in biotechnology research prioritization for the
NARS. The most recent crafting of Agriculture 2020 led by the National Academy of Sciences
and the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry, and Natural Resources (PCARRD) adopts
the industry cluster approach, which looks at the entire supply chain (e.g., feedgrain-livestockpoultry
cluster). This industry cluster approach considers the global competitiveness of Philippine
products in terms of cost and price.
Core Competencies
The Philippines has developed core competencies in manpower and infrastructure
(Figure 3) for developing and evaluating its own biotechnology products and those from other
countries. This was begun during the creation of BIOTECH in 1979 and has expanded to date
into several centers of excellence around the country, with about 300 scientists working on both
traditional (68%) and modern (32%) biotechnologies. Competencies in traditional biotechnologies
relate to tissue culture, microbiology, biofertilizer, enzymology, fermentation technology,
and reproductive biotechniques. In modern biotechnology, these skills are related to gene cloning,
mapping, bioremediation, genetic engineering, molecular markers, and bioinformatics,
among others. Bioinformatics is a relatively new field, and only very few scientists are competent
enough to maximize the use of this tool as well as teach it to others. The centers of excellence
in modern agricultural biotechnology include UPLB–Biotech, UPLB–Institute of Plant
Breeding, UPLB–Institute of Biological Sciences, Philippine Rice Research Institute, Leyte
State University, Philippine Coconut Authority, University of Southern Mindanao, Philippine
Carabao Center, Central Luzon State University, and Benguet State University. Government
support through the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and PCARRD jumpstarted
the work on priority transgenic crops in 1997, upgrading the scientists’ skills in transformation/
genetic engineering. The University of the Philippines and other academic institutions offered
degree programs in molecular biology. Specialized laboratories (BL2) or contained facilities
were supported through project funds.
Modern
32%
Traditional Biotechnology
Tissue Culture, 14%
Microbiology, 10.5%
Biofertilizer, 5.5%
Enzymology, 4%
Fermentation, 4%
Reproductive
Biotechniques, 3.5%
Others, 24.7%
Total = 317 Biotechnologists
Modern Biotechnology
Gene Cloning/Mapping/
Fingerprinting, 11.5%
Microbial Biotechnology/
Bioremediation, 6%
Transformation/Genetic
Engineering, 4%
Molecular Marker, 3%
Others, 7.5%
– 149 –
CENTERS OF
EXCELLENCE
UPLB (BIOTECH,
IPB, IBS), PhilRice,
LSU, PCA, USM,
PCC, CLSU, BSU
Traditional
68%
Region 4, 56%
NCR, 15%
Region 3, 6%
Others, 23%
Source: PCARRD, 2003
Figure 3. Core Competence in Philippine Agricultural Biotechnology, 2002