Filipinos looking for technology to address specific needs in agriculture, environmental management and natural resources can now use a new digital platform that brings together locally developed biotechnology solutions and connects them with potential research partners.
In a news release Tuesday, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) spotlights the Pinoy Biotech Hub, officially launched Monday at the opening of the 22nd National Biotechnology Week (NBW).
Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau (ERDB) Director Lormelyn Claudio said the bureau and the NBW Inter-Agency Steering Committee (IASC) developed the new hub to address long-standing gaps in sharing information on biotechnology innovations among institutions.
The DENR said the new hub would provide a centralized online resource for innovations.
“The hub functions as a centralized resource that integrates technologies from different government agencies, academic institutions, and industry partners to help users discover innovations and foster research collaborations,” it said.
In simple terms, biotechnology refers to the use of living organisms or biological processes to develop useful products or solutions.
The DENR said the hub features applications in farming, environmental protection, and the sustainable use of natural resources.
The platform is designed to help users discover technologies that could address specific community needs while allowing researchers and institutions to find potential collaborators.
In his message delivered by Undersecretary Ernesto Adobo Jr., DENR Secretary Juan Miguel Cuna noted the importance of biotechnology in tackling environmental concerns, including restoring degraded lands, producing quality planting materials and conserving native species.
“Moving forward, the DENR is committed to strengthening research and innovation in environmental biotechnology, deepening partnerships that can help bring promising technologies from the laboratory into actual practice, and ensuring that these innovations are developed and applied responsibly, with our ecosystems and communities in mind,” Cuna said.
The 22nd NBW, with the theme “Biotek para sa Kinabukasan: Kalikasan, Kalusugan, Kagandahan, Kabuhayan at Kaunlaran (The Future: Nature, Health, Beauty, Livelihood, and Progress),” runs until Sept. 24 and features biotechnology applications in climate-smart agriculture, wastewater treatment, soil restoration, and the sustainable use and management of marine resources.
Among the innovations showcased at the launch was H2Organics, a hydroseeding-hydrogel technology developed by ERDB chemist Rejaynil Valdez and designed to rehabilitate mined-out and degraded lands.
The event also includes a public exhibit featuring technologies from the Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Health (DOH), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Education (DepEd), and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).
Academic and industry partners including the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA), CropLife Philippines, Health and Dietary Supplement Association of the Philippines (HADSAP), the Biotechnology Coalition of the Philippines, Technological University of the Philippines-Taguig, and The UPLB Genetics Society are also showcasing their biotechnology innovations.
During the launch, participating agencies signed a ceremonial digital wall of commitment to reaffirm their support for the responsible, ethical, and science-based advancement of biotechnology. (PNA)
