Seminar Training on the Implementation of DA MC for Products of PBI
By: Tracey Mae Cea
Posted April 21-22, 2022
The Bureau of Plant Industry in collaboration with the Biotechnology Coalition of the Philippines, Department of Agriculture (DA) - Biotechnology Program Office, and US Department of Agriculture project (under Winrock International), B-SAFE - Building Safe Agricultural Food Enterprises conducted a seminar-training on the Implementation of DA Memorandum Circular for Products of Plant Breeding Innovation (PBI) last April 21-22, 2022 at the Bayview Park Hotel, Manila.
This event is the second hybrid seminar organized by the BPI Biotechnology Office, attended face-to-face and online by BPI regulators, researcher-scientists, and technology developers from private and public research institutions as well as other stakeholders.
Dr. Fermin Adriano, DA Undersecretary for Policy and Planning delivered his inspiring welcome remarks reminding the participants of their role as regulators as well as the significance of policy and regulations particularly for the products of these New Breeding Techniques/Plant Breeding Innovations.
The first day of the event tackled topics on the science of PBIs. Firstly, Dr. Ernelea Cao delivered the results of the review of basic gene editing knowledge of regulators for PBIs. The overview and global status of Plant Breeding Innovations (PBI) was then discussed by Dr. Gabriel Romero (PSIA) and Dr. Rhodora Romero-Aldemita (ISAAA), respectively. The existing methods of generating PBIs was also elaborated by Dr. Maria Genaleen Diaz while the laboratory techniques was emphasized by Dr. Gabriel Romero. Furthermore, a review of the crafted guidelines for PBIs (NCBP Resolution No. 1 and DA MC s2022) was presented by Dr. Abraham Manalo (BCP). Alongside this is the discussion by Dr. Reynante Ordonio (PhilRice) of the decision tree of the NCBP for the determination of coverage or non-coverage of these products to the Joint Department Circular No. 1 s2021. Furthermore, the use of new technologies such as bioinformatics for the determination of sequence homology for products of PBIs was comprehensively discussed by Dr. Kenneth McNally (IRRI). The audience was engaged by an open forum moderated by Ms. Alexis Marie Sagisi, Project Development Officer II and a member of the Biotech Secretariat. Dr. Lilia Portales, Co-chair of the BPI Post Approval Monitoring Group (BPI-PAMG) presented the composition of the BCT-PBI emphasizing the need to capacitate the working group for the successful implementation of the regulatory policy. Dr. Peter Magdaraog, OIC-Head of the BPI Biotech Office, concluded the day by delivering the synthesis for the 1st day of the event.
The second day of the event was full of fascinating technologies and techniques which captured the interest of the attendees. Presentations from DA-Philippine Rice Research Institute (DA-PhilRice) spearheaded by Dr. Ordonio, International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) headed by Dr. Inez Hortense Slamet-Loedin, and the University of the Philippines - Los Baños (UPLB) led by Dr. Hayde Galvez, was deemed to be necessary for the advancement of these new technologies in the Philippine agricultural pipeline. The discussion was moderated by Ms. Paulyne Nathalie Ordillo, Science Research Specialist I and a member of the Biotech Secretariat. Dr. Saturnina Halos, Chair of the DA - Technical Advisory Group on Modern Biotechnology & Other Innovations in Agriculture & Fisheries (TAG-MBI) highlighted BPI’s role on implementation of the circular and the future prospects of these technologies.
This seminar-training will equip the regulators, especially the Bureau of Plant Industry to the future regulatory system of evaluation and determination of PBIs.
