The 10th National Biotechnology week (NBW) that will run from november 24-28 opened on November 21, 2014 with a press conference featuring the latest technology application in the fields of health and medicine, food security and agriculture, and environmet at the La Breza Hotel at Mother Ignacia, Quezon City.
This Year’s NBW’s theme is “Edukasyon sa Bioteknolohiya: Pagyamanin para sa kinabukasan natin”. The NBW is an annual event managed by the Department of Science and Technology, Agriculture, Environment, and Natural Resources, Education, Health Interior and Local Government, and Trade and Industry and Commision of Higher Education as this year’s lead agency.
Engr. Raul C. Sabularse, Executive Director, Philippine Council for Industry Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (PCIEERD) said that the NBW since 2005 has been celebrated last week of November by virtue of Presidential Decree No. 1414.
NBW aims to highlight the benefits and contributions of Biotechnology to Agriculture and Food Security; the delivery of equitable environment and the development of industries and the economy.
Hon. Juan Edgardo M. Angara graced the opening ceremonies on November 24, at the commission on Higher Education (CHED) office, Diliman, Quezon City, followed by the opening of exhibits; press conference, and forums on biotechnology.
The forums on biotechnology will be for the management of growth and health of aquacultured species, molecular markers in some high value commercial crops, and presentation on the biotechnology research program of the Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology.
The second day (November 25) featured forums on nutrigenomics and drug discovery; food and pharmaceutical biotechnology; environment-friendly biotechnology products; science and development communicators and development and trends in biotechnology. The 6th National Biotechnology Education Conference for Teachers was also held simultaneously at University of the Philippines Diliman-Institute of Biology.
On November 26, discussions titled Experience in Biotechnology Research, Career Orientation towards, Biotechnology, and Biotechnology 101 for Consumers were held. Also lined up for the day were the 4th National Biotechnology Quiz for High School at UP institute of Biology; 2nd National Nutrigenomics Conference at the Heritage Hotel; and Seminar on the Application of Biotechnology to the National Greening Program of DENR at Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau-DENR in UP Los Baños College of Forestry and Natural Resources, among others.
A forum on Pinoy Agricultural Biotechnology, Film showings, and a seminar on crop biotechnology were the activities for the fourth day, November 27.
The weeklong activity was capped with announcement and awarding of winners for the Biotech Shorties Contest – a Video making contest organized by Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture-Biotechnology Information Center (SEARCA-BIC) and the DA Infographics Poster Contest and closing ceremonies. (PSciJourn MegaManila)
