7th National Biotechnology Week Bioteknolohiya para sa Kalikasan, Kagandahan, Kabuhayan at Kaunlaran OK ang 5K sa Biotech: Suportahan Natin at Tangkilikin Natin! 21-26 November 2011• DENR Social Hall, Quezon City November 21 MONDAY Opening Ceremonies 9:00 AM – 11:40 NN Venue: DENR Social Hall, Visayas Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City Opening of NBW Exhibit 11:40 AM – 12:00 NN Venue: DENR Lobby Visayas Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City Lunch 12:00 NN Department of Agriculture Promising Agribiotechnologies: A Poster Presentation Contest 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM Venue: DENR Social Hall, Visayas Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City
November 22 TUESDAY Department of Science and Technology Science and Technology Forum 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM Venue: DENR Social Hall, Visayas Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City Department of Agriculture In Pursuit of Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security through Biotechnology 9:00 – 12:00 NN Venue: University
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of the Philippines Visayas, Iloilo City and Xavier University, Cagayan de Oro City Promising Journey in Biotechnology: Career Oppurtunities in the Fast-growing and High-technology Industry 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM
November 23 WEDNESDAY Department of Health Public Forum on Healthcare Biotechnology 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM Venue: DENR Social Hall, Visayas Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City
November 24 THURSDAY Biotechnology Coalition of the Philippines (BCP) and Biotech for Life Media and Advocacy Resource Center (BMARC) Seminar on Biotech RiceTechnologies from PhilRice 9:00 Am - 12 NN Venue: DENR Social Hall, Visayas Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) – Biotechnology Information Center (BIC) Film Showing on Biotechnology 9:00 AM – 12 NN Venue: FMB Conference Room, DENR Compound,
THE JOSE G. BURGOS JR. AWARDS FOR BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNALISM 2011
Visayas Avenue, Diliman, Quezon city BMARC in partnership with BCP Scientific Forum on Biotechnology for Communicators 1:00 – 4:00 PM Venue: DENR Social Hall, Quezon City Department of Agriculture Bringing Innovations from Laboratories to Market 1:00 – 5:00 PM Venue: FMB Conference Room, DENR Compound, Visayas Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City BCP, BMARC, SEARCABIC and J. Burgos Media Services, Inc. Jose Burgos Awards for Journalism 5:00 – 8:00 PM Venue: DENR Social hall, Visayas Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City
Department of Trade and Industry Business Forum 9:00 – 12:00 NN Venue: DENR Social Hall, Visayas Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City Department of Environment and Natural Resources Scientific Forum on Environment and Natural Resources 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM Venue: DENR Social Hall Visayas Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City Department of Agriculture in partnership with Hybridigm Consulting Inc. Bio Innovation Outlook 2011 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM Venue: AIM Conference Center, Makati City
November 26 SATURDAY
November 25 FRIDAY Department of Agriculture in partnership with UP Diliman National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (NIMBB) 3rd National Biotechnology Education Conference for Teachers 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM Venue: Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority Convention Hall, Visayas Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City
NBW Steering Committee Round Table Discussion to Revisit and Review Proclamation 1414 9:00 AM – 12:00 NN Venue: DENR Social Hall, Visayas Avenue, Quezon City Closing Ceremonies 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM Venue: DENR Social Hall, Visayas Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City
CONTENTS Program Messages
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Fruitful harvest for Joe Burgos 11 The Winners: News category
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Feature Category
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The Board of Judges
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2011 Jose G. Burgos Jr. Awards for Biotech Journalism Awarding Ceremonies and Book Launching 24 November 2011 DENR Social Hall, DENR Main Office, Visayas Avenue, Quezon City PROGRAM Invocation
Ms Ann Burgos
National Anthem Welcome Remarks Mr. Joel Paredes Program Director BMARC BOOK LAUNCHING Communication Challenges and Convergence in Crop Biotechnology By Dr. Mariechel Navarro and Dr. Randy Hautea (editors) c/o SEARCA-BIC and ISAAA Selected Reviews in Biotechnology: Livestock, Forestry, and Fisheries By Dr. Liberato Cruz, Dr. Saturnina Halos, and Evelyn Grace de Jesus-Ayson c/o ISAAA and BCP Intermission Number
Ms Ann Burgos
Introduction of Keynote Speaker
Dr. Candida B. Adalla Director DA-Biotechnology Program Implementing Unit
Keynote Speech
AVR presentation
SEARCA-BIC
Introduction of the Awards
Mr. Abraham Manalo Executive Secretary Biotechnology Coalition of the Philippines
Acknowledgement of the Members of the Board of Judges
Ms Jenny Panopio Coordinator SEARCA-BIC
Process undertaken Fr. Emmanuel Alparce In the selection Chairperson of winners 2011 Awards Board of Judges AWARDING OF PRIZES Institutional Awards Recognition of newspapers with the most number of published Biotechnology stories Best News Story Best Feature Story Closing Remarks
Dr. Edita T. Burgos, Ed. D. President Jose Burgos PEN, Inc.
Hon. Proceso Alcala Secretary Department of Agriculture Mr. Cris T. Michelena Master of Ceremonies Managing Director, Initiative for Farm Advocacy and Resource Management (iFARM)
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THE JOSE G. BURGOS JR. AWARDS FOR BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNALISM 2011
MESSAGE
Malacañan Palace Manila
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y warmest greetings to the nominees and winners of the Jose G. Burgos Jr. Awards for Biotechnology Journalism, organized by the Biotechnology for Life Media and Advocacy Resource Center and the Jose Burgos PEN Inc. Science and journalism share the same guiding principle—that of critical inquiry. Thus I commend this program which gives recognition to noteworthy examples of biotechnology journalism, a specialized field that elucidates for the public, through clear and concise writing, the technical aspects of scientific achievement and its impact on society. Let me also thank our journalists and their publications for giving voice to the agriculture and agri-technology sectors. Food security remains one of the most pressing issues that our government is trying to address and we are heartened by the findings made by our scientists and researchers, which help us shape more equitable and progressive policies for these industries. I take this opportunity as well to commend the organizers for keeping alive the multifaceted legacy of journalist and freedom fighter Jose G. Burgos Jr., whose passion for farming conveyed a yearning for serenity amid a life deeply involved in his country’s struggles, notably his cause in behalf of press freedom. Let us continue to galvanize our efforts toward securing the bright future that we deserve. United, we shall reap the rewards of a Philippines illuminated by the daylight of hope and reform.
BENIGNO S. AQUINO III President
THE JOSE G. BURGOS JR. AWARDS FOR BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNALISM 2011
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MESSAGE
Republic of the Philippines
Office of the Vice President
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would like to extend my warmest regards and congratulations to all nominees, winners and organizers of the Jose G. Burgos, Jr. Awards for Biotechnology Journalism. To advance biotechnology in the country, we need the media’s support to encourage more Filipinos to pursue work in the field and to increase public’s awareness. By applauding journalists and publications that give due attention to achievements in biotecnology, we are urging them to continue their outstanding reporting in this field. This makes honoring the media for distinguished reporting in biotechnology a must. It is my hope that Biotech Media and Advocacy Resource Center willcontinue to recognize the valuable contribution of media in promoting biotechnology for the benfit of the Filipino people Mabuhay kayo!
JEJOMAR C. BINAY Vice President
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THE JOSE G. BURGOS JR. AWARDS FOR BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNALISM 2011
MESSAGE
Office of the Secretary Quezon City, Philippines
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ongratulations to the organizers, awardees, guests and biotechnology journalists for successfully holding the Jose G. Burgos Jr. Awards for Biotechnology Journalism. The media is the bridge of the Department to farmers, fishers, traders and consumers. We need to convey clearly and effectively the interventions and assistance being given to stakeholders, for them to fully avail of the same. This in turn will aid in realizing our objectives of increasing productivity and lowering production cost. Another way of achieving these is the greater utilization of biotechnology. The Department has been open to the adoption of biotechnology, provided that it has no illeffect on the environment and produce is safe for consumption. With this in mind, we are thankful and fully support biotechnology journalists and the Jose G. Burgos, Jr. Awards for Biotechnology Journalism. Explaining the breakthroughs with words that can be easily understood Is no small feat. This benefits farmers and fishers, as technologies can be understood more easily. Kaya, inaasahan namin ang higit na pagpupursige sa hanay ng media. Karangalan ng Kagawaran ng Pagsasaka ang makasama kayo sa pagbibigay impormasyon at pagtuturo ng mga bagong teknolohiya. Asahan ninyo na patuloy tayong magsisikap para tumaas ang produksyon at kita ng magsasaka at mangingisda. Mabuhay!
PROCESO J. ALCALA Secretary
THE JOSE G. BURGOS JR. AWARDS FOR BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNALISM 2011
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MESSAGE
Republic of the Philippines
Department of Environment and Natural Resources
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his year, the DENR is privileged to host the National Biotechnology Week that highlights—for seven years now—the Jose G. Burgos Jr. Awards for Biotechnology Journalism. Given biotechnology’s huge potentials in the areas of pollution control, food production, and regeneration of natural resources, among others, the DENR takes keen interest in its growth in our country. It is in this context that the DENR has been consistently supportive of biotechnology, as we look forward to its applications in rehabilitating polluted rivers and waterways, cleaning the air, solid waste management, mass production of seeds for creating new forests, and climate change mitigation and adaptation. In the development of biotechnology as a tool in popularizing the adoption of its products, the press provides impetus and mobilizes public support. Thus the press performs a crucial role, which deserves utmost encouragement. It takes a special breed of journalists to enlighten the public on biotechnology. These journalists must be capable of reducing to layman’s language scientific knowledge, in a manner that grabs the interest of ordinary readers and empowers them to make informed decisions. Equally vital are the newspapers that devote space to news and feature articles on biotechnology, for without them we will be correspondingly poorer. Through the Jose G. Burgos Jr. Awards for Biotechnology Journalism, we salute these journalists and newspapers, and all those who have been contributing to the practice and enrichment of biotechnology journalism as a craft. Beyond the material awards that shall be bestowed to the winners, let us extend our gratitude and appreciation to all the participants, for we are truly indebted to the biotechnology journalism community as a whole.
RAMON J.P. PAJE Secretary
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THE JOSE G. BURGOS JR. AWARDS FOR BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNALISM 2011
MESSAGE
Biotechnology Program Office Department of Agriculture
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he organizers of this awards deserve to be commended, especially Dr. EdithT. Burgos whose passion in promoting biotechnology knows no boundaries. This annual event is indeed, a fitting legacy to the advocacy of a biotechnology advocate par excellence, the late Jose G. Burgos Jr. Writing about biotechnology, which is commonly perceived as “hard science� poses a great challenge to many. In more ways than one, this awards has succeeded in making biotechnology relevant to the laymen, Those who have helped in spreading the good news of how biotechnology makes a difference in lives of the average Filipino really deserve to be given due recognition. Congratulations to the awardees and may tribe increase.
CANDIDA B. ADALLA OIC Director, DA Biotech Program Implementation Unit
THE JOSE G. BURGOS JR. AWARDS FOR BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNALISM 2011
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MESSAGE
Bureau of Plant Industry Department of Agriculture
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ongratulations to the organizers, awardees, guests, key players and stakeholders in biotechnology for successfully holding the Jose G. Burgos Jr. Awards for Biotechnology Journalism. To the awardees, let me extend my appreciation to your outstanding contribution on the promotion of biotechnology and exerting your best effort of attaining a commendable job in agriculture and science reporting. Products from modern biotechnology are one among the key solutions to achieve goals in agriculture and food production. An effective regulatory system is needed to ensure the safety of these products. The Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) which is the lead regulatory agency for the implementation of the Philippine Department of Agriculture Administrative Order No. 8 s 2002 (Rules and Regulations for the Importation and Release in the Environment of Plant and Plant Products Derived from the Use of Modern Biotechnology) is committed to effectively implement its mandate on GMO regulation to ensure safety of products of modern biotechnology. The role of the BPI for the safety access of GM crops has become important and a major challenge to address food security and sufficiency. The regulation of GM technology is being challenged by the opposing claims and confusing bits of information being disseminated to the public. The BPI recognizes our journalists as our partners in disseminating the fair, honest and most updated information on biosafety and biotechnology regulation. Thus, with help of our journalists, we hope that the information on the existing and effective biosafety regulation will be explicitly clarified and will enlighten the public about its confusion thus making them understand biotechnology and biosafety.
CLARITO M. BARRON, PHD, CESO IV Director, Bureau of Plant Industry
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THE JOSE G. BURGOS JR. AWARDS FOR BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNALISM 2011
FRUITFUL HARVEST FOR
JOE BURGOS By LOURDES M. FERNANCEZ RAILBLAZER. Pioneer. Visionary. Fearless vested interest—and bound only by a common, sincere democrat. Social justice advocate. vision to improve the human condition, especially that These are among the descriptions of the marginalized and dispossessed. attached to the many accolades and It is thus not surprising that on the second year of awards received by journalist-farmer Jose the landmark Philippine awards for the best agricultural G. Burgos Jr. in his relatively brief lifetime, and science journalism in biotechnology, the Gawad all of which were associated with his key Galing Awards was renamed, aptly, the Jose G. Burgos role in building up the Alternative Press Awards for Biotech Journalism. against the Marcos martial-law regime in the 70s and It is also gratifying to witness how, through the 80s. years, the harvest of work submitted to the awards Yet, while this role earned him the singular honor organizers has grown, not just in volume, but also in of being the only Filipino selected as one of the 50 breadth and depth and diversity. Verily, like plants World Press Freedom Heroes benefiting from the fertilizer of of the 20th Century in 2000, human knowledge. it is precisely the same traits 7th year for Biotech Awards that made him not only a press This month, November hero but also a champion for 2011, the biotechnology awards his low-profile but nonetheless enters its seventh year. It started significant advocacy: Science in with much help from the late the name of human progress journalist’s widow, Dr. Edita There is his relentless effort T. Burgos, who wanted to give to push the limits of human flesh to her husband’s dream inquiry and intellect in order of recognizing members of the to find answers to improve media who have given particular the human condition. The focus to biotechnology. same rigorous discipline of He had thought of this in the gathering voluminous data and last few years of his life, when information and then culling he was more focused on farming those that are necessary and and farm-issues advocacy, and distilling them has been his journalism had become less hallmark. He subjected all of of a mainstream career and these to constant validation. more of a tool for the uplift of The same open-mindedness people’s lives, especially in the that allows one to form and countryside. vet all possible assumptions, As the first Gawad Galing’s to challenge existing data and He had thought of this in the last few explanatory literature put it, studies, turn conventional theory years of his life, when he was more “The award was established on its head and accept all comers focused on farming and farm-issues to celebrate the spirit in which to a constant debate where advocacy, and journalism had become he conceived of the Awards pride is left at the door, and less of a mainstream career and more itself—to encourage journalists all must be ready to give and of a tool for the uplift of people’s lives, to push the frontiers of scientific take in a constant exchange of especially in the countryside. information, free from bias and – Dr. Edita T. Burgos inquiry.”
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THE JOSE G. BURGOS JR. AWARDS FOR BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNALISM 2011
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This wasn’t surprising, for in his lifetime of 62 years, cut down only by cancer in 2003, Joe Burgos had constantly, courageously, pushed the limits of intellectual pursuits, first as an award-winning (Ten Outstanding Young Men or TOYM) investigative police reporter in the late 60s and early 70s and then as trailblazer in independent journalism, when a dictator required licenses for publishing. For publishing the WE Forum and Malaya, among other publications, from 1977 to 1986, Joe Burgos received two important awards: the UN Interpress Service’s International Journalist of the Year 1986, given after the Edsa Revolt, and in 2000, the International Press Institute’s highest honor as World Press Freedom Hero of the 20th Century, one of only 50 around the world. He would later apply that same pioneering spirit to agriculture, making a seamless transition, mainly because such varied roles required the same human traits: an indefatigable will, an abiding faith, a clear vision, an inquiring and intelligent mind, a selfless heart, and boundless talent. That time, while he was immersing himself increasingly in science and agriculture journalism while doing actual farm work in Bulacan, Joe engaged in tedious experimentation in his quest to find alternatives to costly, often damaging chemical inputs. He tried plant cross-breeding and soon enough, he became enamored with the promise—and challenge—of biotechnology. The Biotechnology for Life Media Advocacy and Resource Center (BMARC), one of the key movers of the biotech awards, had put the challenge quite succinctly: using science to feed the hungry, take care of the sick and nurture human health, and finally, conserve the environment. Mike Defensor, who was environment secretary when the first Gawad Galing Awards was organized, put it clearly in his message: “As human populations rapidly multiply, efforts must be doubled to ensure that our demand for food and energy are met.” And in a specific challenge to greatness that he sounded to journalists themselves, Dr. Benigno Peczon, then president and CEO of the Biotechnology Coalition of the Philippines (BCP), noting the hard work that lay ahead even after political freedom is won, and underscoring the need for honesty, competence and a strong work ethic, said in a message at the first Gawad Galing: “I call on journalists to help innumerable problems. Perhaps there are too many pressures. But nothing great ever gets started until a group is galvanized to greatness. I believe that you can be that group.” Lending support to the effort to encourage journalists to do serious work in agriculture and
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science reporting with special focus on biotechnology is the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) Biotechnology Information Center. Bound by a common vision That so many diverse groups and individuals have since come together to support the biotechnology journalism awards on its seventh year is a fitting testament to the kind of stakeholdership-building that Joe Burgos and similar visionaries pursued in their life and work. It had been said, in many a journalism circle, that Joe’s greatness derived not simply from his own personal courage and conviction but more important, his ability and willingness to encourage others to tap into their own greatness, and thus do many worthwhile things. Joe was an inspirer, ennobler, empowerer, mentor, consensus-shaper and master distiller, exactly like a human fertilizer who planted gems of ideas and values and nudged his friends and colleagues to grow them. Eventually, they would find their own seeds along the way. As it was in investigative and political journalism, so it was in science and agriculture. That his charisma and talent didn’t stay with him as some inert trait throws the same challenge to both the technical geniuses of science and agriculture, as well as the media who cover them. As Hybridigm Consulting, Inc. one of the pioneering advocates of bridging the gap between science and enterprise or business, once underscored, it is important to “get your point across, simply and clearly, to the people who matter.” Guidelines to write by By way of background, it is important to note that one of the early products of Joe Burgos’s effort to prepare the media for the constantly evolving challenge of science journalism was to bring together volunteer experts both from biotechnology and the media to craft a slim, but comprehensive volume called “Communication Guidelines for a Better Understanding of Biotechnology Issues (For Journalists, Scientists and Other Interest Groups.)” Crafted after several rounds of lengthy, sometimes heated roundtable discussions, the guidelines have since become a bible of sorts, a precious resource book for anyone—be they from the science or agriculture community, from media or from business or enterprise— interested in truly making biotechnology work for the common good. When the guidelines were first crafted, biotech journalism was in a flux, faced with much promise and Turn to page 18
THE JOSE G. BURGOS JR. AWARDS FOR BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNALISM 2011
THE WINNERS Biotech crops planted in 1B hectares by 15.4m farmers in 2010 By LYN RESURRECCION February 26, 2011, Business Mirror BIOTECH crops are now planted in 1 billion hectares by 15.4 million farmers from 29 countries in 2010, just 15 years after commercialization. This is the latest information released by International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA) in its annual report authored by Clive James, chairman and founder of ISAAA, that was released over the weekend. The unprecedented 87-fold increase since the first biotech crop was planted in 1996, makes it “the fastest-adopted crop technology in the history of modern agriculture,” James noted. “Growth remains strong, with biotech hectarage increasing 14 million hectares—or 10 percent—between 2009 and 2010,” said James. “That’s the second highest annual hectare growth ever—bringing 2010 global plantings to 148 million hectares.” Developing countries will drive big increases in crop adoption James pointed out that developing countries would drive the most dramatic increases in biotech crops adoption with nearly half of the increase coming from these countries. “Developing countries grew 48 percent of global biotech crops in 2010 and will exceed industrialized nations in their plantings of biotech crops by 2015,” said James. “Clearly, the countries of Latin America and Asia will drive the most dramatic increases in global hectares planted to biotech crops during the remainder of the technology’s second decade of commercialization.” He said the five major developing countries growing biotech crops— China, India, Brazil, Argentina and South Africa— planted 63 million hectares of biotech crops in 2010, equivalent to 43 percent of the global total. He noted that of 19 of the 29 countries that have adopted biotech crops are developing nations, adding that they grew at a rate of 17 percent or 10.2 million hectares over 2009—compared
to only 5-percent growth or 3.8 million hectares in industrialized countries. In the Philippines, farmers have shown receptiveness to biotechnology with the area planted to genetically modified (GM) corn growing from 50,000 hectares in 2002 to the current 400,000 hectares, earlier information the BusinessMirror gathered said. Bt eggplant is currently on multilocation trial in the country. Of the 15.4 million farmers worldwide using the technology in 2010, James said 14.4 million were small-scale, resource-poor farmers in developing countries—these farmers are some of the poorest people in the world and biotech crops are contributing to the alleviation of their poverty. The ISAAA report said China and India have the most small-scale farmers using biotech crops, with 6.5 million Chinese farmers and 6.3 million Indian farmers planting biotech crop seed. It noted that more than 1 billion people throughout Asia—who are among the 250 million small-scale rice-producing households cultivating about one-half hectare—are potential beneficiaries from the expected commercialization of insectresistant GM Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) rice expected to be introduced before 2015. China is currently having field trials of Bt rice. “This is important progress,” said James. “Up to 6,000 deaths a day can be prevented with Golden Rice for Vitamin Adeficient populations, which is expected to be available for planting in the Philippines by 2013 followed by Bangladesh, Indonesia and Vietnam.” The International Rice Research Institute and the Philippine Rice Research Institute are coordinating in research on Golden Rice for the Philippines. Largest biotech crop countries The ISAAA report said the 10 largest biotech crop growing countries all had more than 1 million hectares in production. They include: US (66.8 million), Brazil (25.4 million), Argentina (22.9 million), India (9.4 million), Canada (8.8 million), China (3.5 million), Paraguay (2.6 million), Pakistan (2.4 million), South Africa
1st PRIZE NEWS CATEGORY (2.2 million) and Uruguay (1.1 million). Brazil—for the second consecutive year—had the world’s largest year-overyear increase in absolute biotech crop plantings, adding 4 million hectares in 2010—a 19-percent increase—to grow a total of 25.4 million hectares, James said. He said only the US leads Brazil in total cropland devoted to biotech crops, while Australia, which recovered from a multiyear drought, saw the largest proportional year-on-year increase in biotech crop plantings at 184 percent. Burkina Faso followed at 126-percent growth with 80,000 farmers planting 260,000 hectares, a 65-percent adoption rate. The report pointed out that Brazil, after expediting approvals of biotech crops (a total of 27, and 8 in 2010 alone) and securing export trade agreements, now plants 17 percent of the world’s biotech crops, according to Dr. Anderson Galv o Gomes, director of Brazilian-based Celeres and contributor to the ISAAA report. Productivity increases attributed to biotech crops helped fuel Brazil’s ability to double its annual grain production since 1990, while increasing cropland by only 27 percent, the report said. James said three nations grew biotech crops commercially in 2010 for the first time, and one nation resumed planting biotech crops. Around 600,000 farmers in Pakistan and 375,000 farmers in Myanmar, planted insect-resistant Bt cotton, and Sweden—the first Scandinavian country to commercialize biotech crops—planted a new biotech high-quality starch potato approved for industrial and feed use. Germany also planted the same biotech potatoes in 2010—resuming its place among the eight EU nations now growing either biotech maize or potatoes. More countries, more biotech crops James said he expects an additional 12 countries to adopt biotech crops by 2015, bringing the list of adopting nations to 40 (the number predicted by ISAAA in 2005), the number of farmers to double to 20 million.
THE JOSE G. BURGOS JR. AWARDS FOR BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNALISM 2011
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He said three or four additional countries are expected to grow biotech crops from each of the three regions of Asia, West Africa, East/Southern Africa and fewer from Latin/Central America, and Western and Eastern Europe. Mexico, the center of biodiversity for maize, successfully conducted its first field trials of Bt and herbicide tolerant maize in 2010. Mexico has already successfully grown biotech cotton and soybean for many years. He said there is big potential for increasing the adoption of the four current large hectarage biotech crops of maize, soybean, cotton and canola—which represented almost 150 million hectares in 2010 from a global potential of double that hectarage at over 300 million hectares. He noted that in the next five years— the timing of commercialized biotech rice, and drought tolerance as a trait in maize and several other crops—are seminal catalysts for the future adoption of biotech
crops globally. Drought tolerant maize is expected in the US as early as 2012, and importantly, in Africa by 2017. James said the decision, four years ago, to delay biotech herbicidetolerant wheat is also being revisited and many countries are fast-tracking the development of biotech wheat with a range of traits including drought tolerance, disease resistance and grain quality—the first of which are expected to be ready for commercialization as early as 2017. Several “medium hectarage crops” are expected to be approved for commercialization by 2015, James said, including: biotech potatoes resistant to the most important disease of potatoes in the world, “late blight,” the cause of the Irish famine in 1845; sugar cane with improved agronomic and quality traits; diseaseresistant bananas, Bt eggplant, tomato, broccoli and cabbage, and some propoor crops, such as biotech cassava, sweet
Help for abaca farmers now available By PAUL ICAMINA April 4, 2011, Malaya BAYBAY, Leyte – A DNA-based kit able to detect a disease that stalks the country’s multi-million dollar abaca industry is now ready for use in farmers’ fields. The detection kit reduces the time it takes to detect the Abaca Bunchy Top Virus from three days to just three hours. The virus infection, which stunts the growth of the abaca, is characterized by the narrowing, rosetting and bunching of the leaves. The dwarfing effect is most damaging since the crop is primarily grown for the fiber processed from the stalk. “It is like a pregnancy test, the color is the indicator,” is how Dr. Edgardo E. Tulin of the Visayas State University (VSU) describes the detection kit. “In this case, deep purple indicates bunchy top infection,” Tulin, who headed the detection kit’s research and development, tells Malaya Business Insight. The way it works, a sample the size of a thumbnail is collected from abaca leaf then placed inside a plastic bag and macerated with a special liquid solution. The sample is gently shaken for 30 minutes. Then two drops of antisera, from rabbit blood, is placed on the sample. Antibodies in the antisera bind to the abaca virus and
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indicate the presence of the virus, which is confirmed when the color deep purple appears on the sample. The DNA of the virus is detected in a reaction that involves an antibody that recognizes foreign agents like the virus. The primary component of the diagnostic kit is the antisera which contain the antibodies that detect the presence of the virus in the abaca plant; the antisera is currently imported and expensive, especially when used in large quantities for large-scale application in abaca fields. Infected abaca leaf samples collected from Bicol were used for the purification of the abaca virus that was then used in the production of antibodies in the blood of laboratory rabbits infected with the virus. To come up with a cheaper and easy-to-use detection kit, VSU researchers studied three different testing methods: macerating abaca leaves in plastic bags; grinding the leaves in mortar and pestle; and crushing finely chopped abaca leaves with a tiny spatula inside a very small test tube. They were all effective but the plastic bag method was more efficient and practical because it is more portable than the other two. To control the Abaca Bunchy Top Virus, agriculturists recommend using healthy planting materials and destroying infected plants outright.
THE JOSE G. BURGOS JR. AWARDS FOR BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNALISM 2011
potato, pulses and groundnut. He pointed out that the 29 countries which planted biotech crops in 2010 already represent 59 percent of the world population. James is “cautiously optimistic” about the contribution that biotech can make to the 2015 Millennium Development Goals (MDG) of food security and poverty alleviation. “Biotech crops have played a perhaps underappreciated role in progress toward attainment of the 2015 Millennium Development Goals,” said James. “Their impact by 2015 will be more universally recognized.” Furthermore, biotech crops have contributed to sustainability and are helping mitigate climate change, said James: “Biotech crops have helped reduce carbon emissions and save land, while helping alleviate poverty for some of the poorest people in the world.”
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“These can be more effective when done simultaneously with the early detection of the disease,” Tulin says. However, not all plants show early signs of infection, and most appear healthy until the next generation of infected – and sickly – suckers sprout. “A local diagnostic kit that could detect these viruses as early as possible is thus very useful when made available for use in the field,” Tulin explains. “The test method we used is very popular in the detection and management of the virus because it is specific, sensitive and simple,” he says. “It can identify very small amounts of the virus and can be done routinely in farmers’ fields.” Compared to an imported version, the local antisera was found more superior in detecting the virus. The kit is handy, its dimension about half that of a bond paper. The cost of producing the antiserum for one assay is P22 compared to P700 using the commercial kit imported from the United States – “or 32 times cheaper than what is available abroad,” Tulin says. A single test using the local kit, including all the materials required, costs anywhere from P69 to P74. Since the price of the U.S.-sourced antisera is already very expensive at P700
NEWS CATEGORY
pesos per assay, a single test using the American kit is very expensive. The local detection kit developed by VSU has been found effective during field tests in Ormoc City and Villaba in Leyte. A training seminar introducing the new technology has been held for farmers, agricultural technicians and extension workers from Tacloban City and Southern Leyte and VSU faculty and students. The two-year, P2.1-million R&D for the Abaca Bunchy Top Virus detection kit was funded by the Philippine Council for Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Development, an agency of the Department of Science and Technology. Its development is very significant because the Abaca Bunchy Top Virus wreaks havoc to the country’s abaca industry that exports, on average, about $87 million annually. “Abaca production is hampered by pests and primarily by viral diseases like the bunchy top,” Tulin says. “The Abaca Bunchy Top Virus has wiped out several abaca plantations in Bicol and Mindanao and has now started to damage plantations in Eastern Visayas, the largest abaca producer in the country.” About 8,226 hectares are affected nationwide at a loss, in terms of potential fiber production, of about P250 million. Nearly 46,000 hectares are planted to abaca in Eastern Visayas where a third of the country’s abaca farms are located. Since 1996, Eastern Visayas led the country in abaca fiber production; Bicol has overtaken it in 2009 because of the Abaca Bunchy Top Virus that cut by half the production in Leyte and Southern Leyte. Sogod, Southern Leyte, and Baybay City, Leyte – two of the highest abacaproducing areas in Eastern Visayas – are severely affected by abaca diseases, including the bunchy top and the mosaic virus. In 2007, about P75 million in potential fiber were lost in 2,500 hectares of affected farms. Tulin’s expertise is in molecular immunology. He is the only scientist in the country looking at cytokine receptors linked to immune factors in animals that have potential uses for plants. Tulin, who is also VSU’s Vice-President for Planning and Resource Generation, received last December a research internship at the University of Maine in the United States from the prestigious Norman Borlaug Award for his work in agricultural biotechnology, the first Filipino scientist to receive such a commendation.
Bt corn saved the day for farmer By JONATHAN MAYUGA March 12, 2011, Business Mirror FARMER-SCIENTIST Isidro Acosta, of sitio Magsaysay, Naguilian, Isabela, said he would not have it any other way—switch to biotech Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) corn and earn twice as much compared with what he used to earn when he was using conventional hybrid-corn varieties. “Life is a lot better for me when I started to plant Bt corn,” Acosta said. Acosta’s testimony, Dr. Gil Saguiguit, director of Searca, acknowledged, “puts a face to the millions of farmers who have reaped and continue to reap benefits from science-generated knowledge.” From his average yield of 3 tons per hectare using conventional corn varieties, he now harvests an average of 7 tons per hectare, earning him P50,000 to P60,000 per hectare per cropping season, or double the P25,000 to P30,000 per hectare he used to earn. Adopting biotech crops—or in the case of the Philippines, Bt corn—can help the country achieve food security, Acosta said at Friday’s seminar on Global Perspective of Commercialized Biotech/GM Crops 2010 held by the International Service for the Acquisition of Agribiotech Applications (ISAAA), National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) and Searca-Biotechnology Information Center. Acosta was among the first to adopt Bt corn in Isabela. He said it is even better than hybrid- corn varieties, which is prone to Asian corn borer infestation. His average yield using hybrid corn does not exceed 6 tons per hectare, compared with Bt corn which, he said, does not go below 7 tons per hectare. He said he would have given up planting corn had it not been to the commercialization of the first Bt corn in the Philippines in 2003. “Those days were very difficult for me,” Acosta, a retired employee of the Development Bank of the Philippines, said. The vice president of the Philippine Maize Federation (Philmaize) and vice president of the Asian Farmers Regional Network, most members of which have adopted Bt corn, Acosta now maintains two farms with a total of 7 hectares in San Manuel and Magsaysay in his hometown in Naguilian. Both farms are planted to Bt corn. “After I stopped planting tobacco in 1983, I’ve tried planting corn. I’ve tried
different hybrid-corn varieties,” he said. The promise of bountiful PRIZE harvest, however, was often thwarted NEWS by massive Asian corn CATEGORY borer infestation. Two years after, still hoping he would bounce back and recover from the losses he incurred, he said he decided to retire and concentrate more on farming corn, thinking that by becoming a full-time farmer, he will be able to increase his yield. But he was disappointed. “When I first started to plant corn, I have 15 hectares. But through the years, my farm shrunk little by little because I am not earning enough to maintain my farm. I was starting to lose hope then when I learned about Bt corn and its promised solution to the woes of corn farmers like me,” he said. Acosta recalled his sad experiences before shifting to Bt corn. “One time, the crops in my farm show signs of a bountiful harvest. I was very happy. I even took pictures of my crops. When I went to Manila to attend a conference, I went back three days later only to find out that the Asian corn borer had already eaten up and destroyed more than half of the corn in my farm,” he said. He said while the cost of the seeds of Bt corn is twice as much as that of conventional hybrids, which only costs around P3,500, the return on investment is good, less the burden of maintaining the farms to keep insects and other pests away, he said. The corn borer can destroy up to 80 percent of the crop in a few days. According to Acosta, with hybrid seeds, income is not as good as with Bt corn because of the need for insecticides and cost of labor to maintain the farm, including manual weeding to make sure that the crops will grow and yield better. With Bt corn, he said he gets plenty of rest and spend very little time watching over his farm, knowing that the crops are safe from the corn borer. Acosta said since his income increased and he has more time for himself because of Bt corn, he is able to embark on other projects, such as livestock raising—goat and sheep—as well as growing vegetables. Like many other corn farmers, Acosta
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said adopting biotech crops proves to be more profitable. Massive adoption, he said, manifests the acceptance by farmers. Of the 211,000 hectares currently planted to corn this season in Cagayan Valley, Acosta said about 50 percent is planted to Bt corn, or roughly 105,000 hectares. In Isabela, the biggest corn producer in the region, acceptance is even higher. Of the 134,000 hectares planted to corn this season, 55 percent is devoted to Bt corn, or roughly 73,000 hectares that
benefit some 60,000 corn farmers in the province. The Philippines now ranks No. 13 among 29 countries in terms of areas planted to biotech crops, with an estimated 540,000 hectares, according to ISAAA. Dr. Clive James, founder and chairman of ISAAA, said the opportunity offered by advances in agricultural biotechnology is vast, particularly in the Philippines, which is among the 17 mega-countries growing 50,000 hectares or more of biotech crops. This, James attributed to the right policy environment and political will
exercised by the government when it allowed the first commercial release of Bt corn in 2002 despite strong resistance and protest by antibiotech groups that question the safety of such products of modern biotechnology. Dr. Ruben Villareal of NAST said among the crops, corn or biotech corn has the biggest potential in helping the country achieve food security, as the increase in the production of such highvalue crop also supports the growth of other subsectors in the agriculture sector, such as livestock and poultry.
13 tons per heactare By ZAC SARIAN July 23, 2011, Manila Bulletin MANILA, Philippines – With just one spray with a new growth-enhancing formulation, a farmer in Pangasinan was able to produce 13 tons of corn kernels (14% moisture content) in one hectare. That’s the good news that our friend, Alfonso G. Puyat, brought to us a couple of days ago. Puyat is a dedicated researcher who has long been making studies on how to enhance yields of rice, corn and other crops at affordable costs. Puyat has been developing his plant growth-enhancing formulations for a number of years now. He only has tentative names for them such as Philor Formula I and Philor Formula II. Patents are still pending but in the meantime, they are being tried by scientific researchers as well as by hands-on farmers. One of the recent users is Oftociano “Anong” Manalo of Balungao, Pangasinan who is also the president of the North and Central Luzon Federation of Irrigators Associations. Last January 15, he planted Bt corn Dekalb 9132 on 6,300 square meters. Three-and-a-half months later,
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he harvested 12.3 tons of fresh corn-onFEATURE the-cob. That’s CATEGORY equivalent to 19.53 tons per hectare. When shelled and dried to a moisture content of 14 percent, the yield is equivalent to 13 tons per hectare. Aside from the conventional fertilizer that Manalo applied (5 bags of complete fertilizer 14-14-14 at planting time and sidedressing of 2 bags urea and 1 bag 0-0-60), he just sprayed Puyat’s Philor Formula 1 only once when the corn plants were waist-high after hilling up. Puyat’s formulation which did the trick consists of single elements of plant food which he combined together plus ANAA, a plant growth regulator. The spray costs only about P250 per hectare, yet the increase in yield is tremendous. It is also very easy to apply. Puyat’s two formulations were also compared with Wokozim (a well known fertilizer) and control (not treated with fertilizer). On a per row basis, the Wokozim-treated corn plants yielded
17.8 kilos while the control plants (not fertilized) gave 15 kilos. Puyat’s Formula 1 with trace element yielded 30 kilos, a 100% increase over the control. On the other hand Formula II gave 26 kilos which is 73.33% higher than the yield of the control plants. In the farm of Rosendo So in Rosales, Pangasinan, the corn plants were sprayed with Formula I about 34 days after planting. Then the growth of the plants was measured two months after planting. It was found that the sprayed plants were 95 inches tall on the average while the unsprayed plants were only 66 inches tall. The yield of the sprayed plants was much higher - 88 percent higher than the unsprayed. Puyat is very upbeat about his new technology. It could significantly increase corn production not only in the Philippines but also abroad. If it is adopted in the United States, it could greatly help that country rebound from its economic crisis. That’s because the US has a vast growing area for corn and other cereals like soybean and wheat. Then it can supply the rest of the world with its agricultural produce.
Biotech crops help attain UN milenium development goals By RUDY A. FERNANDEZ January 17, 2011, The Philippine Star BIOTECHNOLOGY or genetically modified (GM) crops can considerably help countries across the world attain the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) set by the United Nations (UN), an international agency has asserted. This is particularly true with the first
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of the eight MDGs, which is, “Eradicate extreme hunger PRIZE and poverty by FEATURE half by 2015.” CATEGORY The other MDGs are: Achieve universal primary education; promote gender equality and
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THE JOSE G. BURGOS JR. AWARDS FOR BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNALISM 2011
empower women; reduce child mortality; improve maternal life; combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases; ensure environmental sustainability; and develop a global partnership for development. The UN MDGs form a blueprint agreed to by all nations and the world’s leading development institutions. “By far the most important role of biotech crops will be their contribution to
the humanitarian Millennium Development Goals of ensuring a secure supply of affordable food and the reduction of poverty and hunger by 50 percent by 2015,” stated the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA). Dr. Clive James, ISAAA founder and current board chairman, discussed global biotechnology issues at a science forum in Makati City jointly sponsored by ISAAA, the Los Baños-based, government-hosted Southeast Asian Ministers of Education OrganizationRegional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEAMEO SEARCA), and National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST). New York (USA)-based ISAAA is a not-for-profit organization with a global network of centers that share knowledge and cropbiotechnology applications. The network includes a Southeast Asian center in Los Baños headed by Dr. Randy Hautea. Dr. James reported that about 14 million farmers in 16 developing and nine industrial countries planted GM crops in 134 million hectares in 2009.
Eight of the countries each planted biotech crops in more than one million hectares: the United States (64 million ha), Brazil (21.4 million ha), Argentina (21.3 million ha), Canada (8.2 million ha), China (3.7 million ha), Paraguay (2.2 million ha), and South Africa (2.1 million ha). The balance of 2.7 million ha was grown by Uruguay, Bolivia, the Philippines, Australia, Burkina Faso, Spain, Mexico, Chile, Colombia, Honduras, Czech Republic, Portugal, Romania, Poland, Costa Rica, Slovakia and Egypt. “Notably,” Dr. James reported, “almost half (46 percent) of the global hectarage was planted by developing countries, expected to take the lead from industrial nations before 2015, the MDG Year, when global society has pledged to cut hunger and poverty in half. Biotech crops are already contributing to this goal.” Soybean, the dominant biotech crop commercially grown in 11 countries in 2009, occupied 62 million ha (52 percent of the global biotech crop area). Maize was the second most dominant GM crop, occupying 26 million ha in the US, Canada, South Africa, the Philippines,
Honduras, Argentina and Chile. The third was Bt cotton (12.4 million ha in 10 countries). Summing up, Dr. James cited a World Bank Development Report which asserted: “Agriculture is a vital development tool for achieving the Millennium Development Goals that call for halving by 2015 the share of people suffering from extreme hunger and poverty.
INSTITUTIONAL
1st Business Mirror 2nd The Philippine Star 3rd Manila Bulletin
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Camarines LGU nixes NGO petition to stop Bt eggplant field trial By JENNIFER A. NG March 29, 2011, Business Mirror THE Sangguniang Bayan (SB) of Pili, Camarines, thumbed down the peti¬tion of Masipag, a nongovernment organization advocating organic farm¬ing, to stop the field trial of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) eggplant at a college campus in town. In a letter to Marito T. Bernales, Pili Vice Mayor Ronaldo T. Boclot said the SB considered the plea of Masipag and conducted a hearing by the committee on agriculture to hear the organiza¬tion’s position on the matter. “This body [SB], however, after conducting the appropriate commit¬tee hearing on the matter with both parties having exhaustively present¬ed their respective opinions, noted that the proponent [Masipag] for its suspension failed to show and pres¬ent clear proof of the alleged detri¬mental effects to humans if they eat or consume Bt talong,” Boclot told Bernales. The field trial was being conducted at the campus of the Central Bicol State University of Agriculture (CBSUA) at San Jose, Pili, Camarines Sur. Boclot noted that the CBSUA was “merely undertaking rigid experimen¬tation strictly within the confines of their technical capability” and for this reason, the SB found no reason to stop the field trial. It was for this reason, the vice mayor said, that the SB decided to deny the Masipag petition and allowed CBSUA to proceed with the field trial of Bt eggplant. Boclot, however, stressed that “should a corresponding study show that, indeed,
Joe Burgos From page 12 challenge, yet uncertain how to go forward. But Joe’s gentle, though stubborn nudging and the release of the guidelines—truly a product of multisectoral consensus— helped push journalistic work further. Several years after the landmark guidelines were published with the help of the International Service
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minimizes the use of the trial poses health FEATURE insectides. Also, consumers risks and is detrimental to human CATEGORY would be safer because the life, then the CBSUA authorities insecticide residues in the product must stop the trial without waiting for is also mini¬mized,” said Quicoy during any order from the SB.” a presenta¬tion before participants in a This is a welcome development for seminr on the benefits and impact of a proponents of Bt eggplant which include promising public-sector crop biotechnology academicians following the issuance of held in Pasig City in September. the local government of Davao of a ceaseHis study, titled “Economics of and-desist order against the field testing Egg¬plant Production and Potential Impact of Bt egg¬plants at the University of the of Bt Eggplant,” noted that for every Philip¬pines (UP) Mindanao campus in hectare planted to Bt eggplant, the yield is Davao in December. estimated at 12,082 kilograms. In February antigenetically modified At P10.77 per kilo, the gross crops activists report¬edly belonging to rev¬enue of farmers could reach Greenpeace entered the experimental area P130,123 per hectare. Net income could in the UP Los Baños (UPLB) and uprooted go as high as P65,489 per hectare. the fruit-and-shoot borer resistant (FSB) Quicoy noted that planting Bt eggplant eggplants planted there. would result in a 55-per¬cent reduction The United States Agency for in pesticide use. Also, pesticide labor cost Inter¬national Development (USAID) could decline by 60 percent. sup¬ports the field testing of Bt He noted that the FSB is the most eggplant seeds developed by Mahyco, serious eggplant pest as it causes Cornell University and UPLB through se¬rious damage throughout the life of the Ag¬ricultural Biotechnology Support the crop. In the early stage, larvae feed Proj¬ect II, the International Service for within the pedicles and midribs of the the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications leaves causing shoots to droop and wither. and the Department of Agriculture. At the fruiting stage, larvae bore into In a study, an expert from the UPLB the fruit, rendering them un¬marketable noted that farmers who will plant FSBand unfit for human con-sumption. resistant eggplant could increase their net Quicoy noted that eggplant is one of income by as much as 317 percent. the most economically important vegetable Dr. Cesar B. Quicoy, assistant crops in the Philippines. In 2009 the pro¬fessor of the UPLB’s College of Bureau of Agricultural Statis¬tics noted Eco¬nomics and Management, noted that that the country produced 200,950 metric the increase in net income would come tons of eggplant val¬ued at P3.13 billion. from substantial savings from pesti¬cides The top eggplant-producing use, pesticide labor cost, as well as prov¬inces in the Philippines are increase in yield. Pangasin¬an, Nueva Ecija, Cebu, Iloilo, “Bt eggplant technology is Cagayan, Isabela and Batangas. eco¬nomically acceptable. [It]
for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA), the Gawad Galing Awards were established, providing a means to test its effectiveness. Today, the diversity and richness of material screened yearly by the biotechnology journalism awards owes much to the constant improvement of the work done by journalists everywhere—print or broadcast, freelance or mainstream, rural or urban- based.
THE JOSE G. BURGOS JR. AWARDS FOR BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNALISM 2011
Joe Burgos, the original “constant gardener,” must be pleased with the harvest. Journalist Lourdes M. Fernandez, who served as Malaya’s editor in chief from 1984-1987 under Joe Burgos, was one of those who helped draft the “Communication Guidelines for a Better Understanding of Biotechnology Issues.” This article is an updated version of an introduction that was first published in the 2008 Jose G. Burgos Jr. Biotech Yearbook.
THE BOARD OF JUDGES
Rev. Fr. Emmanuel C. Alparce
Rep. Angelo Palmones
(Chair, Board of Judges) FR. EMMANUEL C. Alparce was a reporter of Ang Pahayagang Malayafrom 1982 to 1987 prior to his heeding the calling to the priesthood. He was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Sorsogon in 1999. He was the Diocesan Social Action Director of Sorsogon from 2000 to 2004 and was selected to join the U. S. State Department’s Exchange Visitor Program in 2001 and studied Food Safety, Agriculture and Biotechnology in the United States together with scholars from Thailand, Vietnam, Laos and New Zeland. Alparce was invited and subsequently appointed by then Secretary of Agriculture Jeremias Montemayor to be the Chairman of the Department of Agriculture’s Biotechnology Committee on Public Information, Education and Communication in 2002. He served as a Guest Priest in Guam and Saipan from 2007 to 2010 and now serves as a Guest Priest in the Diocese of Legazpi.
ANGELO B. Palmones started his career in broadcast media as news director of Radio Mindanao Network in 1990. He moved laterally to DZMM, ABSCBN in 1994. Not long after, he was designated radio station manager and network administrator. As Director of AM Radio Network of ABS-CBN, Angelo initiated and supported development-oriented and educational projects and activities. He conceptualized and started in 2001 the Bantay Kalikasan hotline, which serves as media watch against violators of environmental laws. Bantay Kalikasan has been adopted as an advocacy project of ABS-CBN Foundation Inc. He hosted the weekly program “Bago ‘Yan Ah!” from 1994 to 2010. As the host of the science program, Angelo’s wit and communication skills simplified esoteric science topics for easy listening and appreciation of the masses, even to the unschooled and the marginalized. He has the ability to discuss science topics with humor without sacrificing its scientific importance. Angelo is a member of various professional and civic organizations. His advocacy to promote science and technology led him to organize the Philippine Science Journalists Association, Inc. (PSciJourn) in 2001. As co-founder and first president of PSciJourn, he initiated projects and activities in capability
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building for PSciJourn members and budding science writers, started S & T information dissemination campaign and established networks and linkages. PSciJourn became the 23rd member- association of the World Federation of Science Journalists in May 2005. He is President of the Alyansa ng mga Grupong Haligi ng Agham at Teknolohiya para sa Mamamayan (AGHAM), Chairman, Philippine Typhoon Committee Foundation Inc.(TCFI), and regular member of the National Press Club and Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster sa Pilipinas. For several years of untiring effort, exemplary performance and innovative approach in broadcasting, Angelo received several awards and citations from various award giving bodies here and abroad. Among his numerous awards are the DOST Media Hall of Fame Award (winner in 1998, 1999, 2000), Best Newscaster, KBP Golden Dove Award (2002 & 2004), Best S & T Journalist, KBP Golden Dove Award (2006 & 2009) and Outstanding Men & Women of Science in the field of Science Communication (2008). Angelo is also a book author, a newspaper columnist, and a Senior Lecturer at the College of Mass Communication, UP-Diliman. The latest achievement to his name is being a member of the 15th Congress in the House of Representatives as Representative of AGHAM PartyList. As in his other fields of endeavor, Cong. Angelo is trailblazing science and technology in the halls of Congress . As of this date, he has authored 123 legislative measures. Born in Kidapawan, North Cotabato on August 8, 1966, Cong. Angelo finished his Bachelor of Science in Economics from Notre Dame College of Kidapawan in 1987. He later pursued higher studies by completing the Executive Development Program from the Asian Institute of Management in 1999. He also took up law from Far Eastern University. He is married to Judge Nancy R. Palmones, and blessed with two lovely children.
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Jenny A. Panopio MS. JENNY A. Panopio is Special Project Coordinator/ Network Administrator of the SEAMEO Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture - Biotechnology Information Center (SEARCA BIC). The SEARCA BIC is a partnership between SEARCA and the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA) and serves as the Philippine center of the ISAAA Global Knowledge Center on Crop Biotechnology. Ms. Panopio is involved in organizing and coordinating learning events and other outreach activities that serve as venues for objective discussions and sharing of knowledge on biotechnology. She also develops different communication and knowledge products to promote awareness and enhance understanding on the science of biotechnology. Prior to her current post, she served as Research Management Fellow of the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA) SEAsia Center where she was involved in the technology transfer of agri-biotechnology research and development projects. Ms. Panopio has a Master of Science Degree in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Minor in Biochemistry and a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Chemistry from the University of the Philippines Los Ba単os. She has had trainings on agricultural biotechnology, risk communication, risk assessment and management of biotech crops, and knowledge management.
THE JOSE G. BURGOS JR. AWARDS FOR BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNALISM 2011
Alvin Capino ALVIN Palmes Capino is a career journalist who presently writes a twice a week (Mondays and Fridays) column, Counterpoint, for the Manila Standard Today newspaper. He also hosts a daily political radio talk show, Karambola sa DWIZ, aired Monday to Friday, 8 to 10 am, over DWIZ/Aliw Broadcasting Corporation. Past media affiliations include Today newspaper (Columnist); Philippine Daily Globe (Columnist/ Senior Reporter); Philippine Free Press (Columnist/ Contributor); The Independent newspaper (Columnist/Senior Reporter); Associated Editors News Service (Senior Writer); DWWW (Commentator, Itong Sey Ko, Anong Sey Mo radio program), Radio Veritas (Commentator, Kontra-Punto radio program), DZRH Commentator, Todo Banat radio program); Observer Magazine (Columnist, Reporter); Bureau of Broadcasts (News Editor); Book of the Philippines (Assistant Editor). He is married to Eva de Andres Capino and has two children, Ma. Karen and Paolo. He was born September 21, 1949 in San Pablo City.
Reynaldo V. Ebora, Ph.D. DR. REYNALDO V. Ebora obtained his Ph.D in Entomology from Michigan State University, USA and was a post graduate Fellow on Intellectual Property Management and Technology Transfer of ISAAA AmeriCenter, Cornell University, New York, USA. He also finished the International Post Graduate Course in Microbiology at Osaka University, Osaka, Japan. Dr. Ebora obtained his M.S. Entomology (Insect Pathology/Microbial Control) from the University of the Philippines Los Baños where he also completed his B.S. Agriculture (Entomology). Prior to Dr. Ebora’s present appointment as Director of the National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of the Philippines Los Baños (BIOTECH-UPLB), he was on secondment to the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and served as Executive Director of the Philippine Council for Advanced Science and Technology Research and Development (PCASTRD) from November 2005 – July 2010. Earlier, he also served as Acting Director and Deputy Director of BIOTECH – UPLB. At present, Dr. Ebora is also a Research Associate Professor at BIOTECH-UPLB. During his term at PCASTRDDOST, Dr. Ebora was the Philippine Focal Person for the APEC – Industrial Science and Technology Working Group (ISTWG). He was also the National Agency Focal Point for UNEP-GEF Project on the Biosafety Clearing House (BCH) and the Chairman of the DOST Biosafety Committee. Dr. Ebora was a former member of the Institutional Biosafety Committees of the University of the Philippines Los Banos (UPLB) and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).
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