In a brief message by the Undersecretary for Policy and Planning, Department of Agriculture (DA), and DA-Biotechnology Program Steering Committee Chair, Undersecretary Segfredo R. Serrano, he stressed the use of biotechnology as a tool in livestock productivity amidst the challenges in climate change and scarcity of land resources for agriculture during the 2nd International Livestock Biotechnology Symposium last August 30, 2017 at the B Hotel, Quezon City.
A seasoned researcher himself speaking to the audience consisting mostly of biotechnology researchers, he reminded that, “There is only so much information that you can digest and that duplication of research efforts are highly probable, bioinformatics will be useful in translating raw data into useful data.”
He also enjoined active involvement of the livestock biotechnology stakeholders in realizing Department of Agriculture’s Ambisyon Natin 2040 utilizing biotechnology for industry, agriculture, health and environment towards a national long-term vision of the country wherein Filipinos live in a prosperous, middle-class society where no one is poor.
Serrano commended the organizers for a timely conduct of the event due to the commercialization of genetically-modified (GM) products in other countries with the possibility of entering the Philippine market.
With the theme, “Industry-Driven Biotechnology R&D Addressing Global Challenges in Livestock Productivity and Sustainability”, the Symposium served as a platform for exchange of ideas between international and local biotechnology experts on thematic areas such as immuno-epidemiology and vaccine development, vaccine design, embryo transfer technology, informatics tools and animal biotechnology regulations.
The International Livestock Biotechnology Symposium is annually organized and hosted by the Livestock Biotechnology Center that convenes livestock biotechnology scientists, researchers, international experts, policy makers, regulatory bodies, the academe and key industry players in the livestock sector. Through the activity, participants are kept abreast with the latest technologies, relevant biotechnology research and shared with best practices from international partners. This year’s event was co-organized by the National Research Council of the Philippines.
