May 15, 2024

ISAAA Inc., in partnership with the Philippine Agriculture and Fisheries Biotechnology Program of the Department of Agriculture (DA Biotech) and the Committee of Food Security of the House of Representatives, held a virtual policy forum on Regulatory Path to Commercialization of Biotech Products on May 9, 2024, via Zoom.

The policy forum informed Philippine policymakers on how biotech products are developed for commercialization in an adopting country and the Philippines. It also aimed to discuss strategies on how biotech products developed in the Philippines could be commercialized systematically and efficiently. The event was attended by about 100 participants composed of Congressmen and their staff, via Zoom, boosting the awareness of the policymakers on the regulatory path of the technologies.

Dr. Edgardo Tulin, Professor at Visayas State University, discussed the development of BioMeg, which is a microbial inoculant for crops. He highlighted how BioMeg can help ensure food security, address climate change, and help with environmental protection.

Dr. Leny Galvez, Career Scientist I at Philippine Fiber Industry Development Authority, discussed the regulatory path of Bt cotton and the difficulties they encountered in the process. She also shared the necessary requirements and documents that they submitted, such as technical dossiers, risk assessment report, and public information sheet.

Dr. Gabriel Romero, Executive Director at Philippine Seed Industry Association, discussed the opportunities and challenges of bringing gene-edited products to the US market. He also shared the experience of Pairwise in increasing the awareness and acceptance of Americans towards gene-edited products.

For more information about the event, email meetings@isaaa.org.