https://www.facebook.com/114943344869455/

WVSU Biotechnology, E. Lopez Street West Visayas State University, Iloilo City (2026)

25/09/2026

🌀𝑩𝒊𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒄𝒉𝒏𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒈𝒚 𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒚; 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒚 𝒊𝒕 𝒎𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒔𝒐 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆

Biotechnology has pervaded nearly every corner of conservation work. It has transformed what used to be a slow, reactive field into something startlingly proactive. The plight of vanishing species, driven by habitat loss, climate shifts, and disease, has turned genetic tools from merely a lab curiosity into an absolute necessity. With scientists now editing genomes, decoding environmental DNA, and even reviving long-lost traits to give ecosystems a fighting chance, we can say that biotechnology is actually catching up to nature's ever-fast-changing landscape—a genuinely riveting turn of events as conservation manifests both urgency and scientific audacity.

𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐬
The Philippines boasts high endemism as a megadiverse country with roughly half of its known species being endemic—meaning they are found nowhere else on earth. As an insular archipelago, it possesses diverse tropical habitats separating populations which allows diversification or evolution of plants and animals into unique species. Herein enters allopatric speciation. When a single species gets divided onto different islands or mountain peaks, each faces different environmental conditions. Over time, these isolated groups adopt features that enable them to fill a gap niche in the island. Some can even evolve into totally different, specialized species (Foundation for the Philippine Environment, 2026).

However, the country faces a continuous habitat loss and decline in forest cover. As of 2022, Philippine Forestry statistics estimated the total forest cover of the country to be 7.22 million hectares or 24.07% of its total land mass, which is way less than the 17.8 million hectares back in 1934. Consequently, 20% to 33% of endemic land vertebrates and around 47% of native local trees are at risk of extinction (Tanalgo et al, 2025.; First Gen Renewables, 2023).

𝓌𝒽𝑒𝓃 𝓅𝓇𝑒𝓉𝓉𝓎 𝒾𝓈𝓃'𝓉 𝓅𝓇𝑒𝓉𝓉𝓎 𝑒𝓃𝑜𝓊𝑔𝒽
Beauty bias is ubiquitous in the conservation world. Species that are aesthetically pleasing receive greater financial and logistical support than species that aren't. Citizens also tend to prioritize animal conservation over plant conservation, as animals invoke stronger emotional responses and are perceived as more charismatic. Conservation campaigns in the Philippines hugely favor large vertebrates and well-known species like the critically endangered Philippine Eagle (Pitecophaga jefferyi). Meanwhile, less visually appealing critters like dull-colored rodents, often get just a tiny fraction of an already limited funding.

The ecological importance of plants are often undervalued. But even among botanists, they lean their research toward blue-colored plants, irrespective of their conservation status. Effectively, this proves that human’s affinity for conventionally beautiful species can hinder conservation efforts for some of the most endangered forms of life (Price, 2025; Prokop, Todáková, & Fančovičová, 2025).

But it's the people who see and decide what is beautiful and what is unconventional, science only sees things as they are.

𝐈𝐧-𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧
Biotechnology plays a critical role in species preservation and biodiversity conservation. In the case of the Philippine Eagle (Pitecophaga jefferyi), scientists use advanced reproductive and genetic technologies to prevent extinction and manage the species’ low genetic diversity.

𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴. University of the Philippines Diliman’s National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (UP-NIMBB) researchers collaborated with the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) to create a draft genome of the Philippine eagle to help guide conservation efforts. Through this study, it was found that the species has exceptionally low genetic diversity which predates widespread deforestation. The team noted that when there’s little variation, the species struggles to adapt to changes and increases the risks associated with inbreeding. Over time, this can result in reduced fertility, weakened immune systems, and physical abnormalities (Patron, 2026). Genetic profiles allow conservationists to pair eagles strategically to maintain the remaining diversity and harmful inbreeding. Mapping aids in reintroduction planning to ensure they are released back into the wild match regional populations.

𝗖𝗼𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗔𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 (𝗖𝗔𝗜). In 1992, this technology resulted in the historic hatching of Pag-asa—the first of his kind to have been bred and hatched in captivity. He was followed by his brother, Pagkakaisa, 9 months later. CAI is a vital technique used for “mal-imprinted” eagles—birds that were raised by humans and see their keepers as mates. The keeper acts as a “surrogate partner” to collect viable semen from a male eagle and manually inject it into a female to ensure fertilization. This breakthrough continues to be polished through international collaborations (Philippine Eagle Foundation, 2025).

𝐆𝐞𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐎𝐮𝐭 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞
𝗚𝗲𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗵𝗶𝗰 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀 (𝗚𝗜𝗦) 𝗠𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴. An indispensable tool that uses spatial data to analyze ecological patterns, assess environmental impacts, and plan for sustainable resource management. Conservation GIS integrates maps, satellite imagery, and other geographic data to create visual representations of landscapes and ecosystems. It reveals insight into spatial relationship (proximity of endangered habitats to human development, patterns of species migration, and climate change on various ecosystems. GIS can help identify critical habitats, biodiversity hotspots, and endangered species’ rangers to allow conservationists to design protective areas and prioritize conservation efforts, ultimately revealing key populations overlap with threatened habitats, guiding targeted actions. Its application in conservation includes: biodiversity and habitat conservation; climate change monitoring and adaptation; wildlife tracking and migration analysis; habitat restoration and lan management; marine conservation and coastal management; and community engagement and education (Ecological Servants, 2024).

In Africa, GIS is used to track the movements of elephants, revealing migration routes and identifying crucial corridors. This data helps conservationists understand how elephants move across landscapes, allowing for the development of safe pathways that reduce human-wildlife conflicts and protect habitat connectivity (Ecological Servants, 2024).

Kagandahan is not just what biotechnology in conservation creates, it is also a challenge it must overcome.
Nature was never ranked by beauty and biotechnology has given us the power to look past the surface. As we gain the tools to sequence, to restore, and to revive, it’s high time our efforts catch up. Now, we have more instruments to protect the whole web of life—not just what we find pretty. Let’s build toward conservation that does not choose by beauty and in doing so, we will bring more of it back than ever.

References:
Badilla, J. (2016). Philippine Eagle 101. https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/825697/philippine-eagle-101
Ecological Servants. (2024). Conservation GIS: The Effective Use of Geographic Information Systems in Environmental Conservation. https://ecoservantsproject.org/conservation-gis-the-effective-use-of-geographic-information-systems-in-environmental-conservation/
First Gen Renewables. (2023). Energy Development Corporation rescues 17 endangered native tree species in Ilocos Norte and Palawan. https://www.energy.com.ph/energy-development-corporation-rescues-17-endangered-native-tree-species-in-ilocos-norte-and-palawan/
Foundation for the Philippine Environment. (2026). How Endemism Happens. https://fpe.ph/biodiversity.html/view/how-endemism-happens
Pascual, P. (2025). Endangered Philippine Plants You Might Not Know. https://agriculture.com.ph/2025/09/19/endangered-philippine-plants-you-might-not-know-exist/
Patron, E.J. (2026). New Study Finds Alarmingly Low Genetic Diversity in Philippine Eagle. https://science.upd.edu.ph/new-study-finds-alarmingly-low-genetic-diversity-in-philippine-eagle/
Philippine Eagle Foundation. Price, K. (2025). ‘Beauty Bias’ for Wildlife Among the Public and Researchers Could Jeopardize Conservation. https://insideclimatenews.org/news/16052025/todays-climate-beauty-bias-wildlife-conservation/
Prokop, P., Todáková, S., & Fančovičová, J. (2025). Beauty Bias? Exploring the Influence of Attractiveness on Conservation Intentions for Plants and their Pollinators. Diversity, 17(1), 71. https://doi.org/10.3390/d17010071
Sankaran, S. et al. (2024). Exploring the ecological significance of endemic wildlife: A critical analysis of their role in ecosystem dynamics. Uttar Pradesh Journal of Zoology, 45(9), 94-114. https://doi.org/10.56557/upjoz/2024/v45i94027
Tanalgo, K. et al. (2025). Drivers of extinction risks and shortfalls across terrestrial vertebrates in the Philippine global biodiversity hotspot. Science of the Total Environment, 999. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.180274.

Photos Sourced From:
Co’s Digital Flora of the Philippines

Caption | Seth Openiano, Kesha Joy Pedroso
Layout | Tisha Raina Barcenas, Kesha Joy Pedroso

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🥼

23/09/2026

🧬 𝗕𝗜𝗢𝗧𝗘𝗖𝗛 𝗪𝗘𝗘𝗞 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲: "𝗕𝗶𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗸 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮 𝘀𝗮 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝘂𝗸𝗮𝘀𝗮𝗻: 𝗞𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗮𝘀𝗮𝗻, 𝗞𝗮𝗹𝘂𝘀𝘂𝗴𝗮𝗻, 𝗞𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗵𝗮𝗻, 𝗞𝗮𝗯𝘂𝗵𝗮𝘆𝗮𝗻, 𝗮𝘁 𝗞𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗻"
💊 “𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙄𝙩 𝙁𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙨 𝙇𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙈𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣, 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙂𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙁𝙤𝙧 𝙈𝙚 𝙄’𝙢 𝙎𝙪𝙧𝙚”: 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗕𝗶𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗛𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵

More than a century ago, a discovery in a small laboratory in Toronto changed the fate of millions of people who once had no hope of surviving a diagnosis of diabetes. That discovery which is ‘insulin’ did more than save lives, it quietly launched the entire field of modern biotechnology. Today, as the country marks the 22nd National Biotechnology Week under the theme "𝐁𝐢𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐤 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐚 𝐬𝐚 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐮𝐤𝐚𝐬𝐚𝐧," it is worth asking:

𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒃𝒊𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒄𝒉𝒏𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒈𝒚 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒕𝒉 𝒔𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒐𝒓 𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒕 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒖𝒔 𝒏𝒆𝒙𝒕?

𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 — (𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐫𝐮𝐠 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐈𝐭 𝐀𝐥𝐥)
𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑖𝑠 𝑝𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑓𝑢𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑢𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒, 𝑃𝑎𝑠𝑡 𝑚𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑛𝑒𝑤 𝑖𝑛𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛
When insulin was discovered in 1921, it was hailed as one of the most important medical achievements of the 20th century, and its discoverers received the Nobel Prize in Medicine just two years later (Bulum, 2025). But the triumph came with an ugly, unsustainable cost because for decades afterward, insulin had to be extracted from the pancreases of tens of thousands of slaughtered animals just to produce a single pound of the hormone — a process that was, by any measure, painfully inefficient and painfully unattractive. It could not have scaled to meet the needs of a growing diabetic population forever, and scientists knew it. That limitation became the information that pushed biotechnology forward. In the late 1970s, when scientists Herbert Boyer and Robert Swanson used recombinant DNA technology to make human insulin inside genetically engineered yeast and bacteria — turning a scarce animal byproduct into a scalable, lab-made medicine (Dattani, 2026). What once required an industrial supply chain of slaughtered animals could now be grown in a bioreactor. That single innovation effectively gave birth to the modern biotechnology industry, proving that even a field’s most wasteful, most outdated method could be the very thing that reveals a better one.

𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐞 — (𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐃𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐈𝐧𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐞)
𝐼 𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝐼 𝑓𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑑𝑜𝑡𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒
After insulin’s discovery, biotechnology companies are no longer just trying to make insulin easier to produce — they are trying to make it unnecessary altogether. In June 2025, Vertex Pharmaceuticals presented results at the American Diabetes Association's 85th Scientific Sessions showing that patients with type 1 diabetes who received an experimental stem-cell-derived islet cell therapy called zimislecel achieved striking results of twelve patients followed for at least a year, ten no longer needed insulin injections at all, and all of them reached healthy blood sugar targets (Vertex Pharmaceuticals, 2025). The therapy works by infusing lab-grown, insulin-producing cells into the liver, where they can sense blood sugar and respond the way a healthy pancreas would (Diatribe, 2026). This is not a solitary case. In August 2025, a man named Amanda Augustin became one of the first people to receive an FDA-approved donor islet cell treatment called Lantidra; within a day, his body was producing its own again (Diatribe, 2026). Analysts now project that the regenerative medicine market driven largely by these curative, cell-based approaches to diabetes — could more than double in size between 2025 and 2030 (Managed Healthcare Executive, 2026). What was once symptom management is slowly becoming something biotechnology scientists are calling a functional cure.

Vaccines have followed a similarly dramatic evolution. For most of medical history, a vaccine was something given to prevent a disease before it happened. Today, biotechnology has turned that idea on its head. Building on the mRNA platform that made COVID-19 vaccines possible, researchers are now designing personalized cancer vaccines that train a patient’s own immune system to recognize and destroy their specific tumor. One melanoma vaccine, developed jointly by Moderna and Merck, has shown that combining it with existing immunotherapy can cut cancer recurrence significantly, while a personalized pancreatic cancer vaccine developed by Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and BioNTech has triggered immune responses that persisted for years in some patients (Magoola & Niazi, 2025).

𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐲 — (𝐀 𝐇𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐞)
𝐵𝑢𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑛𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑔𝑜𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑎𝑔𝑒, 𝐼𝑡 𝑔𝑜𝑒𝑠 𝑚𝑦 𝑤𝑎𝑦 𝑛𝑜𝑤
The Philippines, too, has taken a major step forward in this story. Erythromycin was discovered in 1952 by Filipino scientist and physician Dr. Abelardo Aguilar, who sent the soil sample to his employer, Eli Lilly and Company, during their search for new antibiotics produced by microorganisms. The antibiotic was isolated from a strain of the soil-dwelling actinomycete originally identified as 𝑆𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑝𝑡𝑜𝑚𝑦𝑐𝑒𝑠 𝑒𝑟𝑦𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑒𝑢𝑠 (now classified as 𝑆𝑎𝑐𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑜𝑝𝑜𝑙𝑦𝑠𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑎 𝑒𝑟𝑦𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑎𝑒), which has been obtained from a soil sample in Panay Island, with some sources specifically mentioning Iloilo, Philippines (National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2026). The researchers found that the substance, initially referred to as erythromycin/Ilotycin, showed significant antibacterial activity and could be used against several clinically important bacteria. Early laboratory and clinical studies published in 1952 demonstrated its antibacterial activity and therapeutic potential (Haight & Finland, 1952). Erythromycin was subsequently introduced into medical use in 1952, becoming the first clinically important 14-membered macrolide antibiotic and an important alternative for patients who could not use penicillin.. Its importance later led to the development of semisynthetic macrolides such as clarithromycin and azithromycin, which were designed in part to improve properties such as acid stability and pharmacokinetics (Jelić & Antolović, 2016).

On September 12, 2025, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed into law the Virology and Vaccine Institute of the Philippines (VIP) Act, formally creating the country’s first national institute dedicated entirely to virology research and vaccine development under the Department of Science and Technology. For a country that had to depend almost entirely on imported vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic, the VIP represents a long-awaited shift — the beginning of home-grown capacity to research, diagnose, and respond to viral threats before they become national emergencies (Department of Science and Technology, 2025). After years of stalled proposals and a pandemic that exposed just how unprepared the country was without its own vaccine research capability, it is hard not to see this as, finally, some good news from the government — proof that a promise on paper can eventually become policy.

But signing a law is not the same as running a laboratory. Years after government first earmarked land and an initial budget for the institute's five-hectare site in New Clark City, its buildings, laboratories, and high-containment facilities are still being developed in phases, with even basic infrastructure such as fencing, access roads, and dormitories only recently underway (Philippine Daily Inquirer, 2023). If the VIP is truly meant to be the country’s first line of defense the next time a virus threatens to become a pandemic, then the law that created it on paper now needs to be matched — soon — with the budget, facilities, and a sustained political support required to build it in fact. A good deed on paper is only the beginning; what the government does next is what will determine whether the Philippines is actually ready the next time it matters most.

𝐮 + 𝐦𝐞 =

23/09/2026

🧬 𝗕𝗜𝗢𝗧𝗘𝗖𝗛 𝗪𝗘𝗘𝗞 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲: "𝗕𝗶𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗸 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮 𝘀𝗮 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝘂𝗸𝗮𝘀𝗮𝗻: 𝗞𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗮𝘀𝗮𝗻, 𝗞𝗮𝗹𝘂𝘀𝘂𝗴𝗮𝗻, 𝗞𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗵𝗮𝗻, 𝗞𝗮𝗯𝘂𝗵𝗮𝘆𝗮𝗻, 𝗮𝘁 𝗞𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗻"

🪸 𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗔𝗟 𝗖𝗥𝗬𝗢𝗕𝗔𝗡𝗞: 𝗞𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗮𝘀𝗮𝗻 𝗡𝗴𝗮𝘆𝗼𝗻, 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝘂𝗸𝗮𝘀𝗮𝗻 𝗕𝘂𝗸𝗮𝘀

Like other scientific disciplines, biotechnology encompasses many specialized fields. Blue biotechnology, in particular, is the branch focused on aquatic and marine applications. But more than that, it has also emerged as an important frontier in conservation, including efforts to protect and restore coral reefs.

One vital approach is coral cryobanking, the long-term preservation of coral biological material through cryopreservation. This technique uses ultra-rapid cooling protocols known as vitrification to keep cells or living developmental stages viable for future use. Rather than relying solely on protecting corals in their natural habitats, cryobanking creates a biological reserve that can preserve valuable genetic diversity for research, population recovery, and reef restoration.

For the Philippines, this is especially significant as part of the Coral Triangle. The country sits within one of the world's major centers of marine biodiversity, which makes the preservation of its coral genetic resources an investment in both biodiversity and the future of its coastal ecosystems.

The stakes are high. 90% of the world's corals face the threat of extinction by 2050. A cryobank works like a genetic time capsule— a promise that no matter what happens to our reefs today, there's still hope for tomorrow.

The University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute (UP MSI) is applying cryopreservation biotechnology to establish Southeast Asia's first coral cryobank, storing coral s***m, larvae, and tissue at -196°C using liquid nitrogen. This precise biotechnological process also involves different types of cryoprotectants and careful thawing techniques designed to keep living cells viable for years, even decades.

The genus 𝙋𝙤𝙘𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙖 is a primary target for coral banking initiatives because of their brooding reproductive nature and rapid growth cycles that allow them to quickly repopulate in degraded environments.

This effort at UP MSI's Bolinao Marine Laboratory also connects the Philippines to a growing biotech network in Southeast Asia, extending to Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia. This shows that science can indeed be a collaborative tool for protecting the region’s marine biodiversity.

Protecting our reefs is more than just conservation; it's biotechnology in action. 🌱

𝐑𝐄𝐅𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐒:
What is coral cryopreservation? (2021, September 17). Great Barrier Reef Foundation. https://www.barrierreef.org/news/explainers/what-is-coral-cryopreservation
Website, U. (2026b, September 4). Home - UP Marine Science Institute. UP Marine Science Institute. https://msi.upd.edu.ph/
Website, U. (2026, May 26). UP MSI to establish PH’s first coral cryobank facility for coral restoration - UP Marine Science Institute. UP Marine Science Institute. https://msi.upd.edu.ph/up-msi-to-establish-phs-first-coral-cryobank-facility-for-coral-restoration/
https://plus.inquirer.net/news/ph-scientists-building-countrys-first-cryobank-for-corals/

Caption | Seth Openiano, Maya Akia Ortega & Aljhon Cañada
Layout | Maya Akia Ortega, Tisha Barcenas, & Len Margarette Amuan

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21/09/2026

🧬 𝗕𝗜𝗢𝗧𝗘𝗖𝗛 𝗪𝗘𝗘𝗞 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲
"𝗕𝗶𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗸 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮 𝘀𝗮 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝘂𝗸𝗮𝘀𝗮𝗻: 𝗞𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗮𝘀𝗮𝗻, 𝗞𝗮𝗹𝘂𝘀𝘂𝗴𝗮𝗻, 𝗞𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗵𝗮𝗻, 𝗞𝗮𝗯𝘂𝗵𝗮𝘆𝗮𝗻, 𝗮𝘁 𝗞𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗻"

𝐵𝑎𝑔𝑜 𝑝𝑎 𝑚𝑎𝑛 𝑑𝑢𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑛𝑔 𝑙𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦𝑜, 𝑏𝑖𝑜𝑡𝑒𝑐ℎ𝑛𝑜𝑙𝑜𝑔𝑦 𝑛𝑎 𝑎𝑛𝑔 𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑔𝑎𝑤𝑎 𝑛𝑔 𝑚𝑔𝑎 𝑃𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑝𝑖𝑛𝑜. 🇵🇭

Long before the modern era, our ancestors were already practicing biotechnology through fermentation — basi, tuba, tapuy, patis, s**a, at bagoong. Modern research followed in the 1960s and 70s at UP Los Baños, where scientists developed embryo rescue for makapuno coconut and micropropagation for orchids. In 1979, the field was formally institutionalized with the establishment of the National Institutes for Microbiology and Biotechnology at UPLB.

Momentum grew when biotechnology became a flagship science program from 1986 to 1992, and in 1990 the National Committee on Biosafety of the Philippines was created — the first regulatory body of its kind in ASEAN. This groundwork led the Philippines to become the first Southeast Asian country to commercially plant a biotech crop, Bt corn, in 2003, strengthened further by DA Administrative Order No. 8 (2002) and the National Biosafety Framework (2006).

𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐣𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐬 — 𝐦𝐮𝐥𝐚 𝐬𝐚 𝐧𝐚𝐤𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐚𝐧, 𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐨 𝐬𝐚 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐮𝐤𝐚𝐬𝐚𝐧. 🌱

𝗦𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗻𝗶𝘆𝗼 𝗸𝗮𝗺𝗶 𝘀𝗮 𝗕𝗶𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲! 🎉

𝐑𝐄𝐅𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐒:
History - Biotechnology Philippines. (2021). https://biotech.buplant.da.gov.ph/history.html
https://nast.dost.gov.ph/images/pdf%20files/Publications/Monograph%20Series/NAST%20Monograph%20Series%201.pdf
https://biotech.uplb.edu.ph/history-vision-and-mission/

Caption | Len Margarette Amuan
Layout | Tisha Raina Barcenas & Len Margarette Amuan

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20/09/2026

𝗔 𝗗𝗔𝗬 𝗜𝗡 𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗟𝗜𝗩𝗘𝗦 𝗔𝗦 𝗕𝗜𝗢𝗧𝗘𝗖𝗛𝗡𝗢𝗟𝗢𝗚𝗬 𝗦𝗧𝗨𝗗𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗦🔬🥼

⚡️𝗥𝗮𝗽𝗶𝗱 𝗗𝗡𝗔 𝗘𝘅𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗘𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻! Last Friday, we put our lab skills to the test—vortexing, centrifuging, and pipetting our way to a successful DNA extraction! 🧪

Huge thanks to 𝐒𝐢𝐫 𝐊𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐲 and 𝐌𝐚'𝐚𝐦 𝐑𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞 for guiding us throughout the workshop.

Lastly, a special thanks to our subject adviser, 𝐌𝐚'𝐚𝐦 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐞 𝐆𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧, for making this workshop opportunity possible!

We also extend our sincere thanks to 𝐌𝐚'𝐚𝐦 𝐂𝐲𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐚 𝐋𝐮𝐢𝐬 𝐋𝐢𝐦𝐬𝐢𝐚𝐜𝐨 and 𝐒𝐢𝐫 𝐃𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐨𝐲 𝐆𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐨𝐜 for sharing their expertise and mentorship during our Bioinformatics Workshop: "Mining the Code of Life: Bioinformatics Tools Appreciation." Their direction helped us navigate the tools with confidence! 🔬

📍 West Visayas State University—Biotechnology and Biomedical Research Laboratory

Caption | Joseph Lawrence Grade
Video | Maya Akia Ortega

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19/09/2026

"𝑮𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎. 𝑰𝒕'𝒔 𝒅𝒆𝒆𝒑𝒍𝒚 𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒍 𝒕𝒐 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘." —𝑬𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒏 𝑼𝒍𝒍𝒎𝒂𝒏 🧬

For us, that curiosity began with a single tube of DNA.

The 𝟒𝐭𝐡 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐁𝐢𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 of 𝐖𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐲𝐚𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲 took part in a 𝐑𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐝 𝐃𝐍𝐀 𝐄𝐱𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 workshop, where the question of where life's instructions are written became something we could hold, isolate, and see for ourselves. 🔬

Through vortexing, centrifuging, and pipetting, we carried out the core steps of isolating DNA. And in the process, learned that reaching the molecule which holds the answers takes (a lot of) patience, precision, and technique. 🧪

Wanting to know where we come from is natural. Learning how to find out is a discipline, and this workshop gave us a start.

𝑪𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒐𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒃𝒆𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒂 𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏. 𝑰𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒂𝒃, 𝒊𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒂 𝒕𝒖𝒃𝒆. 🌱

📍 West Visayas State University—Biotechnology and Biomedical Research Laboratory

Caption | Maya Akia Ortega & Joseph Lawrence Grade
Photos | Len Margarette Amuan, Tisha Raina Barcenas & Jea Nikolai Lavilla

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19/09/2026

𝗪𝗩𝗦𝗨 𝗕𝗦 𝗕𝗶𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 – 𝗕𝗶𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗦𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿 🧬💻
𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟮-𝟯: 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗕𝗟𝗔𝗦𝗧 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗣𝗵𝘆𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀🌳

From raw sequences to evolutionary relationships, the 4th year Biotechnology students wrapped up the 3-day special lecture and workshop with a hands-on exploration of sequence analysis and phylogenetics under 𝐒𝐢𝐫 𝐃𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐨𝐲 𝐆𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐨𝐜.

The final session brought sequences to life as we performed sequence alignment, NCBI BLAST searches, and phylogenetic analysis using FinchTV and MEGA. We also took our work to the command line through sandbox.bio, building a phylogenetic tree through a computational workflow beyond graphical interfaces.

Three days, new tools, and a closer look at how biological data can reveal evolutionary stories. 🧬🌱

A special thanks to Sir Demboy for guiding us through the fundamentals and giving us a glimpse into the possibilities of bioinformatics in biotechnology. 💻🔬

Caption | Jan Aelred Rein
Photos | Jea Nikolai Lavilla, Tisha Barcenas, and Krisza Mae Udani

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WVSU Biotechnology

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