DILIMAN, Quezon City -- Understanding the use of livestock biotechnology in speeding up livestock food production to satisfy the demand of the world’s growing population was the focus of the recent month-long intensive training at the DA-PCC National Headquarters and Gene Pool (NHGP) participated in by researchers in ASEAN member countries.

Said activity was conducted under the project titled “Capability building of ASEAN Biotechnology Researchers for Livestock Resiliency and Sustainability” which was held from July 4, 2022 to July 29, 2022.

Outputs of this development intervention all lead, ultimately, to boosting farmers’ incomes, enhancing productivity, as well as discovering better ways to manage livestock production amid climatic changes that affect the dynamics of the livestock industry.

Said training is also seen as an avenue to foster regional cooperation among ASEAN Member States (AMS) on biotechnology research for livestock resiliency and sustainability by creating an enabling scientific environment for young researchers engaged in livestock innovations.

The participants include 14 researchers (one participant each from Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand; two from the Philippines; two extra slots prioritized for Cambodia, Myanmar, and Vietnam; and two researchers from Japan). The participants underwent a screening process, while the two participants from Japan were selected in consultation with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (MAFF).

The activities include orientation on the general objectives of the program and current developments in livestock biotechnology in the Philippines, Japan, and other countries; a two-day research proposal writing workshop; training on different laboratory techniques; research proposal writing for the research collaboration; and presentation of significant findings or knowledge and skills gained during the training.

Experts from DA-PCC research units and other local and international PCC collaborators who have relevant knowledge on Livestock Biotechnology were invited. Dr. Satoru Konnai from the Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, Department of Disease Control, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine in Hokkaidu University served as a resource person on the current status of livestock biotechnology research in Japan.

The participants showed their key findings and newfound knowledge and presented their own written proposals at the end of the training. They were also required to complete a pre- and post-evaluation to identify potential learning subjects and assess the new information, abilities, and understanding they acquired over the month-long program.

“I hope that the Philippines not only imparted with you some breadth of scientific knowledge about the technologies that we have here but also our own brand of hospitality. We are one as an ASEAN community, so we should act as one in development when it comes to sharing our knowledge and talents," Dr. Claro Mingala, DA-PCC’s Deputy Executive Director for Production and Research and Director of the DA Biotech Program Office, said.

The final report and training results will be posted on the ASEAN-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership (AJCEP) website. In order to maintain the initiatives and outputs of the training, DA-PCC will also work to establish ongoing collaboration with and among AMS taking off with the research proposals generated during the training. Participants were also encouraged to submit their research proposals to AJC to continue building up meaningful scientific collaborations. (RCanute and GSaturno/DA-PCC)