The Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) have inaugurated upgraded tissue culture and biological control facilities at the BPI National Crop Center in Los Baños, Laguna. Funded with ₱6 million (US$102,000) under the National Organic Agriculture Program (NOAP), the initiative aims to enhance agricultural productivity by providing high-quality, disease-free planting materials and natural pest control agents to support local farmers.
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The new facilities are designed to advance agricultural research and promote sustainable farming technologies, in line with the Marcos administration's "Bagong Pilipinas" vision for a modern and resilient agriculture sector.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., who led the inauguration, emphasized the importance of science and technology in addressing climate change, population growth, and environmental challenges. "The Tissue Culture Laboratory will ensure a steady supply of high-quality, disease-free planting materials. This is especially crucial for the banana industry, which continues to face serious challenges due to Fusarium wilt," he said.
The upgraded facility will also support the development of improved planting materials for various crops, including bananas, garlic, ginger, ube, and ornamentals. Tiu noted that the initiative benefits both commercial growers and smallholder farmers by offering clean, subsidized plantlets and conserving the country's valuable plant genetic resources.
The BioCon Facility, upgraded alongside the tissue culture lab, will mass-produce biological control agents such as earwigs and beneficial fungi like Metarhizium anisopliae and Beauveria bassiana, providing sustainable pest management options.
Tiu Laurel commended BPI Director Gerard Glenn Panganiban, OIC Center Chief Dr. Joel Adorada, and their teams for their leadership in implementing these innovative agricultural initiatives.
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