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November 2021
15 GeneSoc alumni exhibit excellence, service this year BY ALLEN MALABAYABAS (Reprimo)
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UPLB holds 2nd Virtual Commencement Exercises amidst the pandemic BY FRANCISCO ESCALA III (Reprimo)
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he University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) celebrated the graduation of 1,036 students at the 49th Commencement Exercises last August 7, 2021, which marked the second time that the event was held online due to circumstances brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. The event was broadcasted virtually through livestreams on the official Youtube channel and Facebook page of the University. The graduating class consisted of 813 graduates of undergraduate degrees, 172 students of master’s degrees, and 51 students who completed PhD degrees. Among these graduates are four alumni of The UPLB Genetics Society: Ma. Angela Arrosa of Batch Cyclosome, graduating with a degree
of BS in Civil Engineering; Maria Lourdes Dominique Avena of Batch Hybrizime, graduating with a degree of BS in Biology, Major in Cell and Molecular Biology; Ma. Angelica Robles of Batch Cybrid, graduating with a degree of BS in Biology, Major in Zoology; and Faye Escobido of Batch Polyplex, graduating with a degree of BS in Biology, Major in Genetics. UPLB Chancellor Jose V. Camacho Jr. and University of the Philippines President Danilo L. Concepcion Jr. started off the graduation ceremony. Distinguished UPLB alumnus Ronald Daniel Mascariñas, a graduate of BS Agriculture in 1982 and a renowned figure in the Philippine poultry industry, served as the guest speaker at the virtual commencement program.
his year, a group of GeneSoc distinguished alumni once again proved that ‘’the sky is the
Fifteen (15) alumni of The UPLB Genetics Society (GeneSoc) alumni have exemplified passion for excellence and commitment to service in their recently achieved scholarly and professional achievements that exhibited their outstanding pursuit of knowledge and dedication in serving the nation. Covering a wide range of diverse fields, these GeneSoc alumni aced aptitude and licensure examinations, and were installed on various positions in the University: 31st term GENEWS Editor-in-Chief Paul Jhon Diezon (Phagemids) passed the 2021 University of the Philippines College of Law Aptitude Examinations. In addition, ten GeneSoc doctors have passed this year’s Physician Licensure Examinations (PLE): Dr. Veronica Grace Adan (Karyotype), Dr. Anna Mikaela Arquiza (H1), and Dr. Maria Quita Guevarra (Iterons) passed the March 2021 PLE; Dr. Ben Henry Baang (Segrosome), and Dr. Veronica Page Chavez (Iterons) passed the September 2021 PLE; and Dr. Aurella Kristin Hernandez (Phagemids), Dr. Ralph Dominc Ong (Phagemids), Dr. Beatriz Arellano (Riboprobes), Dr. Nyka Noelle Barrientos (Riboprobes), and Dr. Deniz Marie Felix (Enhanceosome) passed the OctoberNovember 2021 PLE. Meanwhile, four distinguished GeneSoc alumni took several university positions: Atty. Jorge Davide Jr. (Charter) became the Chairperson of the Student
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Disciplinary Tribunal; Dr. Walter Laviña (Polysomes) became the Deputy Director of the Institute of Biological Sciences; Asst. Prof. Therese Julienne Medina (Polygenes) became the Plant Biology Division Head of the Institute of Biological Sciences; and Asst. Prof. Krissah Marga Taganas (Amplicons) became the Philosophy Division Head of the Department of Humanities. For almost 40 years, the members of The UPLB Genetics Society have been making an impact in upholding the highest standards and values in their endeavours. As exemplary role models representing the organization, they inspire and motivate everyone to set their aspirations high.
Second edition of ReBIOer welcomes IBS, MST freshmen BY JONALYN JAME CATEDRILLA (Polyplex)
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he University of the Philippines released the results of University of the Philippines College Application (UPCA) last July 15, 2021, and welcomed a new batch of students for the Academic Year 20212022. The UPCAT was not administered last year due to the coronavirus pandemic, and applicants were strictly assessed through their highschool grades and other factors. With the new batch of UPLB freshmen during this online learning setup, GeneSoc and other organizations inside the Institute of Biological Sciences (IBS) continued to help IBS and MST freshies, shiftees, and transferees with the second edition of The Haynayan Initiative. The ReBIOer is a learning material covering fundamental Biology courses offered by the Institute of Biological Sciences (IBS). The courses included in the material are Investigative Biology Laboratory (BIO 11.1), Biodiversity (BIO 14), Biology and Applications of Microorganisms (MCB 11), Ecology (BIO 150), and Genetics (BIO 30). Each lesson comprises a concise and comprehensive reviewer of the topics, along with a short assessment at the end of the lesson. The second edition of ReBIOer was updated and improved from the former edition’s lessons, with professors being consulted for revisions in order to assess the accuracy of the topics discussed. Meanwhile, access to the learning material was previously offered exclusively to Biology students, but became available to MST students on September 8, 2021. The ReBIOer was started last year in 2020 as a collaborative project by various IBS organizations: such as The UPLB Genetics Society (GeneSoc), Philobioscientia, The UPLB Life Sciences Society, Symbiosis - The UPLB Biological Society, and The UPLB Microbiological Society. This collaboration was dubbed as “The Haynayan Initiative’’.
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November 2021
GeneSoc holds second VYLH-LB orientation in online setting BY ALYANNA NICOLE HIDALGO (Ikirara) Pursuant of its goal to embody the advocacies of Volunteer Youth Leaders for Health (VYLH), The UPLB Genetics Society (GeneSoc) spearheaded the second virtual orientation of VYLHLos Baños Division on August 28, 2021 via Zoom. As one of the pioneer members of VYLHPhilippines, GeneSoc hosted the event and invited individuals and representatives from other partner organizations in hopes of further spreading awareness about VYLH and its campaigns. To kickstart the orientation, Assistant Professor Ivy Amor Lambio, the current Junior Adviser of The UPLB Genetics Society, warmly welcomed everyone with her opening remarks. The first speaker of the event was Ms. Mary Antonette Perez, secretariat of Proactive Kabilin, which is a team that aims to provide health education activities for women in the reproductive age and training for the youth and health workers in the community. Ms. Perez’s discussion focused on the importance of folic acid to the human body. She shared how 70% of neural birth defects (e.g. spina bifida and anencephaly) are avoided with the regular intake of folic acid, accompanied with a proper diet. She then emphasized that everyone, especially pregnant women and women of reproductive age, needs to take action by taking 0.4 mg of folic acid daily. Ms. Perez mentioned that there is a call for intensive campaigns due to the low awareness of the significance of folic acid supplementation in the country. In utmost conviction, she empowered everyone by highlighting how each individual can become advocates for a healthier future by joining their campaign while also reiterating her main point of the universal importance of folic acid supplementation. The next speaker was Ms. Jeanne Ruth Basas, the current Vice President of VYLH NCR-South Cluster. She shared an insightful discussion on the importance of
preconception health, wherein preparations made by both men and women before conception or during the early stages of pregnancy can help identify and modify the risks to a woman’s health and pregnancy outcomes. She mentioned that birth defects are one of the top 20 causes of death in the Philippines, with poor preconception health being one of the 10 leading causes of infant conditions such as congenital malformations. Assessment of preconception health could be done through the comprehensive Healthy Lifestyle, Infection Prevention, Proper Nutrition and Weight Management, and Contraception and Planning of the Family (LINC) framework.
“Our goal as the youth, as VYLH, is to help educate the masses.” At the end of her segment, Ms. Basas invigorated the youth by manifesting their role on preconception health awareness by educating the masses through the creative use of their skills, along with the power of social media. As the country’s future leaders and the future generation’s nurturers, the youth play a significant role towards securing a healthier and brighter tomorrow. The last speaker for the event was GeneSoc alumnus Mr. Rufus Thomas Adducul (Enhanceosome), 30th President of GeneSoc and the current President of VYLHPhilippines. He shed a spotlight on the topics of newborn screening, rare disease, and birth defects. For the early identification of disorders such as metabolic and endocrine disorders, newborn screening has been mandated by the Republic Act 9288 (Newborn Screening Act of 2004). Mr. Adducul emphasized the importance of on-time conduction of newborn screening done after
the 24th hour of life for early detection, diagnosis, and treatment, which can help in the avoidance of the irreversible effects of infant disorders. Therefore, being more aware of topics such as folic acid and preconception health discussed by the other speakers are extremely important. Mr. Adducul then proceeded to discuss rare disease awareness, describing that rare diseases have no universally accepted criteria, but rare disorders in the Philippines are those that have a prevalence of 1:20,000 or less. He explained that rare diseases are also known as “orphan disorders” since they lack an existing network of support to aid them due to their rareness. Adducul also mentioned that pharmaceutical companies do not focus on these disorders since there is a small market demand. On March 3, 2016, the late former Philippine President Benigno Aquino III signed the Republic Act 10747 or the “Rare Diseases Act of the Philippines”, however, there is still no existing effective cure for most rare diseases, possibly due to the lack of research attributed to these disorders. Nevertheless, the said act promulgates a comprehensive policy in addressing the needs of persons with rare diseases and creates a system that is caring for people with rare diseases, including management, education, advocacy, and care. In the latter part of his discussion on birth defects, Mr. Adducul restated the need to advocate and to be more aware of rare diseases as the
calls need to be all-encompassing. Campaigning for VYLH’s advocacies knows no time and situation, thus the world should continue to strive for the inclusivity of everyone’s right to a proper healthcare system. Ultimately, all three speakers shared one message: there is still so much that so many people underestimate or do not know about regarding their health and their future children’s health, may it be on the awareness of folic acid and preconception health, or the importance of newborn screening. Thus, this is the time to step up and help others understand the very essence that VYLH’s advocacies stands for.
About VYLH-Philippines VYLH-Philippines is a network of proactive, service-oriented, empowering, and visionary youth leaders equipped with the right tools to mobilize the youth towards a healthy Philippines. VYLH currently has 4 advocacies, namely: folic acid awareness, preconception health, newborn screening and rare disorders. Composed of youth leaders from different community-and-university based youth organizations throughout the philippines. Currently in its 12th year, VYLH currently has over 850+ trained volunteer youth leaders as of 2021, over 70+ partner youth organizations, and is one of the 11 recognized Youth Lead Global Top Model Youth Leadership Programs from 2015 to 2016.
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NAST PHL kicks-off virtual ScienTeach symposium in Isabela, Region 1
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BY KOOZAE CALVIN UMALI (Hachimoji)
o bring our scientists closer to the youth, and to inspire young minds to pursue careers in the sciences, the National Academy of Science and Technology Philippines (NAST PHL), in partnership with Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Regional Offices I and II, launched the fourth and fifth episodes of ScienTeach, a virtual symposium for the youth in Isabela province and Region 1 last October.
To bring our scientists closer to the youth, and to inspire young minds to pursue careers in the sciences, the National Academy of Science and Technology Philippines (NAST PHL), in partnership with Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Regional Offices I and II, launched the fourth and fifth episodes of ScienTeach, a virtual symposium for the youth in Isabela province and Region 1 last October. ScienTeach is a series of webinars that started in the year 2020 in partnership with the DOST Regional Offices to continue its mission to promote a strong science culture in the country by encouraging the future generations in pursuing a career path in science. Now in its second year, the virtual symposium for the junior and senior high school students was held virtually through Zoom and Facebook Live.
ScienTeach in Isabela In partnership with PSTC Isabela, four academicians from the Agricultural Sciences Division of NAST PHL were invited as resource speakers for the fourth episode of this webinar series last October 5. Academician Rex Victor O. Cruz, an expert on watershed management and climate change, shared his knowledge about what science, specifically forestry, has taught him, Acd. Cruz
shared that the reason he chose and remained in forest science was because of his fascination in seeing things in a new way. ‘’To me, science is really about discovering new things,’’ he added. ‘’It takes all of us to be able to solve the problem of losing our forests,’’ said Acd. Cruz as he points out that it needs the participation of all sectors of the society to solve the problem of deforestation. Acd. Cruz ends his talk by saying, ‘’We need more people to study forest and allied sciences to achieve the sustainability of our forests’’. Academician Eufemio T. Rasco Jr., an expert in the field of plant breeding, shared how traditional food, nutrition, and agriculture is interconnected with our lives. Acd. Rasco said that we should be making sciencebased decisions on what we eat and consume everyday. He argued that amidst the challenges that the world is facing right now, we need to survive and remain healthy, and that the future of our food lies in our past. ‘’If you eat what your ancestors ate, you are in good shape,’’ said Acd. Rasco. He also explained that the food we eat can influence the expression of our genes, which can be passed on to the succeeding generations.
Academician Arnel N. Del Barrio, a leading scientist in the field of ruminant nutrition, talks about his journey to success while riding a carabao. He resonated that like some, he is a son of a farmer, and that his life and career was always with the carabao, from childhood to employment. ‘’My journey is still continuing, and with carabao as my ride,’’ he said. Acd. Del Barrio also shared his recent study with ruminants. ’’We used science to transform our native carabao to a more productive animal, and the products can contribute to food production,’’ Acd. Del Barrio said while explaining how science can be used to solve the problems involving these carabaos, and to help to improve the life of farmers, create jobs, and better the nutrition of children. Academician Mudjekeewis D. Santos, a foremost scientist in the marine ecosystem, emphasized the importance of names not only for us humans, but also for aquatic organisms. He also mentioned that naming species is important since the Philippines is the center of marine biodiversity in the world. He shared how his job as a marine scientist
NAST PHL kicks-off virtual ScienTeach continued on page 6...
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NAST PHL kicks-off virtual ScienTeach continued... made him work in different areas from underwater up to the laboratories, adding that he got to work while enjoying the places that he went through. Acd. Santos then shared the newly discovered, newly named, threatened and endangered aquatic species in the country, which we have a responsibility to conserve and protect. In the open forum, Acd. Cruz said that students can promote awareness about the issues that our environment is facing right now, and added that each of our small contributions will largely impact our environment. ‘’That should be our mentality. Let us not discount what we can do no matter how little, when
GENEWS ScienTeach in Region 1 In celebration of the 2021 Regional and National Science and Technology Week, NAST PHL and DOST Regional Office I invited three Filipino expert scientists as resource speakers to share their knowledge on their field of expertise in the fifth installment of ScienTeach last October 18.
His talk also emphasized that students should be patient in their journey, and that their passion in the sciences will take them to different places while meeting different people. Acd. Gregorio dared the students to dream, to be curious, and to act on these dreams, saying that these are the ingredients of becoming a good scientist in the future.
‘’I sincerely wish that this symposium would expose your minds to the scientific world, orients you towards undertaking scientific careers, and encourage you to liken the inner beauty of research as a service to the society and nation,” said Academician Rhodora V. Azanza, the president of NAST PHL, in her opening remarks.
2019 Outstanding Young Scientist Awardee Dr. Pia D. Bagamasbad shares her side of the story as an expert scientist on molecular endocrinology. Dr. Bagamasbad shared her love of science from her high school years to her experience in graduate studies and work abroad, and what that contributed in her journey as a scientist when she got back to the Philippines.
November 2021 But with the improvements being made in the National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Dr. Bagamasbad shared that we can produce highquality research publications that can be globally competitive. She also shared what are the traits of in being a good scientist, along with the perks and challenges of being one. Dr. Bagamasbad wraps up her talk by highlighting the importance of basic science research, and that it should be given equal attention with the applied research here in the country. Dr. Rico C. Ancog, an environmental scientist and also a 2019 Outstanding Young Scientist Awardee, talked about the role of science in environmental governance. ‘’Crucial to the way we make decisions is our appreciation of the true value of the natural environment, which therefore has an effect on how we make decisions,’’ Dr. Ancog said. He emphasized the importance of science in making policy projects. Also, he highlighted the multidisciplinary approach when dealing with environmental governance. Dr. Ancog showed that scientists can go to many places by doing these projects, and the work being done by these scientists is exciting because they get to translate their scientific knowledge and work into something that will be used to create policies, which in turn will benefit the people. Dr. Ancog ends by saying ‘’Truly, you can complete that cycle, and perhaps, you establish and you build an exciting career that has value to you as a person, and hopefully to our country as a whole.’’
it accumulates and when we are able to mobilize other people, then as I said, your tree can become a forest,’’ he added. On the question of what is the greatest threat to marine biodiversity in the country, Acd. Santos said that with the other threats like habitat degradation, pollution, and invasive species, climate change is still the biggest threat, emphasizing that if not abated, will devastate a lot of ecosystems in the world, even our basic existence. The event was moderated by Dr. Reynante L. Ordonio, Senior Science Research Specialist and Scientist I at the Philippine Rice Research Institute, and 2021 Outstanding Young Scientist Awardee.
Academician Glenn B. Gregorio (Recombinants), a multi-awarded scientist from the Agricultural Sciences Division of NAST PHL and GeneSoc alumnus, shares his journey in becoming an expert in the field of rice genetics. At a young age, Acd. Gregorio shared that he was able to publish his first journal article in high school. He shared that his curiosity in discovering the world made him fall in love with science. He emphasized that students should grow wherever they were planted, and this made him make contributions in science that made a difference, not only to the Philippines but also to other nations as well.
Her talk touched on the current status of life science research in the world, saying that the field has transformed dramatically due to the recent innovations in genomic research like multi-omics technology and big data analysis. Here in the Philippines, Dr. Bagamasbad also highlighted the work that the Philippine Genome Center has been doing for the past years. Dr. Bagamasbad also said that she supports the pursuit of graduate studies abroad, because of the level of learning and the opportunities associated with that, but she tells her students to come back to the Philippines as she said that ‘’this is where you will matter more.’’
National Scientist in Economics Raul V. Fabella, chair of the Social Sciences Division of NAST PHL, closed the event as he delivered his remarks. ‘’Every great scientific discovery starts with a question. The answer is clinched with data and evidence--not by authority, not by diktat, only by data and by evidence. We hope you also get inspired to ask difficult questions and pursue a career in science in search of your personal answer,’’ NS Fabella said. The event was moderated by Dr. Pierangeli G. Vital, Scientist I and laboratory head of Natural Sciences Research Institute of the University of the Philippines Diliman, and 2021 Outstanding Young Scientist Awardee.
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VIP:The Promising Future of Philippine Virology BY JUSTIN GABRIEL BADLIS (Crypton)
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midst the current pandemic, hope continues to rise in the sciences as the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) plans to establish the Virology and Vaccine Institute of the Philippines, the country’s first ever institution that specifically aims to be the heart of research and development (R&D) efforts in the field of virology. The Institute garnered legislative support on July 28, 2021, as the House Bill No. 9559, or the Virology Institute of the Philippines (VIP) Act passed its third and final reading. This bill aims to create the Virology and Vaccine Institute of the Philippines under the Department of Science and Technology. DOST describes the institution as the premier research and development institute in the field of virology which will encompass viruses and viral diseases in plants, animals, and humans. The establishment of such an institution gives rise to further support in R&D efforts in the Philippines, especially in the study of localized diseases. The Institute is expected to rise as early as by the end of 2023 in the New Clark Economic Zone in Capas, Tarlac. DOST Undersecretary for Research and Development Rowena Guevara assured that the current design of the VIP facility follows the World Health Organization’s protocols and guidelines in establishing virology laboratories. However, even without the proposed building in Tarlac, the VIP can still be partially implemented via the establishment of the new laboratory with biosafety level 2+ or a BSL-2+ laboratory. The
laboratory is expected to be built in the Environment and Biotechnology Division of the DOST-Industrial Technology Development Institute (DOST-ITDI) by October 2021. Alongside the pre-establishment of the BSL-2+ laboratory is the current support for the six initial projects under VIP Program. These projects, which have partnerships with various local and international institutions, aim to jumpstart the R&D of current plant, animal, and human viral concerns despite the on-going pandemic with SARS-CoV-2. DOST hopes to build the VIP capacity and combat pressing issues brought upon by viruses.
“I shall return”, the Balik-Scientists The establishment of the VIP would not have been possible without the help
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of seven virologist “balik scientists”. Another one of DOST’s flagship initiatives, the Balik Scientist Program aims to encourage Filipino scientists to return from abroad to share their expertise and knowledge for the country. Notably, one of the seven Balik Scientists is a charter member of The UPLB Genetics Society: Dr. Leodevico L. Ilag (Charter). Dr. Ilag holds a Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology, and has solid research backgrounds in antibody engineering, structural biology, virology, immunology, biochemistry, microbiology, and genetics. Dr. Ilag and his colleagues have all expressed their desire to take part in training more people to work for the VIP. As of 2020, DOST has had 564 balik scientists since its launch in 1975. As of September 27, 2021, the Philippines has documented a total of 2,490,858 COVID-19 cases, with the bulk of transmissions contained within the vicinity of the NCR+ Bubble. In the case of another pandemic striking the country, the Philippines may now be capable of spearheading efforts in research and vaccine development through the VIP. The establishment of the VIP is just one of the victories for the development of the sciences in the country. The COVID-19 pandemic gave great precedence in investing more in the science and health sectors. Continued support to the scientists and expertst, and their endeavors will undeniably benefit the country in the long run, and the VIP is just one of the many institutions that will pioneer the Philippines forward to discover its own scientific breakthroughs.
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November 2021
NAST PHL confers 2021 GTOVAMR on ReliefVent inventor BY KOOZAE CALVIN UMALI (Hachimoji)
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he National Academy of Science and Technology Philippines (NAST PHL), along with the Health Sciences Division of NAST PHL, conferred the 2021 Geminiano T. de Ocampo Visionary Award for Medical Research (GTOVAMR) to Academician Camilo C. Roa Jr. during its lecture and award ceremony last September 15, due to the academician’s service to the nation that benefited the Filipino people in the field of pulmonary medicine. Acd. Roa is a retired professor from the University of the Philippines Manila College of Medicine, who for over 30 years, combined his academic expertise, scientific knowledge, inventive skills, and transformational leadership in improving the field of pulmonary medicine in the country. Along with his protegé, Dr. Abundio Balgos, and other colleagues at the Philippine General Hospital, Dr. Roa developed the first prototype of Ginhawa (ReliefVent), which is a high quality portable mechanical ventilator that can be used by all ages, with an operation cost of 40% lower than commercially portable ventilators. Three variations of a redesigned prototype, Ginhawa 2, are expected to be finished, which will be utilized by COVD-19 patients suffering from respiratory failure. ‘’The [Philippines] is a pulmonary country,’’ Acd. Roa emphasized in his lecture entitled ‘’Lung Function Test: Need for Filipino Reference Values’’. Dr. Roa highlighted that lung diseases are among the top ten causes of mortality here in the Philippines. He also explained how SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19, can easily target our body, unlike tuberculosis. Acd. Roa then proceeded to explain the importance of lung function tests, which is another tool to diagnose and treat pulmonary diseases other than the chest x-ray image. These tests have reference values, and Dr. Roa explained that the values from published foreign references cannot be used as standards here in the Philippines due to the differences in morphometric factors such as race. Thus, as the principal investigator of the study, Acd. Roa published the reference value standard for Filipinos in their study ‘’Normal Standards for Ventilatory Function Test in Adult Filipinos,’’ in
1987, the first reference study in an Asian population, which was further validated by their study in 2007. The regression equations show that Filipinos have lower values than caucasian and western populations. These normative values are vital for pulmonologists to diagnose and measure the true prevalence of pulmonary illnesses such as obstructive lung diseases and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and to allow for early medical interventions and treatments. Launched in 2013 in memory and in honor of National Scientist Geminiano T. de Ocampo, the GTOVAMR is given biennially to recognize clinician researchers who have created the vision for medical research in the country through their outstanding work that have blazed and/or pioneered the trail for medical innovations and health research and development. The award likewise aims to acknowledge clinician researchers who have created and traversed new frontiers in medicine through significant contributions to the fund of medical knowledge or the advancement of clinical practice in the country, and medical research that have significantly impacted on the lives of the Filipino people. Acknowledged as the Father of Modern Philippine Ophthalmology, Dr. de Ocampo exemplified excellence in the field of ophthalmology and medical research and is a man of many firsts. He established the first eye hospital in the Philippines, the De Ocampo Eye Hospital. He also established the Philippine Eye Research Institute, the first eye hospital and research institution for basic ophthalmology in the Philippines. Dr. de Ocampo was also the first Filipino to design a corneal dissector, the first Filipino to perform the first successful corneal transplant, and the first National Scientist in the field of ophthalmology. The 2021 GTOVAMR Lecture and Awarding Ceremony was made possible in partnership with the Dr. Geminiano T. de Ocampo Medical Research Foundation, Inc. and the de Ocampo family. It was attended by the members of NAST PHL, along with the family of National Scientist de Ocampo, represented by his daughter, Mrs. Leticia de Ocampo-Elegado. The event was moderated by Dr. John Mark S. Velasco, 2014 Outstanding Young Scientist Awardee.
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DA-BPI approves consumption and use of Bt talong for food and feed BY ALLEN MALABAYABAS (Reprimo)
eggplant variety containing natural proteins from the soil bacterium B.acillus thuringiensis, which makes the crop resistant to a group of most destructive pests: eggplant fruit and shoot borer (EFSB).
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he Philippine Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Plant Industry (DA-BPI), has issued Biosafety Permit No. 21-078FFP for the consumption and use of Bt talong as food and feed to the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) on the 23rd of July 2021. Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) eggplant, locally called as Bt talong, is a genetically modified organism (GMO) developed by the Institute of Plant Breeding at the University of the Philippines Los Baños. It is an
In line with this, scientists have emphasized that the Bt protein is safe for humans and animals and only targets EFSB. In 2015, the Supreme Court (SC) ordered the cease of the field testing for Bt talong, along with the temporary halt of any application, propagation, and importation of GMOs. The decision also nullified DA AO 08-2002, stating that the order did not meet the minimum safety requirements under Executive Order (EO) 514: National Biosafety Framework (NBF). In 2016, however, the SC reversed its ruling and granted the petitions for a motion of reconsideration filed by the Bt talong proponents. The petition was also signed by the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications Inc. (ISAAA),
Environmental Management Bureau, CropLife Philippines, UPLB Foundation, and UPLB. In the reversed ruling, the SC stated that the proponents neither went beyond the permitted field-testing nor distributed the crop commercially. The decision has reopened the hope for Filipino farmers and consumers to soon propagate and consume Bt talong. This year, ISAAA has identified that Bt talong is safe for food and feed usage under the Bt eggplant Event EE-1. Afterward, The DA-BPI has authorized Biosafety Permit No. 21-078FFP, which was issued to UPLB. Under this, the crop will now be available for propagation, and Filipino farmers and consumers can now utilize Bt talong for food consumption and livestock operation. The authorization of the Biosafety Permit No. 21-078FFP was another milestone for the Philippine biosafety process and UPLB. The ISAAA announced that the Philippines, along with Bangladesh, are now the only 2 countries that received Bt talong certification.
Newly discovered weg1 mutation gene: vital for drought resistance in rice BY FRANCISCO ESCALA III (Reprimo)
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hilippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) and Balik Scientist awardee scientist Dr. Nonawin Lucob-Agustin, along with researchers from Nagoya University in Japan, has discovered a mutation gene in rice that can help rice plants to survive drought. Dr. Lucob-Agustin and her team of researchers discovered the wavy root elongation growth 1 (weg1) gene, a gene from mutants of rice variety called Taichung 65, that can support rice plants that are planted in lowlands and are reliant on rainfall for water irrigation. Due to its wavy root characteristic, the rice plant can support more water and nutrient uptake, as compared to the typical straight root characteristic. The weg1 gene contributes to factors that help rice plants to be more drought-resistant. Foremost is, such as the production of more L-type lateral roots that have a higher order of branching leading to a bigger expansion of the root system than the S-type lateral roots.
Other factors such as direct regulation of asymmetric cell elongation that causes growth of wavy parental root, and indirect regulation of highly developed lateral root emergence is also controlled by weg1. With that said, the mutation gene only affects the root formation of wavy roots and lateral roots, and does not affect any other root components. The research team also found high auxin levels at the outer curvatures of the wavy parental root, which likely induces the formation of L-type lateral roots. These characteristics of the weg1 gene are favorable for rice plants in tropical countries (such as the Philippines) with seasonal drought and soil moisture fluctuations. Therefore, proliferation of the said gene, as a material for rice breeding can improve shoots under such conditions.
Dr. Lucob-Agustin noted that they are still on the development of lines using the weg1 gene to produce drought-resistant and highyielding varieties of rice. Dr. Lucob-Agustin is a graduate of BS Agriculture from the University of the Philippines, and has worked as a science research specialist for PhilRice before going to Nagoya for graduate studies. LucobAgustin holds a Ph.D. in Bioengineering Sciences, and specializes in plant physiology and breeding, abiotic stress tolerance, plant genetics and epigenetics.
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November 2021
Genetic Study Traces Denosivan DNA from Filipino IP Group BY MARK CYRIL MERCADO (Reprimo)
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n the recent study of Larena et al. (2021) published in Current Biology, it was revealed that the Ayta Magbukon indigenous group has around 30-40% more observed Denosivan DNA than of the indigenious Australians and Papua New Guinea highlanders, wherein the latter compared to having only greater than 4% Denisovan DNA. Denisovans are extinct distant relatives of Neanderthals that became known only through DNA evidence extracted from a fossil tooth found in Siberia. In a 2010 study by Reich et alDenisovans were said to have evolutionarily diverged from the Neanderthals around 250,000 years ago and lived along with modern humans for 10,000 years ago, while common ancestors of Denisovans and Neanderthals evolutionarily diverged from modern humans about 500, 000 years ago. The genetic imprint of Denisovan DNA is
largely found among people of Southeast Asia, Papua New Guinea, and Australia. Larena et al. conducted this study on 118 ethnic Filipino groups that include 25 diverse Negrito populations. It is suggested that the large percentage of Denisovan DNA of Ayta Magbukon may be due to having mated less often with the East Asian migrants. Based on the said genetic analyses and archaeological evidence, about 200,000 old stone tools found on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi purported to be from Denisovans, thus an evolutionary scenario is suggested wherein two Denisovan populations migrated to the Southeast Asian islands. Later, Homo sapiens arrived around 50,000 years ago and interbred with the settling Denisovans. The same method done on the genetic study could also shed light on the Denisovan ancestry of Stone Age Homo fossils and the fossils of H. luzonensis. But unfortunately, extraction of DNA is highly unlikely due to
challenges brought about by tropical climates. Other fossils such as H. floresienses from Flores and H. erectus from Java, Teixeira were also suspected to contain Denisovan DNA (Teixeira et al., 2021). Archaeological evidence and studies have provided a glimpse into the shadow of the complex history of Filipino ancestors, most especially the indigenous groups. It is known that most of the ancestors were of Malay origin coming from the mainland of Southeast Asia and other neighboring islands, resulting in ethnic diversity amongst Filipino people. But with the advent of genetics, more light is being shed upon the origin and evolutionary scenario that led to the current gene pool of the Filipino race. Future scientific studies on excavated fossils and indigenous communities can provide more insight on the prevalence of Denisovan DNA in the country’s origins, contributing to the bigger picture of the world’s evolutionary history.
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With Hearts in Mind: GeneSoc Confronts 38th Year with Pro-People Servant-Leaders BY DANIEL VARIAS (Isochore)
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e have not gathered and bonded on campus for almost two years now.
Such prolonged separation continues to throw challenges of various shapes and sizes—academic, personal, financial, and a lot more. Everyone’s spirit, i.e., those who belong to both the members of the organization and every person it aims to help, tries to endure such heavy blows. However, a selected few have answered the call to not only incessantly serve by leading, but also uphold the welfare of everyone. Each person is unique yet closely-knit together, physically distant yet always in touch, young yet bears a servant-leader’s obligation upon their shoulders with everyone’s hearts in mind.
On July 14, 2021, the members of The UPLB Genetics Society (GeneSoc) finalized their roster of chosen leaders for GeneSoc’s 38th year in its second remote and online election through a series of Zoom meetings. Since then, they trailblazed a path towards change: challenging norms and solving puzzles in their respective committees while maintaining such finessed coordination and meaningful relationships between every officer. They even went through the very first leadership summit tailored-fit for their term. Four months have passed, and here they stand: up close and personal with their hopes for their committee, the organization, and the advocacies it upholds.
“Every officer of the 38th term is highly passionate in what they do. In fact, their comments are always insightful. They also make sure to look out for each other’s wellbeing and help with their utmost capabilities. Despite the constant stresses life throws at them, they still always try their very best to be there for the committee and the org. And for that, I am very proud [of them],” Jessi narrated when asked about what she likes the most about working with the Executive Committee. Her desire to lead also lies in her unrelenting desire to serve others through GeneSoc’s long-withstanding and various activities, which effective servant leadership permits. According to her, “I would love to make sure that the future leaders of GeneSoc are honed, passionate, and would seek more ways in helping the members and meeting their needs, especially in their academics and their personal welfare. I believe this would effectively sustain GeneSoc’s tradition in helping other people and promoting the science of Genetics through various activities. To make this happen, I would want the Executive Committee to connect with every member, and for everyone to experience various encounters to help them discover their passion and hidden skills. Still, I want the 38th term to empathize with everyone, especially amid the struggles of remote learning setup.”
Jessica Mae “Jessi” Cortezano (Polyplex), President and Executive Committee Head Jessi’s refined skill in leadership truly gained the respect and admiration of her constituents. She inspires every person she works with as she brings out the hundred percent they can give while trying her hardest in ensuring their fervor to serve never burns out. She has made her mark as a leader since her days of service as the past term’s PRO. However, such praises do not fuel her desire to lead GeneSoc; instead, it is her satisfaction in seeing every member grow in the organization and translate their love for the organization through passionate and excellent service.
When asked about her insight on GeneSoc’s first leadership summit which made her reflect on her leadership, she realized how flexible her leadership style can be. “Before, I have always thought that I can be ‘soft’ towards other people, but I have learned to tailor my way based on the person I am guiding. Sometimes, I must be stern but still empathetic to get the point across. At the same time, I can also be tolerant towards them because they fulfill their responsibilities through their own strategies, which may differ from mine,” she said. On top of leading an academic organization, Jessi is a BS Biology senior who majors in Cell and Molecular Biology. She balances her roles with her best friend: sticky notes. She ensures that all her tasks are prioritized, written, and within her field of vision, so she never forgets. She also fixes her monthly schedule a week before the month. Also, she closes her “office” on executive work after sunset to find time to do her responsibilities as a student. She also finds time to unwind by spending time solely on movies, Anime, K-drama, or game nights with the people she holds dear.
Jonalyn Jame “Jona” Catedrilla (Polyplex), Vice President and Membership Committee Head Jona embodies passion and compassion as she sets her eyes on every member’s wellbeing while they strive for excellence. She also envisions a closely-knit, growing family as she leads the Membership Committee and the whole organization in tandem with Jessi. Ask anyone how she is like, and they will tell you that she is an ever-accommodating, empathetic guide with a heightened sense of responsibility. In leading a student organization, nothing motivates her more than seeing GeneSoc serve the community. Whenever she gets asked about the activities and events of the organization, she proudly shares about serving Filipino children with rare genetic diseases, medical missions, BIO 30 tutorials, and events revolving around genetics. She knows that realizing the objectives of the organization requires hard work but seeing and sharing how everyone’s cumulative efforts serve the community gives her the utmost satisfaction. Jona shared what she likes the most about her position: “I love how I get to interact with other resident members I haven’t really interacted with before. I came from the Education Committee, and back then, I usually only mingle with the committee members. Now, whenever we have events, I get to interact and ask for participation from members outside the Membership Committee. Also, I get to learn about the members’ situations whenever they share about their academics and personal life. I may be an introvert and social interactions can potentially drain me, but I love being there for them—not necessarily in giving advice, but in listening and empathizing with them.” She envisions the continuous expansion of the ever-growing GeneSoc family while enabling the organization to ease the lives of the members and upholding and respecting their mental health. She would love everyone to speak up with confidence by upholding a culture of positive reinforcement. She also aims to see everyone bonding together, especially with the new members forming bonds with their batchmates and other resident members and alumni of the organization. While leading the organization as the Vice President and Membership Committee Head, she is also a BS Biology senior who majors in Ecology. She tries to keep her weekends free, especially on Sundays. She also loves self-care through reading Manga and learning to write and speak in Japanese in her free time.
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November 2021 Christian Allan “Chan” Natanauan (Ikirara), Public Relations Officer and Public Relations Committee Head
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Beatrice Daniella “Bea” Negosa (Ikirara), Treasurer and Finance Committee Head As someone who loves to learn new things every day, Bea enjoys leading the organization through managing its finances. She brainstorms on ways to ensure that money will not be an issue on every event, hence looking at possibilities on how to revolve and generate funds. She finds motivation in the achievements of the organization, its members, and the bonds she shares with the Executive Committee.
Justin Gabriel Badlis (Crypton), Secretary and Documentation Committee Head As GeneSoc’s resident caffeinated wordsmith, Chan enjoys writing and inspiring his committee to write the most eloquent captions for GeneSoc’s social media posts, to speak up in representing the organization to many external meetings, and a lot more responsibilities on communication. Nothing motivates him more than helping GeneSoc to carry on activities and advocacies throughout the years. “[It] is enough motivation for me to give my all as a leader in this 38th year and as a lifetime member of the organization, as well,” he added.
Justin always tackles his leadership role with a bright smile and a positive, jolly, and occasionally playful attitude. But beneath such carefree demeanor is a master of delegation and a lover of learning new things. “I like how in the 38th term, there’s an organized process in the tasks and duties I am currently undertaking. I also feel like I’m learning new things. What I like about the current executive committee is how each of our personalities complements one another. We even share bardagol moments, my love language!” he jested. “As for the Documentation Committee, I like how they’re all approachable and easy to communicate with.” He also bares his plans for the term. “I plan on having our committee take on more active roles and be able to be familiar with the roles and acquire the necessary skill sets for being a Documentation Committee Head (e.g., Formal Letter making, e-mail etiquette). I will start first by properly delegating and managing my committee members. Then if I already feel like I have a grasp of how I can work with my committee, I may be more comfortable tapping them for work in advance, especially utilizing the “Docute of the Month” system. I would also like for our advisers to get to know the resident members more. In each event, I would try to ask the availability of our advisers, and in turn become familiar with the names and faces of the organization. I hope that when face-to-face classes come back, they may be able to identify and greet us in the hallway,” he said. Justin is also a BS Biology junior who majors in Systematics. He balances his responsibilities by making a mental schedule apart from his written schedule on how he will spend the day. He also takes time to rest by playing Genshin Impact and listening and watching his LOMLs (loves of my life), Seventeen and Twice.
In fact, she also loves how the 38th Executive Committee is so supportive towards her work, among other things. “What makes the Executive Committee so special is our nofilter honesty. As much as possible, the 38th Executive Committee tries to reach out to one another. Being part of it is not merely a bunch of tasks to accomplish; we also give and gain motivation from one another to keep the enlivened spirits of everyone. We all believe that the organization will continue to reach feats as we keep everyone motivated with their passions unwavering. As I monitor the Finance Committee, I like how the members never overwork themselves,” she shares. Apart from being the organization’s treasurer, she is also a senior under the degree program of BS Biology major in Genetics. She unwinds by eating her meals outside her home while she feels the outdoor breeze. “Nothing beats the comfort that nature brings to someone who needs rest,” she added.
He also loves being part of the 38th Executive Committee. “What’s amazing about the 38th Executive Committee is that it is a group of people that are very goal-driven and always take the time to intricately plan everything out. The care for the members and the org itself permeates through every activity, putting importance on everyone’s mental health and wellbeing. Aside from that, I really love the energy of the Executive Committee, both in comedic matters and in providing innovative ideas,” he said. “Being the PR Committee Head allows me to be immersed in different activities which are not only org-based—this position has helped me be present even in university-wide events and helped me hone my writing and management skills. What’s good about working with anyone in GeneSoc is that most are easily-approachable and would be ready to help if their circumstances allow them to. A shout out to my PR Committee members who always accomplish their tasks with exemplary writing skills, I’m always proud of your works!” he responded when asked about what he likes the most in terms of his position. When asked about his plans for the committee, he passionately responded: “It is of utmost importance that the PR Committee maintains the efforts it provides to the social presence of the organization. By supervising the different PR works and being active in external matters, I believe that this goal can be achieved, while also keeping the well-being of my committee members in mind. I also plan to improve the GeneSoc website, which can help broaden the reach of the org in its online presence. In the goal of creating awareness on the
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He is also a BS Biology junior who majors in Cell and Molecular Biology, so he balances his tasks via prioritization. In his free time, he loves watching sitcoms and sci-fi movies and listening to music to lighten up his mood.
Bam is also a BS Biology junior who majors in Systematics, so he taught himself to prioritize his tasks to keep up with all his responsibilities. “A few hours of rest, playing games, and catching up with my special people helps me cope with everything going on inside my head,” he shared.
Hanz Benedict Aguilar (Ikirara), Education Committee Head
He also shared what he loved the most about being the Education Committee Head: “My position allows me to see the intellect of every committee member. I learn a lot from them— the way they write and speak makes me learn tactics in academics which I can apply even in life. In the Education Committee, everyone is so understanding whenever there are suggestions and points to raise.” Hanz is also a BS Biology junior who majors in Wildlife Biology. He balances his responsibilities through proper time block assignments. He unwinds by playing mobile games and traveling with his bicycle.
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term. Aside from this, another goal of mine for the committee is to establish rapport within the committee and in between committees and to be able to collaborate with them to organize quality events. Being able to conduct the semestral exhibits coincide with the organization’s objective to promote the science of Genetics in the Philippines, as well as serving as a study group for students interested in Genetics and its related fields where they can share insights, ideas, and breakthroughs, such as in this year’s installation of Phenes and Inks.”
science of Genetics in the country, it is important that the external presence of GeneSoc is managed so that we may effectively inform others about how amazing genetics is through GeneSoc’s activities and advocacies. But along with all of this, we still strive to extend consideration and leniency to the members, for their mental health and well-being.”
Hanz’s passion in the science of Genetics and seeing everyone taking part in GeneSoc led him to take the responsibilities of the organization’s head of the Education Committee. During his time spent with the 38th Executive Committee, he fell in love with working with everyone. “We care for each other and lift our spirits despite the struggles we are facing. There’s always a genuine and uplifting atmosphere despite everyone’s busy schedules. We hold on to each other,” he added.
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Paolo Miguel Anico (Crypton), Technicals Committee Head
Brian Alfred “Bam” Mortera (Crypton), Projects Committee Head With the prowess on visual arts that would appease all known art deities, Bam offers his talents in promoting the science of Genetics in the Philippines. “I love that I am able to merge a hard science like Genetics with the Arts. It is a common trope that science and art are two very separate concepts, yet I am able to prove with my held position that these two are actually intertwined and inseparable,” he said. He also loves being part of the diverse 38th Executive Committee and Projects Committee. “The 38th Executive Committee is filled with people with different talents and views in life, yet we are able to work together for our single goal: to promote the science of Genetics in the Philippines. We utilize our differences and turn them into each other’s assets and help serve the organization in unique ways. I admire them for being so dedicated to their respective positions. Being able to work with such devoted individuals helps me remember why I’m doing all of this—to serve the people. For my committee, they have always been supportive with my plans for the committee and never fail to help me grow, both as a leader and as a person. They all work hard to help the organization in any way possible, and I love them so much for that.” he said. “The mere fact that my act of organizing activities and people for certain causes can affect somebody in any way imaginable is what keeps me motivated to do what I do. Knowing that through our activities, we are able to inspire others to become future Filipino Scientists helps me push through with everything I am faced with,” Bam shares as we delve into what drives him to lead in GeneSoc. But in terms of his goals for the committee, he shares: “As part of the Projects Committee, being able to conduct successful exhibit weeks is the main goal we wish to meet throughout this
Silent, simple, but ever-responsible and duty-driven, Paolo likes being the organization’s go-to person in organizing movie and game nights, troubleshooting, providing the technical aspects of events held during the remote learning setup, and other membership-related tasks. He also aims to build a legacy for the Technicals Committee by training members interested in the job. He would like to provide opportunities for them to learn the technical ins and outs. Other than his responsibilities in GeneSoc, he is also a BS Biology junior who majors in Cell and Molecular Biology. He likes to take breaks when needed and finds time to enjoy playing video games like VALORANT. With Hearts in Mind continued on page 14...
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With Hearts in Mind continued...
Alyannna Nicole “Bunik” Hidalgo (Ikirara), Outreach Committee Head
Fatima Serene “Patdee” Desuasido (Hachimoji), Publicity Committee Head
As someone who loves to inspire and be inspired, Bunik takes service towards the community close to her heart. This is exactly why Bunik loves leading the outreach programs of GeneSoc: constantly motivated by the people she aims to serve—the ones who need help the most in these trying times. “As someone who has never experienced participating in any school outreach activity but have always wanted to, this position holds a special place in my heart. I just love every single thing outreach stands for. We share a common goal; to help people and give them hope during these trying times,” she said as her eyes twinkled.
Patdee shares a passion for both Genetics and graphic design, which led her to be the 38th term’s Publicity Committee Head. Though she shows exemplary work in leading the design of the publicity materials of the organization and delegating tasks, her humility does not let it get to her. Nevertheless, she adores that she plays a part in her committees. “I love how the 38th Executive Committee values self-care and rest! Jessi even banters about reprimanding us when we take up huge chunks of tasks without adequate rest. In terms of the Publicity Committee, I like how involved I am in the process of making and releasing publicity materials, especially in looking out for the members to ensure they do not get burned out. Also, everyone strives to make each other comfortable. I also look up to the skills of the publicity committee members. They always have many, different ideas to improve our publicity materials,” she shares.
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She also treasures every person in the 38th Executive Committee. “I just believe that I wouldn’t ask for more. My fellow officers are extremely hard-working, flexible, and resilient. Yet, they never fail to make me smile, regardless of the situation. In fact, they always have my back. When problems arise, they aid me in finding solutions and they are quick to respond to my requests.
Koozae Calvin Umali (Hachimoji), GENEWS Editor-in-Chief In the midst of disinformation and misuse of power of the current regime, Koozae picked up the pen, shuffled through the parchment, and took up the challenge of leading the writing machinery of GeneSoc. A young mind with a sense of adventure and the willingness to learn and deliver amid challenges, he dived towards the responsibilities of leading and managing GENEWS and providing a voice for the masses through GeneSoc’s statements. He does not find the task a walk in the park, but he sure loves what he does along with the support of the 38th Executive Committee.
“Art burnout is a real thing, so I see my role in ensuring that the committee members don’t experience that under my watch. Most of them do art for fun as a recreational activity, so I don’t want them to be stressed on the thing that relaxes them,” she answers when asked about her motivation for leading the publicity committee. Patdee is now a junior student taking up BS Agricultural Biotechnology. In balancing her roles, she dedicates time for every task she listed based on its designated priority. She also takes breaks by finding some “me time” and watching movies with her sister while her phone is away.
“In preparing for the role of EIC, I would look into it as a different way to know the org better. I perused the previous issues of GENEWS, and I knew the org better by reading the articles written before. Seeing how GENEWS was built challenges me to do better. I also love seeing my social skills improve as I coordinate with the editors and contributors, and I love how these interactions form bonds with them. As a whole, I love learning about many things,” Koozae answers when asked about what he loves the most about being an EIC. On top of his responsibilities as an EIC, he is also a sophomore under the BS Biology program. He makes sure to take short breaks, savoring his time away from screen. He also unwinds by doing chores, watching TV, or listening and singing with OPM songs.
For my own committee, words cannot describe how proud I am of them. Being in a position that requires leadership, it gave me anxiety as to how I could handle my committee. Regularly, I have doubts and fears but when I see my Outreach Committee trying their best, I get inspired to work just as hard, if not harder,” she narrates. In terms of her goals for the committee, she said, “My goal is to conduct the outreach activities successfully without compromising one over another. I really want to provide as much help as we can, but at the same time, without jeopardizing the health of my committee members. I want them to feel and embody the real message of outreach. I believe all of these can be fulfilled with proper planning, contingency plans, and everyone’s satisfaction and enjoyment in taking part in outreach activities.” Bunik is also a BS Biology junior who majors in Cell and Molecular Biology. She still continues to figure out the best way to juggle her responsibilities, but says that she has discovered how helpful task trackers and to-do lists can be. She also finds time to unwind. “I sleep, sleep, sleep. Talking with the Executive Committee really helps, too!” she said.
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Abegail “Abeng” Luna (Helraiser), National Intercollegiate Genetics Quiz Contest Steering Committee Head While NIGQC will not push through for 2021, Abeng continues to use her leadership skills as a Genetics Camp co-head. Also, her inputs in leadership are very welcome in the 38th Executive Committee. “What I find laudable in the 38th Executive Committee is how flexible they are. As much as possible, they adjust matters to prioritize everyone’s well-being. All leaders show compassion, and all of them bring fresh ideas and perspectives to the table,” she said.
Princess Yra “Cess” De Silos (Ikirara), Genetics Camp Steering Committee Head As a luminary, Cess enjoys taking charge of GeneSoc’s flagship national event, Genetics Camp. According to her, the 38th Executive Committee amazes her for taking up the challenge of leading and taking up responsibilities currently. “The Executive Committee shows professionalism yet accommodates one another, especially in matters about Genetics Camp,” she said. She also expressed her excitement in organizing and steering such a grand event. The thought of inspiring and bringing something worthwhile for the organization, the members, and GeneSoc’s beneficiaries motivates her. “I saw everyone’s capability to make a difference and individual strengths and strategies to lead, so I also ask myself about my capability in making a difference. As a leader, I want to be someone reliable, approachable, and respectable, and I want to be the same kind of person to everyone who takes part in Genetics Camp,” she shares as she recalls her insights on GeneSoc’s leadership seminar. “I want to inspire and motivate other people, especially young minds. That’s why I would want the heads and co-heads participating in Genetics Camp to know that they have people who they can lean on and hold on to. I want everyone, myself included, to rest in times of difficulty, but continue striving for the young students waiting to learn and have their fill of enjoyment in Genetics Camp, and hopefully, we can inspire them to pursue the sciences in the future. I only wish the best for Genetics Camp, so we’ll always do our best to ensure that the kids will have a good, if not the best, weekend during the two-day event,” she passionately shares. Beyond her responsibilities in the organization, she is also a senior who takes up the BS Biology degree program and majors in Wildlife Biology. She balances her roles and responsibilities by sorting and prioritizing them in checklists. She also makes it a habit to do her academics in advance. For her wellbeing, she always allots time for herself and enjoys her “me time.”
“I see how passionate the officers and the members are. Seeing them gives me the desire to be part of something meaningful,” Abeng said as she shares her motivation in leadership. “My utmost goal is to have a successful Genetics Camp—one which everyone enjoys. I believe that this is possible through thorough preparation. I see how hardworking Cess is, and I am willing to extend my hands to help. Along with fulfilling these goals, I’d love to continuously instill why we hold these kinds of events. So, I would want more young minds and even the members to continue their interest in Genetics and its allied fields” she narrates. Abeng is also a BS Biology senior who majors in Genetics. She likes to manage her time to balance her responsibilities. She also unwinds by playing video games and finding time for adequate sleep.
Andriana “Ania” Crisostomo (Ikirara), Volunteer Youth Leaders for Health Committee Head Ever since Ania fell in love with the advocacies of VYLH-Philippines, they have been inseparable ever since. Her heart goes for all the pregnant women and neonates of the Philippines, and her role as the VYLH Committee head magnifies that well. “It feels great to help and contribute to saving lives, especially babies’ lives. Even though we are in an online setup, it is still fulfilling to see your advocacies spread to give them a chance to live a normal, long, and healthy life,” she said. She also shares how the 38th Executive Committee became her comfort zone. “The people I work with drive me to keep going—they’re very engaging and encouraging to work with. Even though we laugh and joke a lot, we know when to put on a serious, focused face. Our tasks may be shifted away from our usual comfort zones, but the committee always helps to adjust,” she shared. “My main goal is to establish the organizations who would want to be part of VYLH-Los Baños, which is currently ongoing. I also aim for GeneSoc members to ultimately become members of VYLH-Philippines, so I coordinate closely with the officers of VYLH. Through this stronger foundation of VYLH-Los Baños, we can work more effectively towards a healthier Philippines,” she narrated. Other than leading the VYLH Committee, she also is a BS Biology junior who majors in Genetics. To manage her responsibilities, she makes it a habit to list all her tasks and assign them on their respective day of the week. She is also never stingy when it comes to finding time for herself by practicing social media detox, playing mobile games, chatting with her friends, working out, or playing the piano.
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G
enetically modified organisms (GMOs) are living organisms whose genomes are modified using genetic engineering to create more favorable phenotypes for that organism. By definition, genetic engineering has given us an opportunity to choose the traits that are beneficial to us. Since then, humans have been modifying animals and plants for thousands of years. Scientists have used techniques such as selective breeding in order to produce more desirable traits, making them better suited to the environment. But in 1973, biochemists Herbert Mayer and Stanley Cohen made an enormous breakthrough by developing the first genetic engineered organism. This discovery led to the development of the field of genetic engineering, which led us to the existence of GMOs. From that moment, several experiments emerged about genetically modified organisms. To regulate the experiments done in laboratories, a set of guidelines were established by the Asilomar Conference in 1975. Furthermore, a set of guidelines and standards were given by the World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in 2003. In 1996, the first GMO was planted in the US soil. Fast forward to 2015, a genetically modified salmon was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for human consumption. Examples of GMO are widely observed around the world. We often see GM foods that are available on the market. These are crops that were designed and crafted carefully to be used as an ingredient for our meals. Aside from that, GMO foods are used as feeds for animals and are also in the making of medicinal products, as well. One example of a medicinal product is insulin which is used in treating diabetes. GMOs play an important role in agriculture, environment, and biomedical research. This technology enhances our chance to have better health and nutrition since it can incorporate several nutrients that are beneficial to us.
GMOs: Modifying the Present, Securing our Future BY GEROMN GABRIEL DACQUIL (Reprimo) One example of this is the golden rice that has been developed for decades. It aims to combat Vitamin A deficiency, one of the common problems of malnutrition in our country. Furthermore, agriculture has benefited from this technology. Bt crops that are developed in the laboratories are being tested and studied in the fields. These kinds of crops can adapt to environmental disruptors, such as an invasion of pests, which is one of the leading problems in agriculture. In addition, scientists are modifying plants to be more resilient to erratic weather conditions and other problems regarding climate change. On the other hand, GMOs are a game changer in the medical field. Genetically modified animals and plants have transformed the production of complex drugs to create better and safe vaccines
RNA demethylation to increase rice and potato crop production BY HANZ BENEDICT AGUILAR (Ikirara)
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ith the rising global population, the demand on food supply and security continues to escalate. Its effects can be seen in communities that experience food and health-related issues, such as malnutrition and low food quality. Agricultural sectors are still on their way in achieving the desired demand through development. Consequently, recent studies are being executed to address this pressing issue.
and medicines for some diseases. Additionally, gene therapy has become a treatment option in fighting serious diseases such cancer and rare diseases. Not only can GMOs bolster advancements in agriculture and medicine, it can also protect our environment. Scientists are modifying plants which can absorb and collect carbon from the surroundings in order to mitigate the negative effects of climate change, primarily on diminishing carbon footprints on the planet. This significance of GMOs can help our planet to recover, but it requires a further dissemination of its importance to the people and proper education on having this technology for the betterment of humankind.
It has been a long and ongoing journey for transgenic studies before they can be applied for human consumption. One relevant study that brings light to the issue is transgenic research of Yu et al. in 2021 that utilized RNA demethylation for rice and potato crop yield. In the study, RNA m6A modification provided promising benefits in crop production, particularly in rice and potato. This m6A is the most abundant mRNA modification in higher eukaryotes, which can be regulated in RNA processing
and metabolism. The use of this approach is beneficial when coupled with human FTO or the fat mass and obesity-associated protein.
Active FTO transgene on crop yield and biomass Since the FTO homolog is not present in plants, it has been known that incorporating this to the plant epitranscriptome could potentially provide growth-altering results. Rice plants are one of the target subjects for this manipulation wherein the
1st Semester FTO was introduced. Upon expression of the transgene to the rice variety, grain yield surprisingly increased more than threefold and its biomass increased more than twofold, when compared to the wild-type rice plant control group. Additionally, phenotypes were also examined showing no significant differences in phenotypic characteristics: grain size, thousand-grain weight, main panicle grain number, major spike length, and mature plant height or heading time. The trend is not limited to rice since the same manner is also true to potatoes. It is only in potatoes that the yield and aerial biomass increased at approximately 50%. This means that the RNA demethylation of active FTO provided a relatively high economic value when used in rice crop production.
GENEWS On additional perks of FTO Not only does the transgene increase crop yield and biomass, it also provides noteworthy advantages on the
physiological processes of plants. The study also found that FTO-expressing plants exhibited approximately 36% higher photosynthetic efficiency
Feature 19 than the wild-type plants and an approximately 34% increase in stomatal conductance. Results revealed that the FTO expression induced significantly higher survival rates under two drought stress treatment conditions of transgenic crops compared to the control group. This goes to show that introducing the FTO homolog exhibiting RNA demethylation can benefit societies under these conditions. Indeed, studies should be conducted to other crop varieties and species to maximize the potential of biotechnological advancements. With just enough investment in research, an incomparable set of advantageous outcomes can come to its way for humanity.
Golden Rice Commercialization: Genetically Engineered Grains Reap Golden Opportunities BY CHRISTIAN ALLAN NATANAUAN (Reprimo)
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fter years of research and testing, another victory for both science and health was attained as the commercial propagation of Golden Rice was approved by the Philippine Department of Agriculture - Bureau of Plant Industry (DA–BPI) last July 21, 2021. This genetically engineered rice attributes its golden color to the added levels of the provitamin called beta-carotene, which the human body converts to Vitamin A. With the goal of reducing cases of Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) in children, the scientific strides toward its authorization and commercialization have been years in the making. It was in 1993 that plant biotechnologist Ingo Potrykus and biochemist Peter Beyer initiated the Golden Rice project. Using Agrobacteriummediated transformation, their team inserted three genes into normal rice (Oryza sativa) embryos—two from daffodils (phytoene synthase and lycopene beta-cyclase) and one from bacteria (phytoene desaturase). The genetically modified rice plant would then produce pale yellow rice grains, which is a sign of beta-carotene expression, as compared to a normal rice grain that cannot naturally produce the said provitamin.
In lieu of these discoveries, the Golden Rice Humanitarian Board was formed to supervise all research and development with support from the Rockefeller Foundation and other international organizations. Close links between the Rockefeller Foundation and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in the Philippines have led to the latter’s eventual acquisition of the license to utilize the Golden Rice Project for research purposes, extending the widths of the said genetic innovation into the Asian populace. For the past years, the advancement of Golden Rice technology and research in the country has been led by IRRI and the Department of Agriculture - Philippine Rice Research Institute (DA-PhilRice). In the goal of extending the benefits of Golden Rice to the Filipino population, the genetically modified organism “has been found to be as safe as conventional rice” by the DA-BPI on December 18, 2019, thus obtaining approval for consumption by the public. This then led to its subsequent greenlighting for cultivation and propagation on July 21, 2021. With the current condition of Golden Rice in the Philippines, many opportunities for the
supplication of this rice variant in the market has been opened. The evolution of Golden Rice research is parallel to the successful breakthroughs in genetics and crop science in the Philippines, a win for the biological division of the country. But amidst the assurance of its benefits, other sectors have been deemed to be considered before its consumption by the masses, with social groups raising the plea for representation of both farmer and consumer groups in the streamlining of the product. Therefore, the biotechnological agencies that oversee the research and production of Golden Rice are challenged to continually improve the GMO before its eventual commercialization to the public. Through further advancement of Golden Rice research, distribution from agricultural farms to household meals can be expected to accelerate in the following years. Through the guarantee that 30%-50% of estimated average requirement (EAR) for vitamin A in children can be provided at every serving, a decrease in cases of VADrelated conditions in the Philippine youth can also be envisioned as Golden Rice development continues in time.
GENEWS
20 Feature
November 2021
Folic Acid: The Vitamin for All BY CHRISTIAN VELASCO (Reprimo)
If the world believes that the youth are the future and hope of the nation, then it is just right to be the society’s responsibility to take care of them. According to the United Nations, around 7.8 million infants are born with birth defects each year in the whole world. Among these, only 75% of the kids born with a severe congenital heart defect (CHD) are anticipated to live for at least one year. In the Philippines, birth abnormalities are among the top 20 significant causes of death throughout their lifetime. According to the World Health Organization, they are the seventh most prominent cause of newborn mortality. One of the most prominent birth defects is the Neural Tube Defects (NTDs) that cause the failure to correctly close the neural tube. The neural tube is responsible for the development of the early brain and spine. These birth abnormalities manifest themselves exceptionally early in pregnancy, frequently before the mother is even aware that she is expecting a child.. The two most frequent NTDs are spina bifida (a lesion in the spinal cord) and anencephaly (an abnormality in the brain or a brain defect). With the help of science and technology, scientists have synthesized a B vitamin that can guard major neural tube abnormalities (NTDs) that can impair the baby’s spinal cord and brain, such as spina bifida and anencephaly in unborn babies. This vitamin is also called folic acid or folate, which is a water-soluble B vitamin (B9) that reduces the likelihood of neural tube defects (NTDs) before and during pregnancy and it also reduces the possibility of a baby being born with facial clefts (cleft lip or cleft palate). It is a substance that is closely associated with critical activities of the body, such as red blood cell formation, RNA and DNA synthesis and repair, and especially in crucial periods of embryonic development. Folic acid is required for DNA synthesis, cell growth and development, and the production of new tissues. It contributes significantly to the body’s natural capacity to prevent aberrant cell proliferation, which is thought to be connected with various malignancies or even cancer. Folic acid is required one month before conception and during the first trimester (the first three months of pregnancy). This need occurs even before a woman is aware that she is pregnant.
Neural Tube Defects (NTDs) According to studies, women who consume 400 micrograms (0.4 milligrams) of Vitamin B9 daily before conception and throughout early pregnancy reduce their baby’s risk of being born with a significant neural tube abnormality such as: spina bifida (incomplete closure of the spinal cord and spinal column); encephalocele (brain tissue protrudes out to the skin from an abnormal opening of the skull); and
anencephaly (severe underdevelopment of the brain). Birth defects of the brain and spine, known as neural tube defects, occur in the first month of pregnancy. There are serious long-term complications that can arise as a result of these flaws, including death and paralysis.
Sources of Folic Acid Naturally, folic acid can be found predominantly in leafy green vegetables and legumes. The following vegetables are naturally high in folate: leafy greens (including spinach), okra, asparagus, certain fruits (including berries), beans, yeast, mushrooms, liver, and kidney from animals, orange juice, and tomato juice. It is frequently used in conjunction with other B vitamins to enhance absorption. Nowadays, it can also be found on various foods, such as cold cereals, flour, bread, pasta, bakery items, cookies, and crackers. In the United Kingdom, folic acid is added to flour to help reduce birth abnormalities. It can also be found in multivitamins and prenatal vitamins, as well as supplements containing additional B-complex vitamins. There is a compelling need for a comprehensive public education effort to raise awareness of the necessity of folic acid supplementation among women of reproductive age (ages 14 and older) as there is a low level of awareness about the need for folic acid supplementation. Everyone—regardless of age and gender— needs folic acid. According to Felman (2020), consuming proper folic acid levels is essential towards better health. For all individuals, it is recommended to take 300 to 400 mcg of folic acid a day. However, a pregnant woman needs extra folic acid throughout pregnancy to help her produce the additional blood cells and support the rapid growth of the placenta and fetus. Pregnant women should take folic acid supplements of 600 mcg per day while for nursing mothers, it is advisable to take 500 mcg of folic acid. Exceeding the recommended dosage of folic acid is not advisable unless specifically instructed by a healthcare professional. Meanwhile, taking folic acid by mouth at the recommended dosages for children is highly safe. The daily upper limit for folic acid for children is a maximum of 400
micrograms per day. The maximum is 300 mcg for children 1-3 years of age, 400 mcg for ages 4-8, 600 mcg for ages 9-13 and 800 mcg for ages 14-18.
Campaigning for Folic Acid Awareness With our shared humanity, we encourage the government and non-government organizations to participate and engage in protecting the peoples’ health and wellbeing, especially with VYLH’s campaigns for the awareness about the need for folic acid supplementation in one’s diet.
“Ang Kalusugan ni Baby, Nagsisimula kay Mommy” In advocating for folate-rich diets, increasing folic acid consumption, and encouraging regular prenatal check-ups will help beat the prevailing health issues faced by mothers and children alike. In order to uphold the famous quote “kabataan ang pag-asa ng bayan”, we must first ensure their health and help secure a bright future for them by educating other Filipino families and youth about the relevance of this campaign. Statistics show that approximately three million children under the age of five die each year as a consequence of undernutrition. A child’s failure to acquire enough nutrients throughout their early years may result in a child’s poor cognitive function, as well as a decline in their capacity to succeed in school and the workplace.
From the time they are born, infants must be given enough nutrition and protection from disease. In addition, we must also take into account the child’s preconception phases of health. Child health and nutrition should be a top priority for parents since children under the age of two have an increased risk of infection, while unborn babies have an increased risk of NTDs during preconception stages. Folic acid consumption before and throughout pregnancy may help avoid some forms of neural tube birth abnormalities by up to 70 percent if the proper dose is taken. With proper folic acid supplementation, the survival of the babies may be secured. Filipinos should begin taking folic acid immediately if they value their own wellbeing and are concerned about the wellbeing of their future children. A family’s hopes and dreams will be fulfilled.
“Having a healthy family equates to wealth.” Individuals need to be aware of the steps they need to take in order to keep a healthy body and mind. To care for people in our area, we must first take care of ourselves. We must learn and practice the principles of eating healthfully, getting enough water in, getting enough sleep at the correct times, and taking folic acid. The worst thing we can do for our well-being is to deny ourselves of a healthy lifestyle. We can all work together to achieve good health if we put our minds to it and remember how to place an adequate value on our own lives. Good health is not a fantasy. All you need is a healthy dose of self-worth and self-esteem to get started and care for the future.
1st Semester
GENEWS
Feature
21
SARS-CoV-2 variants in PH: naming, categories, and updates BY PAULINE ANTHONETTE DE JURAS (Hachimoji)
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t has been well over a year since the SARS-CoV-2 virus started wreaking havoc all around the world. At present, this virus continues to infect people and cause the deadly COVID-19. However, as time progresses, the then unknown virus is now becoming more familiar as new information is being discovered by scientists. To bridge these new discoveries to the general public, institutions like the World Health Organization (WHO) take the lead in spreading factual yet simplified versions of the newly discovered information through different media and platforms. Some of the commonly heard terms nowadays are those relating to the variants of SARS-CoV-2—variants of concern and interest. These emerging terminologies also bring about questions on the implications of these variants, especially when it comes to the effectiveness of the vaccines made to combat the spread of the virus. What are variants? Variants are defined by the United States’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as the genetic code of a virus having one or more mutations. Moreover, mutations refer to a single change in a virus’s genetic code. For viruses with RNA as their genetic material, gradual development of mutations is inevitable. Hence, mutations will occur as long as SARS-CoV-2 continues to spread. Most of the time, these mutations only cause minimal effects on the virus’s properties. However, some mutations affect the virus’s properties, such as its transmissibility, severity of the disease it causes, and the efficacy of vaccines against the virus. How are variants named and classified? These variants have far more complex names in the scientific field but for the public, these are commonly named following the letters in the Greek alphabet (i.e. Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, etc.). For example, the Delta variant as known by the public is termed as B.1.617.2 in the
scientific field. WHO together with experts in nomenclature and virus taxonomy, and national authorities have decided on this naming system to easily label key variants of SARS-CoV-2. This system is established for easier recall and to prevent the use of the place of origin to identify a specific variant which may lead to diescrimination and cause countries to withhold information on emerging variants.
available diagnostics, vaccines, and therapeutics. There are currently four variants listed under this category — the Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta variants.
Only variants of interest and variants of concern are being labelled by WHO. Variants of interest (VOI) are those with predicted or known mutations that affect the virus’s properties, those that cause significant community transmission in multiple countries, or those that can turn other epidemiological events into an emerging risk to global public health. At present, WHO has listed the Lambda and Mu variants under this classification. Meanwhile, variants of concern (VOC) are those variants that exhibit increased transmissibility, increased severity of COVID-19, and decreased effectiveness of implemented safety protocols and
SARS-CoV-2 variants in the Philippines All four VOCs have hit the Philippine headlines and some continue to persist in the country. These variants are noted to cause more severe illness and death. One of which is the Alpha variant which was declared as a VOC in December of 2020. This variant has mutations in its spike glycoprotein causing this particular variant to have a significantly higher binding affinity towards the ACE2 receptor in humans. A study by Dutta in 2021 also shows that this variant causes those infected to have a higher viral load and exhibit a moderate increase in the
VOCs and VOIs can be reclassified depending on its current effect. An example of which is the Delta variant which was first classified as a VOI in April 2021 but was later reclassified as a VOC in May 2021.
risk of requiring supplemental oxygen. Another is the Delta variant, which was declared as a VOC in May 2021. This variant is the primary cause of the most recent surge of cases in the country. This variant is mostly known for its transmissibility and is dubbed by Johns Hopkins Medicine as the most contagious form of the SARS-CoV-2 virus so far. As of November 8, 2021, the health department reported that the total number of Delta variant cases in the country has reached 5,982, making it the most dominant variant in the country so far. Recently, a new variant was detected in the country. On November 8, 2021, the Philippines reported its first case of the Kappa variant. The patient’s sample was taken back on June 2, 2021 and has long been marked as recovered. The kappa variant came from the same lineage as the Delta variant. It used to be under the classification of VOI in April 2021 but has been demoted as a variant under monitoring in September 2021 by the World Health Organization. Its transmissibility, severeness, and other effects are yet to be reported. Effects of vaccines on these variants Vaccines continue to serve as an added protection against many SARS-CoV-2 variants in PH continued on page 22...
GENEWS
22 Feature SARS-CoV-2 variants in PH continued...
diseases, including COVID-19. The vaccines for COVID-19 lessens the risk of contracting SARS-CoV-2, which is the virus responsible for the said disease. All vaccines approved by the World Health Organization for emergency use are thoroughly evaluated to ensure its safety, quality, and efficacy. Efficacy is a commonly used term that refers to the vaccine’s ability to reduce the risk of getting sick in an ideal environment. This is measured in a controlled clinical trial wherein the number of vaccinated people who contracted COVID-19 is compared with the
number of people vaccinated with a placebo (dummy vaccine) who contracted COVID-19. Hence, if the vaccine is said to have a 75% efficacy, it implies that in a vaccinated population, 75% will not contract the disease when they come in contact with the virus. Efficacy is different from effectiveness, such that the latter refers to how well the vaccines work in real life. Various factors come into play to measure the effectiveness of vaccines, thus vaccine efficacy is used to describe the vaccines. In the currently available COVID-19 vaccines, some require two doses, while others only require a single dose. In 2-dose COVID-19 vaccines,
the 1st dose provides partial protection and the 2nd dose boosts the previous protection. Then, in single dose COVID-19 vaccines, the desired immunity is already achieved in the 1st dose. In both types of vaccines, maximum immunity is only achieved 2-3 weeks after the last dose. Although vaccines give added protection, full immunity against the deadly virus is not guaranteed. However, it is highly effective in preventing severe illness and hospitalization. Additionally, WHO asserts that the chance of vaccinated people getting severly sick or even dying is very rare. Against emerging variants, Johns Hopkins Medicine noted
November 2021 that some immune responses could be less effective against some variants. Nevertheless, the currently available vaccines are proving to be still effective against the current variants and remain reliable in preventing severe illness and death. The vaccines’ broad immune response averts the possibility of rendering the vaccines completely ineffective against the variants. As more information on the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the COVID-19 becomes available to the public, it is important to make sense of this information. Being able to understand various information regarding the virus and disease allows people to make more informed decisions.
Boosting Jabs For All
Nonsense Priorities
Pahirap sa Palasyo
PH Homegrown COVID-19 Vaccine: Within Reach?
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GENEWS
1st Semester
Feature 23 negative adults aged 18 to 56. The trial aims to evaluate the safety of the vaccine and to monitor the development of an immune response in the participants. The participants were split into four different groups, wherein one group received the mRNA-1644, the other group got the mRNA-1644-v2-Core, and the remaining groups had a mix of both variants. Instead of a blind trial, the participants were informed as to what type of vaccine they had received.
Moderna’s mRNA Vaccine: Key to an HIV-free World BY JOHN DANE VALDEZ (Allosyndesis)
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rom COVID-19 to HIV, one company aims to make the world a better place--one mRNA vaccine at a time.
Moderna Inc. is an American pharmaceutical and biotechnology company, currently well-known for utilizing messenger RNA (mRNA) science in making treatments that improve human lives. Last April, the World Health Organization authorized Moderna’s mRNA COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use, making it one of the first administered jabs globally. The success of their vaccine led to Moderna creating another mRNA vaccine against the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The messenger RNA (mRNA) is the intermediary between the DNA and proteins in the central dogma of molecular biology. Essentially, the DNA is transcribed to form the mRNA, which then provides instructions to the cells to create different kinds of proteins. mRNA vaccines use this mechanism to their advantage since they carry weakened viral mRNA that codes for specific proteins. These viral proteins would then trigger an immune response, resulting in the production of appropriate antibodies to combat the infection. For the longest time, scientists have been trying to figure out how to cure HIV.
Various HIV vaccines have been developed in the past, which made use of inactivated forms of the virus. However, previously conducted trials have shown that these vaccines were not able to elicit an immune response, and that introducing inactivated viruses in the body increases the risk of HIV infection. Looking at the virus itself, HIV has the ability to evolve rapidly and produce new mutations, allowing it to elude antibodies. Moreover, its envelope glycoprotein mimics the structure of sugar chains found on human proteins, making the virus undetectable in the human body. The International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) managed to engineer an immunogen called the eOD-GT8 60mer, which is an antigen capable of eliciting an immune response. It is capable of inducing specific immature B cells to create broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) that can block HIV in target cells. Armed with this new development, IAVI has partnered with Moderna to create an mRNA vaccine referred to as mRNA-164. The first phase of clinical trials for the HIV candidate vaccine began in August 2021, and is expected to be completed after 10 months. Along with the mRNA-1644 vaccine, Moderna has also developed a variant called the mRNA-1644-v2-Core. The vaccines were given to 56 HIV-
As of 2019, approximately 38 million people worldwide are infected with HIV. Around two million people are infected with the virus every year, and around 690,000 people die due to HIV or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), which is a lifelong and progressive disease with no known cure. In the Philippines, HIV is considered to be an epidemic and is the fastest-growing one among all the countries in the Asia-Pacific region. In 2019, an estimated 97,000 Filipinos live with HIV, wherein 73% are aware of their condition while 44% are receiving antiretroviral treatment. HIV is also considered as a highly stigmatized virus. This is evident in the Philippines, wherein the groups most affected by the HIV epidemic are those that face social stigma, isolation, and discrimination. These groups include intravenous drug users, homosexual males, sex workers, and the transgender community. In the event that the human trials for the HIV vaccine would prove to be successful, it can cause significant changes to the status quo. For one, it would allow the public to become more aware of HIV/AIDS and the possible effects that it may have on one’s immune system. Also, the trials would serve as another proof of vaccines being capable of preventing certain diseases. This is most relevant today as vaccine hesitancy is still a major issue that some people may have, despite the proven effectiveness of vaccines. Finally, the development of these vaccines provides an avenue for people to have conversations about HIV. This is especially helpful for those individuals that have been struggling with the disease, and by having more and more people talk about it, the stigma against HIV will be eventually broken. These mRNA HIV vaccines pose a significant shift in how the general populace perceives HIV/AIDS. Even without this major development in the field of vaccines, we have a responsibility to keep an open mind and to inform ourselves with the correct knowledge about HIV. We can only hope that by the end of these human trials, we can start to have an HIV-free world.
24 Feature
GENEWS
November 2021
Go Green, Go GMOs? BY IVIEN PRINZE FETALINO (Reprimo)
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he Philippines is the first country to approve commercial propagation of Golden Rice on the 21st of July this year. This could be the next green (or gene) revolution, yet uproar against the genetic breakthrough still happens in this modern age. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Philippines is Asia’s leader in biotechnology. The
from the public. Critics warned of potential dangers to health and the environment, which led to lawsuits filed against institutions that develop or distribute GMOs. Attacks at field trials by antiGMO activists were also reported. Meanwhile, farmers saw elevated farm outputs, thus GM corn fields expanded from 10,000 hectares to 700,000 hectares in a decade. The COVID-19 pandemic is not only a time of health crisis but of a hunger crisis as well. Now
faces continued opposition by organizations such as Greenpeace Philippines, an independent environmental formation that proposes ecological agriculture and promotes crop diversity and organic farming , as a solution to the crisis, all-the-while disregarding the cultivation of GM crops. According to their campaigns, GMOs are unsafe to eat, can contaminate the environment and may weaken sustainable agricultural practices. While conventional agriculture benefits from chemical fertilizers that lead to high crop yields, ecological agriculture mainly uses organic fertilizers to nurture the soil despite lower yields. In a rapidly growing population, organic
first Asian country to approve commercial propagation of Bt maize in 2002 and the first in the world for Golden Rice. Based on a documentation by the AsiaPacific Association of Agricultural Research Institutions (APAARI), Bt maize received a cold welcome
that 3.9 million Filipinos are unemployed as of August 2021 and the economy experiences a decline due to the rise of a climate emergency, food security is considered as a serious challenge. Genetic modification is a timely strategy but it
farms must consistently expand to raise their yields—a foreseen environmental dilemma. The need for new arable lands will only increase the need to transform forests into farm areas, and high input of animal manure fertilizer will promote farming livestock and will contribute 14.5% of degradative global greenhouse
gases. With over 115 million Filipinos to feed after four years as projected by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), organic farming is a luxury we cannot afford especially when agricultural lands are lost to industrialization and some suffer from acidic soil due to heavy chemicals. Genetic modification should instead be campaigned further as a leading way to ensure food security in the agricultural sector. It can be considered as a complement to organic farming since GM crops require less land while still maximizing plant yield and minimizing losses due to plant diseases or pests. Moreover, reduced need for chemical input and water supply benefits farmers, consumers and the environment. as it reduces the production cost so that farmers can generate higher incomes while consumers can save money on food prices. It also promotes public health and protects the condition of the environment by releasing less greenhouse gases. Lastly, a 2011 study suggests that GMOs can increase biodiversity through adoption of conservation tillage and reduced use of insecticides and herbicides. GM foods are as safe as conventional foods, based on biosafety assessments and long-term studies. In fact, Golden Rice is more nutritious than conventional rice because it contains high amount of beta carotene, a precursor of Vitamin A. On the other hand, the possible cross-contamination of GMO and non-GMO crops can be minimized through strategies in planting schedule, pollination timing and location of GMO and non-GMO fields. Our lush green fields are fading into barren lands and forests are cleared into farmlands amidst a climate and hunger crisis. If you support a vibrant planet, then support GMOs!
GENEWS
1st Semester
Editorial 25
PHandemic: The Cataclysmic Failure of Philippine COVID-19 Response BY DUN MATTHEW NOFUENTE (Ikirara)
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year and a half have passed since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and a year-and-ahalf-worth of downplaying the virus and its severity through incompetent pandemic action by the Duterte administration has thrusted the Philippines and its people into a biological catastrophe.
5.3% in January 2020. Filipinos from the middle and lower classes were left to fend for themselves until the announcement of the Emergency Subsidy Program (ESP) under the Bayanihan to Heal As One Act, commonly known as “ayuda”.
In one of the taped messages of President Rodrigo Duterte, he said that “there is nothing really to be extra scared of ” and that the “hysteria” circulating among the population is “unwarranted.” He pushed his laxed view on the outbreak further by adding that the virus would go and “die a natural death.”
Under the program, 18 million lowincome households became entitled to receive ₱5000 to ₱8000 per month for two months. Two hundred billion pesos were shelled out of the government’s budget to fund this subsidy. Despite being a large sum and a relatively good aid, the proper implementation of the program was blundered.
The pandemic worsened by mid-March 2020. Lockdowns were enforced in the country and multiple establishments either had to close down or lay off some of their employees by April of 2020. According to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), 7.2 million Filipinos were unemployed by the end of the month which resulted in a whopping 17.6% unemployment rate. This is a large increase in unemployment in comparison to the former percentage of
Anomalies with the Ayuda
One of these blunders was that the 18 million beneficiaries of the subsidy program did not have a proper database. To combat this problem, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) handed out forms to the LGUs to collate necessary data for the deserving beneficiaries. Once DSWD collected the information necessary to produce the list of beneficiaries, numerous reports arose that
the list generated by DSWD did not reflect the actual amount of families in indeed of ayuda such that some low-income families who were not included in the first tranche of distribution were still not included in the second tranche of distribution, despite the continuous pleas and queries to the department in its press briefings. As the distribution continued, other problems became apparent such that there was politicking or “palakasan” in the disbursement of the cash subsidy which pointed out 89 barangay chiefs for alleged irregularities in the ESP implementation. Furthermore, the supposed distribution of the money was not followed; the second tranche which was supposed to have been done in May 2020 only started in June 2020. Variants of the Community Quarantines Under the pandemic, numerous names and jargons were employed to denote the different community quarantine levels: the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) PHandemic continued on page 26...
26 Editorial PHandemic continued... and the General Community Quarantine (GCQ). However, two new levels were implemented in October of 2020, namely the Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) and the Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ). Further into March of 2021, Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) employed yet another type of quarantine exclusive only to NCR and its surrounding provinces which they called the NCR Plus. Recently, another community quarantine protocol was devised by the government, a type of alert level which was implemented in NCR last September 16, 2021. It must also be noted that under these different quarantine levels, there have also been different protocols which have caused dissonances for the population in the past one and a half years. There were numerous confusing rules under the said protocols such as the physical distancing in public transportation, despite being suspended, still became a controversial topic wherein the IATF approved the proposal of the Department of Transportation (DOT) which suggested that the distancing should be toned down to 0.75 meters from the original one meter. Another one was the retraction of the IATF’s decision on the reopening of salons because they have “realized’’ that there were difficulties in ensuring that the minimum health protocols were followed.
GENEWS supporting documents about the expenses of the Department of Health. Though, he clarified that there were no reports in the said audit that the money was gone, it was just that most of the transactions done by DOH were unaccounted for, making Duque’s outrage a questionable action.
November 2021
Roque’s Outrage Against the Overworked and Underpaid HCWs
proper compensation and the delays in salary provision. Other than the said information, the working conditions in the hospitals are also poor. The unheard calls of the HCWs have all piled up and numerous organizations of the healthallied jobs have started to take their rallies into the streets, much to the chagrin of Presidential Spokesperson Herminio Roque.
As of September 2021, the Philippines has logged a record-breaking number of new active cases within a single day, amounting to 26,303 cases and was considered to be the highest one-day tally since the onset of the pandemic last March 2020. Most of these cases were highly influenced by the newest variant to spread in the Philippines—the Delta variant.
As the healthcare workers continuously called out for better working conditions and fairer compensation, they were berated by Roque. The spokesperson instigated the healthcare workers present in an IATF meeting that “they have never said anything good about the government response” as he pointed his fingers on the camera. Dr. Leni Jara, a member of the Shape Up to Defeat COVID-19,
The Delta variant, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), was the most contagious variant of the SARS-CoV-2. The institute said that it was two times more contagious than any other variant wherein it can infect up to five people from a single carrier, unlike the lesser contagious variants which can infect up to two people. Due to fast increments and spread of the virus, the country’s health care workers (HCWs) start to walk away from the medical field due to a multitude of reasons.
spoke out against Roque after his statements, calling him out as rude and that he should publicly apologize to the healthcare workers he has just castigated. Furthermore, Dr. Tony Leachon, the former adviser of the National Task Force on COVID-19 said that the country needs better leaders. Despite Roque’s apologies, it is still something to be taken with a grain of salt.
COA’s Flag Against DOH and the Alleged Misuse of Funds Last August 2021, the Department of Health (DOH) was flagged by the Commission on Audit (COA) about the multi-billion peso funds that were not accounted for. These were, of course, hastily denied by the DOH by an emotional confrontation led by its secretary, Francisco Duque III. He called out COA and said “Wwinarak na ninyo kami! Winarak na ninyo ang dangal ng DOH!” COA Chairperson Michael Aguinaldo refuted the emotional claims of the secretary of the said department, claiming that the said audit report made for DOH were all true and correct. Furthermore, Aguinaldo said that state auditors sat down with the officials of the health sector several times and were given no
Some of these reasons are the lack of
If these people are the ones holding the country’s progress towards freeing itself from the pandemic, the question of when the pandemic will subside still remains unanswered.
GENEWS
1st Semester
Boosting Jabs For All BY DOROTHY JANE MANZANO (Ikirara)
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he vaccination program in the Philippines officially started on March 1, 2021 using the first batch of Sinovac vaccine. In the light of the recent surge in COVID-19 cases caused by the detection of the Delta variant in the country, more Filipinos are more than eager to have themselves vaccinated, as many are still in need to go outside of their homes for their livelihood and personal matters. After almost two years since the first jab was administered, questions started to float regarding the efficacy of the administered vaccines, especially to healthcare workers, who are directly exposed to the virus. Now that the health department has approved booster shots for healthcare workers, issues regarding the supply, demand, and distribution of vaccines should also be addressed.
Booster shots are administered to increase and maintain the immunity of the body against a certain disease as the efficacy of the initial doses can decrease over time. This is done by reintroducing the body to the immunizing agent, because disease-causing agents like viruses can mutate and have different variants over time. The additional protection from these boosters shots enables the body to be protected against more infective agents and severe clinical manifestations of the disease.
In terms of booster shots against COVID 19, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has provided data on the need of booster shots as the initial doses of COVID-19 vaccine may decrease its effectiveness throughout time and is unable to properly protect the body against the Delta variant. The initial vaccine doses become less effective in fully preventing mild to severe symptoms of COVID-19. Results from clinical trials have shown that individuals that received booster
shots have an increased immune response, thus they are equipped with additional protection from the virus and its variants. The CDC have recommended the booster shots for those who have received the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine who are: 65 years old and older or 18 years old and older that are immunocompromised or with underlying medical conditions, healthcare workers (HCWs), and other individuals whose occupations put them at greater
Editorial 27 exposure and risks. Meanwhile, health experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) have mentioned that people who are aged 60 years and above that have received the Sinovac vaccines shall be eligible to a third dose of the vaccine if the supplies and accessibility allows it. In recent findings, results show that there is a decrease in the immune response that can be generated from Sinovac vaccines, six months after the second dose. In the conducted study of Chinese researchers, 16.9% of the participants that have received the two doses two weeks apart, have detectable antibodies, and only 35.2% for the individuals that have received the two doses four weeks apart. Based on the gathered results, there is more to be uncovered to be able to understand the relation of the efficacy of the vaccine dose to the levels of the antibodies in which the number of doses needed by an individual to be immunized is identified. Boosting Jabs For All continued on page 28...
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Boosting Jabs For All continued... Recently, the country’s health department stated that HCWs that received their last doses of vaccine six months prior are eligible for booster shots. While this is a welcoming development for HCWs, the issue of low vaccination rates in other priority groups and regions in the country should also be tackled. According to the country’s vaccine bulletin last November 10, among the four priority groups, only the A1 priority group has a vaccination rate of above 94%, while most of A4 and A5 priority groups in the regions have a vaccination rate of lower than 50%. Looking at the data, all 17 regions except the National Capital Region, have only inoculated less than 40% of their target populations, making the national vaccination just shy of 40%. As the administration pushes for the inoculation of booster shots amidst the current issues, the vaccine supply should also be sufficient for everyone that is yet to receive their 1st and 2nd
doses. Moreover, vaccination programs should also be ramped up, especially in the provinces, to prevent again the stockpiling of vaccines that are not yet
administered. Indeed, an effective campaign and information drive for those who still are hesitant to be vaccinated,
coupled with the sufficient supply of vaccines and efficient vaccine roll oust, are key in the progress of the country in achieving herd immunity.
Nonsense Priorities BY KOOZAE CALVIN UMALI (Hachimoji)
T
he Philippine General Hospital (PGH) and the Philippine Genome Center (PGC), institutions that play vital roles in the current public health scene, are both under the University of the Philippines. However, with the looming budget cut for the university, the operations of these institutions could be affected. During a national health crisis, the Duterte government, through its proposed national budget, proved that health and education are not its top priority, disregarding the facts that the Philippines is the last country in the world that opened its schools and that the pandemic response is still baffled with controversies even after more than one and a half years later. Like a genetic mutation, the deleterious priorities of this administration will prematurely terminate and change the encoded future of this country.
Situation on the ground
terms of COVID-19 cases.
Last September, the Philippines, through the health department, logged its highest single-day tally of COVID-19 cases, with 26,303 cases recorded. This brought the positivity rate to 27.6%— which is fourfold higher than the World Health Organization’s recommended rate of 5%. This tally also sealed the Philippines as the top country in the Western Pacific region, and 19th in the world in
Last July, the Philippine Genome Center (PGC) sought funding from the government and appealed for donations from the private sector for the expansion of whole genome sequencing in the VisMin area. A minimum of P100 million was estimated in order to conduct genome sequencing which checks for the variants from the COVIDpositive swabs. The World Health Organization recommends to
sequence 5% of the total cases, however, the PGC stated that only around 0.86% of cases from January to July were sequenced but the center’s goal was to shorten the turnaround time of three to five days for the results. Only the laboratory of PGC in UP Diliman is currently sequencing the samples. In line with the daily recordbreaking cases of COVID-19, the healthcare sector received the big blows caused by the influx of
COVID-19 cases in the hospitals. The healthcare capacity was very much overwhelmed. One instance is when the Philippine General Hospital (PGH), a major COVID-19 referral hospital in the country, temporarily closed its doors for emergency admissions due to the peaking number of COVID-19 patients last August. One month later, PGH reported
Nonsense Priorities continued on page 29...
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Editorial 29
Nonsense Priorities continued... that it was operating beyond its capacity, while hundreds of patients still waited for admission. Moreover, for almost two years, face-toface classes in all levels in the country were suspended. From basic to tertiary education, all shifted into the virtual realm of online learning. This exposed a whole new world of problems and issues such as the lack of gadgets for the online setup, slow internet connection speeds, modules with errors for offline learners, homes being non-conducive for learning and working, and burnout for both students and teachers amid the pandemic. Attributed to the increasing rates of vaccine administration in the country, as of November 2021, daily cases of COVID-19 dropped down to around 1,000, logging lowest single-day tallies and positivity rates in the past months. Even so, new cases are still recorded, and this downward trend prompted the government to relax further the restrictions placed all over the country. After the discombobulating wordplay of community quarantines and lockdowns, the government served new rules on yet another version of confusing pandemic responses—now the alert level system. Only one thing is for sure, the government has fully utilized the thesaurus. Now that the cases are going down and the hospitals are trying to recover from the recent surges, issues now regarding the compensation of healthcare workers (HCWs) and hospitals are floating in the air. One and a half years into the pandemic, the service of HCWs was paid back by a not-so-prompt and a not-so-huge compensation from the government. Along with the lifting of the mandatory use of face shields on selected areas, limited face-to-face classes also resumed in some schools, making the Philippines the last country in the world who opened its schools this November.
PAHIRAP SA PALASYO BY BRIAN ALFRED MORTERA (Crypton)
Top budget next year
UP down the budget line
Last August, the Duterte government, through the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), proposed an all-time high of P5.024 trillion for the 2022 national budget. The last one for Duterte, this is the highest recorded budget proposal in the history of the Philippine government.
The University of the Philippines System proposed a P36.5-billion budget for 2022. UP plans to allocate the proposed budget on infrastructure projects and regularization of teaching staff and personnel. According to an article of the Philippine Collegian, P15.6 billion will be allocated to the salaries, wages, and compensation benefits of its faculty, staff, and workers; P9.3 billion will go into the daily operational cost of the university; and the remaining P11.5 billion would go to the 76 infrastructure and equipment projects across the system. For PGH, UP allocated around 25% of its budget, amounting to P8.6 billion, an increase from this year’s P6.87-billion budget. Although infrastructure projects and regularization of the university’s contractual workers are at hand, other matters pertaining to student education aid are not included in the proposal.
The largest chunk of the budget amounting to ₱1.181 trillion will be alloted into the Build, Build, Build program of the government. Despite Duterte saying that this proposed budget will sustain the COVID-19 response efforts, only 4.9% (P248.4 billion) was allocated to the health sector. It is also worth noting that the allocation for education was increased by 2.9% with a budget of P773.6 billion, the highest in all departments of the executive branch.
However, with the budget ceilings imposed by DBM and the history of budget cuts that the university has received during Duterte’s term, big budget deficits are expected.
Nonsense Priorities continued on page 29...
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PH Homegrown COVID-19 Vaccine: Within reach? BY JOHN KENNETH TRIA (Allosyndesis)
P
erhaps, Filipinos would remember these statements from Cynthia Villar back in 2019 after criticizing the budget proposal of the National Corn Program under the Department of Agriculture. Sure enough, the scientific community was irked and enraged by such words from a senator who was supposed to realize the importance of research to the country’s development. In fact, the issue of scientific research in the country became more apparent during the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. As of October 24, the health department recorded 5,279 new cases, with 7,312 recovered cases, and 208 deaths, making the total tally of 60,957 active cases, 2,654,173 recoveries, and 41,793 deaths.. Around 83.6% of positive cases were mild and asymptomatic. These numbers show that COVID-19 still exists and the number of cases recorded every day is still alarming. It has been more than a year since the virus arrived in the country, and unlike other countries, the situation has not improved significantly. The government’s pandemic response has been focused on implementing different kinds of lockdown measures with varying degrees of restrictions and isolation of infected individuals. The Philippines has also imported and received donations of vaccines from different countries. The healthcare sector probably took the huge blow from the incompetence of officials sitting at the higher seats as the health workers are pushed to their limits and hospital beds become filled. The country’s response to the pandemic were mostly band-aid solutions and has not been sustainable as we are still dependent on other countries. Scientists from around the world have been working hard to create a safe and efficacious vaccine that can combat the present
variants of the virus. Currently there are three main approaches in the creation of vaccines which include the whole microbe approach, the subunit approach, and the genetic approach (nucleic acid vaccines).
Vaccine Development Around the World It is indeed remarkable that COVID-19 vaccines were developed at such a fast pace due to works done by previous scientists on SARS and the accelerated development timeline. as it often took numerous years to develop due to its arduous process. However, it is important to
note that the vaccines being rolled out globally today are still undergoing clinical trials and only for emergency use. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), as of October 22, 2021, there are 128 vaccines in clinical development and 194 vaccines that are in preclinical development. Different platforms are being used by clinical phase candidates, which include protein subunit, viral vector (nonreplicating), DNA, inactivated virus, RNA, viral vector (replicating), virus like particle, VVr + antigen presenting cell, live attenuated virus, VVnr + antigen presenting cell, and bacterial antigen-spore expression vector. Among these, protein subunit, non-replicating viral vectors, and DNA platforms are mostly developed at 35%, 14%, and 11%, respectively. Several vaccines are already undergoing or on its way to phase 4 of their clinical trials, which include Moderna (USA), AstraZeneca (UK), Pfizer/ BioNTech (Germany), Sinovac (China), Ad5nCoV (China), BBIBP-CorV (China), Janssen/ Johnson& Johnson (USA), Moderna’s mRNA1273 (USA), and Sinopharm/WIBP vaccine (China). Last July, Cuba became the first Latin American country to develop their own COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine Abdala had an efficacy of 92% after three doses. They are also in the process of developing other vaccines such as Soberana 1, Soberana 2, Soberana Plus, and Mambisa. During the pandemic, Cuba has been suffering its worst food and medicine shortage since the collapse of the Soviet Union that ignited mass protests. Although their testing, tracing, and isolating (Tetris) program spearheaded by doctors has been successful in containing the virus, their system proved to be not enough to control the virus as their cases rose again after reopening their borders last November 2020. Everything went out of control and the public health issue was compounded by economic and political crises. Cuba bet on its biotechnology sector and supported their scientists to develop vaccines and become selfsufficient. Amidst the controversies of its safety due to its release even without being published in a scientific journal, Abdala serves as hope for Cuba to control the pandemic and relieve one source of public frustration. Recently in August, another country has
1st Semester successfully developed their first domestic COVID-19 vaccine. Taiwan president Tsai Ingwen put her faith in her country’s vaccination program and did not get vaccinated prior to other brands. Instead, she received the vaccine from the Medigen Vaccine Biologics Corp. after its approval in a hospital in central Taipei. Similar to Cuba, Medigen also faced controversies regarding their immediate release of the vaccine as the emergency use authorization was granted even without results from a phase III clinical trial on safety and efficacy needed for full approval. However, Taiwan was facing its first major rise in COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began. They wanted to control it immediately to combat local transmission before it got out of control. Hence, they wanted to have their citizens vaccinated quickly, but still the vaccination rates remained low due to lack of supply. Perhaps the situation of the Philippines has some similarities with Cuba as the country is also facing public health, political, and economic issues leading to public unrest. The Department of Health itself has not been able to respond well and efficiently use its budget to contain the virus. There have been recent revelations about corruption and mishandling of funds that are currently being investigated by the Senate. The country is focused on procuring vaccines and accepting donations from other countries rather than producing their own. There have been several surges of cases and different kinds of lockdowns, which further worsened the plight of the people. The health sector has pleaded to implement a strict enhanced community quarantine as health professionals could not handle the volume of patients anymore. In addition, millions of Filipinos have lost their jobs during the pandemic and the prices of commodities keeps getting higher. Hence, many Filipinos are already disappointed with the state of the country as it has been more than a year and the situation has not improved at all. Vaccines have become an imperative requirement to slowly go back to normal as offices require their employees to get a shot. This then leads to the question, can the Philippines also develop its own vaccine and are we ready?
Challenges in Starting Vaccine Development in the Philippines Recognizing the need for the Philippines to become self-sufficient as other countries start to develop their own vaccines, President Duterte offered a ₱50 million reward to any Filipino who can create a vaccine against COVID-19. Obviously, this statement is as ignorant as it can be. As mentioned, developing a vaccine is easier said than done. Aside from the trials, there are numerous factors that need to be considered. One of the factors that immediately comes to mind is the funding needed, which
GENEWS would most likely amount to billions. The equipment and facilities itself are already expensive given that the trials are arduous and may take a long time. The loans of the Philippines for pandemic response have already amounted to over $7.76 billion or around Php 388 billion according to the country’s finance department. However, much of the budget has gone to the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s Emergency Subsidy Program. Due to the numerous lockdowns implemented, many Filipinos cannot work, so cash aids and goods are being provided by the government for the people to survive. Hence, not much funding has been given to research and development of the country which makes it difficult to initiate vaccine development efforts immediately unlike other countries. In terms of facilities and equipment, there are no existing facilities where vaccines can be developed. There may be few equipment in some facilities but not all needed are present, in addition to the fact that it needs to have a biosafety level 3 and 4. Furthermore, vaccine manufacturing is a different story as the country also does not have facilities for this. There are eight firms that are eyeing local vaccine manufacturing in the Philippines. Five of these are for COVID-19, two are for non-COVID but can possibly develop COVID-19 vaccines later, and the other one is not yet sure. The government would then need to negotiate and form partnerships with these firms in the future should they proceed, unless the government allot funds for vaccine manufacture. In terms of experts, the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (DOSTPCHRD) has been building collaboration opportunities with international partners through participation in clinical trials of the most advanced vaccine candidates. They have formed a panel of experts on vaccine research and development composed of scientists
Editorial 31 with different specialties related to vaccine development. Going back to the question of the capacity and readiness of the Philippines to develop a COVID-19 vaccine, it can be said that the country can develop its own local vaccine given the facilities and equipment available, as well as the pool of experts who can perform the studies. However, the country is not yet ready due to the compounding issues that make it difficult to allot enough budget for vaccine research.
Philippines on development of local COVID-19 Vaccine Given the current situation in the country, there are already efforts by the government and independent groups to develop the first vaccine in the Philippines. DOST Secretary Fortunato de la Peña said that they are already working to establish the Virology Science and Technology Institute of the Philippines (VIP) and are already working with various government agencies such as the Department of Public Works and Highways for the design and the Department of Trade and Industry for vaccine production. It will be located at New Clark Economic Zone in Capas, Tarlac and expected to rise in 2023 or 2024. Amidst its ongoing construction, the virology institute can still partially operate through the Industrial Technology Development Institute. It will be equipped with a greenhouse for plant and animal virus research. Moreover, it will also have Biosafety Level 2 (BSL-2), Biosafety Level 3 (BSL-3), and Biosafety Level 4 (BSL-4). Currently, DOST has partnered with Baylor College of Medicine in the United States, Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM), and St. Luke’s Medical Center in implementing six projects. These projects will focus on animal, plant, and human virology as well as research areas of therapeutics,
PH Homegrown COVID-19 Vaccine continued on page 32...
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PH Homegrown COVID-19 Vaccine continued...
diagnostics, and vaccines with initially allocated funds of ₱284 million. However, the bill for VIP still needs to be passed to secure the funding for the said facility, research and development, and human resources. An associate at the OCTA research team has also disclosed that they are already working on an oral COVID-19 vaccine. They are engineering a human probiotic yeast to express a fragment of SARS-CoV 2, which can be used to induce immune response. They are hoping to return in the Pphilippines with the yeast and perform animal testing in University of Santo Tomas. If it works out, they will then ask for permission to do the clinical trials in the Philippines. They are planning to make the vaccine an inexpensive alternative from already widely distributed vaccines. It is indeed great news that there are already developments in vaccine development in the country after more than a year of the pandemic. However, this is relatively slow compared to other countries as the facilities needed are still being constructed, while those working independently still need to perform their experiments overseas. The virus will continue to spread and mutate, hence, it is a race against time to develop a vaccine which could combat the variants that newly arise. The researches conducted by scientists will also not immediately
Nonsense Priorities continued... DBM submitted their budget proposal for UP, allocating only P20.1 billion. This is just over half of the proposed budget, and is P1.3 billion lower than the current budget of UP this 2021 (P21.5 billion). PGH and PGC both rely on the university, so a budget cut for the university could also translate into budget cuts for the institutions that fulfill vital roles in this pandemic. For instance, the budget proposal of DBM will plunge the university hospital’s budget down to P5.66 billion.
Looking away from the pressing issues In line with the proposed budget cut, various problems of the university that are aggravated by this online setup would remain. Hiring new workers, including teaching staff, could alleviate the problem of insufficient number of classes during registration periods, especially that UP lowered the quota for the number of students in the class, which in turn made it harder for students to enroll in their courses. The proposed budget of UP was supposed to create and open 2,007 new plantilla items, however it was rejected like last year. In a statement of Rise for Education Alliance of the UP College of Education, it also pointed out that this budget
produce results and if ever there are, these are not guaranteed to be effective. The clinical trials and approval may also take a long time. Hence, it can be said that the Philippines still has a long way to go in becoming self-dependent in
vaccine development, but, it does not mean that the situation is hopeless. Proper governance and support in research and development are imperative so that someday it would be possible to return things to what it was like before.
cut could affect the chances of the future Iskolar ng Bayan to get a free tertiary education in UP, and would challenge the university in re-opening its campuses for a safe resumption of face-to-face classes. Being the last country to hold limited face-to-face classes since the pandemic started, along with the multitude of issues its learners are facing amid the pandemic, while its officials claimed victory and success, it goes to show that education is not a priority.
In this COVID-19 pandemic, the government chose to fund and allocate more budget to a controversial agency, which is currently flagged because apparently only 1% of its projects were completed. This begs the question: where did the budget go?
More so, in a health crisis like this, it should be obvious that the priorities of the government would be more on the healthcare sector, however, it isn’t. Instead of improving its facilities to better cater the patients, the budget cut would affect PGH. As PGH Director Dr. Gerardo Legaspi said in an article, special attention should be given to infrastructure elements so as to effectively prepare a hospital in responding to a pandemic like this one. Meanwhile, as the government cites limited fiscal resources as one of the reasons for the budget cuts, it was revealed that Duterte proposed a whopping P28.1 billion budget for its National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC). This is a 75%-increase (P11.66 billion) from its last year’s budget. Looking at it, NTF-ELCAC’s budget would be P8 billion higher than UP.
Right now more than ever, the budget should be re-allocated to COVID-19 response or to institutions like PGC and PGH, which are actively helping its citizens through science and service to the country. With the budget proposal document titled ‘’People’s Proposed Budget: Sustaining the Legacy of Real Change for the Future Generations, ’’ questions start to pop up: Is it really the people’s proposal? Is this the legacy and change that you want the future generations to have? Considering its failure in addressing the current issues on health and education one and a half years later, then maybe, it goes without saying that their current priorities are nonsense.
#NoToBudgetCut #LigtasNaBalikEskwela #SolusyongMedikalHindiMilitar #DefundNTFELCAC
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