TO drive innovation and regulatory responsiveness in agricultural biotechnology, a high-level forum was organized on Bridging Biotechnology Innovation and Regulations: Orientation on Microbial-based Product Development and Commercialization in the Academic Setting at the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) in Los Baños, Laguna. The University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (Biotech) co-organized the said event on Sept. 18, 2025, which brought together 58 agri-biotech stakeholders from academic institutions, government regulatory bodies, and the private sector. They discussed practical solutions for streamlining the approval and registration of microbial-based products developed in academic settings. SEARCA Center Director Mercedita Sombilla emphasized the role of regulation as an enabler, stating that "regulation should not be a barrier; it should be a bridge — a bridge built with trust, clarity and scientific integrity. "Sombilla said the forum, as a platform for open dialogue and collaboration among disciplines, reinforces SEARCA's commitment to advancing biotechnology in the Asean region. Marian De Leon, UPLB Assistant to the Vice Chancellor for Research and Extension (VCRE), expressed the UPLB-VCRE office's full support to researchers in their "efforts to explore streamlining in the regulatory process for technologies developed in the academic setting. "
During the forum, experts from UPLB highlighted both achievements and challenges in the commercialization pathway.
Mannix Pedro, UPLB-Biotech Deputy Director for Research, Development and Extension, detailed the institute's track record in developing over 50 biotech products and technologies including microbial-based inoculants such as Bio N, NitroPlus, NitroLink, Biosol-P, PhosphoLink, Oryzinc, Maizinc, K-SolB, Mykovam and MykoPlus. "State Universities and Colleges and Research and Development Institutes often face regulatory hurdles originally designed for commercial companies, complicating compliance for academic institutions," Pedro said. Underscoring the need for regulatory reforms to address the unique circumstances of academic research institutions, Rodney Perez, UPLB-Biotech Scientist I and Program Leader for Food, Feed and Specialty Products, shared his program's experience in successfully developing 20 technologies, securing 23 intellectual property rights, and influencing two national policies. "But there are challenges such as the lack of pilot-scale production facilities and stringent regulatory requirements for novel microbial-derived products," Perez said. Lawyer Melo Jean Triños-Peralta, Development Management Officer at the UPLB Technology Transfer and Business Development Office, outlined the legal framework governing technology transfer. Citing Republic Act 8293 (Intellectual Property Code), Republic Act 10055 (Technology Transfer Act), Republic Act 9168 (Plant Variety Protection), and the UP IPR Policy, Triños-Peralta emphasized the public's right to benefit from government-funded research outputs. A session during the forum was also joined by the Department of Agriculture's Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority, Bureau of Animal Industry, Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Standards, Bureau of Plant Industry, and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources' Environmental Management Bureau. According to SEARCA, key recommendations include promoting regulatory flexibility by classifying academic institutions as formulators or non-commercial manufacturers, reviewing requirements specific to academic research settings, legislative reforms to update relevant laws, and policy innovations such as a regulatory sandbox mechanism under the Philippine Innovation Act. In addition to UPLB, academic institutions in attendance included De La Salle Lipa, Isabela State University, Central Luzon State University and Pampanga State Agricultural University. UPLB-Biotech Director Fides Marciana Tambalo stressed the importance of continued dialogue between regulatory agencies and academic institutions to "ignite stronger coordination, more responsive regulatory pathways, and ultimately, policy change, ensuring that locally developed, science-based, and sustainable technologies reach those who need them most. "