Manila Biotech. Mall of Asia & Science Center
Frank A. Hilario
November 30, 2009
The Mall of Asia in Manila, Philippines is the 4th largest in the world; SM City North Edsa in Quezon City, also in the Philippines, is the world's 3rd largest; the Golden Resources Mall in Beijing, China is the world's 2nd largest, and Berjaya Times Square in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia is the world's largest (Wikipedia). That is as far as floor space is concerned.
Notwithstanding, the Mall of Asia challenges them all. This mall is more than a mall. Never mind that it's not the largest, the Mall of Asia prides itself as unique in all the Earth, coming out with a clear dare to all: "No Other Mall Comes Close." You find it under the logo name. I have not seen much of the world, if it comes to that, and only about half of the Philippine archipelago, and never even been to TriNoma in Quezon City, but it's easy to imagine that the Mall of Asia is that giant of a setting, ambiance, and mood. As for the setting, a world-famous bay is beside it, as wide as the eye can see; and I can watch the celebrated Manila Bay sunset almost anywhere in the Mall, as beautiful as can be. As for the ambiance, I have claustrophobia in the other malls, but when I'm in the Mall of Asia, anywhere, I can breathe freely. As for the mood, I feel at ease, even at home. Because the Mall of Asia is all about space. The air of ease is on the house. No, no other mall's design comes close.
The Science Discovery Center challenges the child we have, and the child in all of us. Among other things, it has the Dark Star Planetarium film and the Snibbe Interactive Exhibit. You can visit with an All-Day Pass too, and the children have their own Kiddie Pass. It's a different world in there, and it's all yours for the viewing. If nothing else, it does put the fun in learning, and that's priceless. Take it from a teacher.
Sponsored by Nestlé Nido Fortified, the Science Discovery Center is the first technology-based, highly interactive science theme park in the Philippines, devoted to providing the public - young and old - with entertainment and information in a highly interactive way, for them to learn and appreciate science and technology (sdc.websitedesign.com.ph). They have events, promos, and tours you may be interested in (smsciencediscovery.com). Try it sometime!
Amidst all that was celebrated the National Biotechnology Week. Secretary of the Department of Science and Technology Estrella F Alabastro was Chair; Secretary of Agriculture Arthur C Yap was Co-Chair of the NBW. Those who represented the major sponsors of the NBW were Secretary Yap (Department of Agriculture, DA), Secretary Jesli A Lapus (Department of Education, DepEd), Secretary Jose Lito Atienza Jr (Department of Environment and Natural Resources, DENR), Secretary Ronaldo V Puno (Department of Interior and Local Government, DILG), Secretary Francisco T Duque (Department of Health, DoH), Secretary Alabastro (Department of Science and Technology, DoST), Secretary Peter B Favila (Department of Trade and Industry, DTI); and last but not least, SM Mall of Asia Manager Perkin So (Science Discovery Center).
Biotech challenges all of us, so we better pay attention to it. Yesterday, 29 November 2009, was the 7th and last day of the weeklong celebration of the Philippines' National Biotechnology Week. Every day for the last week, NBW events were held at the Science Center. The NBW had this theme:
Biotechnolohiya para sa Kalikasan, Kalusugan, Kagandahan, Kabuhayan at Kaunlaran. OK ang 5K sa Biotech! (Biotechnology for the Environment, Health, Beauty, Livelihood, and Progress. 5K is OK with Biotech!)
I learned quite a few things during the closing ceremonies held at the common area, next to the Science Discovery Center, reading, listening, and watching:
For the adults, there was the launching of the book Modern Biotechnology and Agriculture: A History of the Commercialization of Biotech Maize in the Philippines written by Leonardo Gonzales (Partner: Strive Foundation). For the grade schoolers, there was a forum called Biotech for Kids, with storytelling, artwork, movie watching, and games; the children were asked to do their own poems, artwork, and skits; and they were asked about what they learned that day.
There was an emphasis on malunggay (the drumstick tree, Moringa oleifera) by the DA on the massive propagation of this species. I understand; I know malunggay is resilient, like the Pinoys. When I was a boy in a village in the municipality of Asingan in Pangasinan in Central Luzon, Philippines, I would watch my father cut a branch of the old, old tree, cut the lower end to a taper, lay it aside in one place until some sprouts came up, and stuck it into the ground anywhere he wanted it to grow - and it would. No watering, no shading, no fertilizing, no spraying, no mulching, no applying of compost - no watching over. It was a fast-grower too. It turns out that there is more from malunggay than my father ever did find out.
"All parts of malunggay are useful," said Director of the Biotechnology Program Alice Ilaga, who was behind the malunggay idea of the DA. Asked what was the nest best thing that could happen to agriculture, she had quipped: "Malunggay!" The leaves and pods are nutritious, medicinal, she said. Malunggay has 7 times the vitamin C in oranges, 4 times in carrots. And the seeds of malunggay contain 40% oil, excellent for cooking, precious for massage purposes. The seed powder is a good water purifier. Malunggay is a rich man's crop if the poor man is not lazy.
Malunggay is a very good tree, for all I care; I love the fresh pods in a meal, especially the young seeds, and the soup that comes with buggoong (the Ilocano fish paste). My wife knows malunggay leaves are excellent for a breastfeeding mother, and she should know: she has 13 children (from one father, I must add), all breastfed, all born the natural way. Experience is a good teacher; repeated experience is the best teacher of all.
The challenge to biotech now that I would like to throw to new DA Biotech Program Director Ayds Adalla: To look for the biotech things to do with malunggay, among other concerns. I wish her luck. Biotech is not easy to follow.
Biotech is not easy to swallow either, unlike malunggay. To simplify, biotechnology is life made to act on another life. Biotech is simple, and you know it already, like adding yeast to juice to make vinegar. Biotech is also complicated, like genetic engineering. Like we have a genetically modified organism, a GMO crop, such as corn genetically engineered to grow within itself Bacillus thuringiensis, Bt, hence the product called Bt corn. It is actually the anti-corn borer gene of the naturally occurring soil bacterium Bt that is genetically spliced into the corn - don't ask me how, they just do it!
My family probably have eaten - and relished - Bt corn without knowing it. Ed Fernandez, of Syngenta, was our neighbor and almost every time he came back from Mindanao, he would share with us some delicious ears of corn. That was many years ago, probably 10, and I still can't personally associate something bad with eating Bt corn. The GMO corn was nice while it lasted, which was not very long.
And for that matter, I know I have drunk more than just bacteria from the soil - when I was in high school more than 50 years ago, in-between the cropping months, when we were out in the field cultivating the soil or something, when we ran out of fresh water to drink, or forgot to bring, I remember my father Lakay Disiong would dig out a little hole with his bolo anywhere on the ground, until water came out, not deeper than half a foot. We would then wait for a few minutes, perhaps 5, until the surface water cleared up a little, and scoop out the water with our cupped hands - and drink from it. That was refreshing! I'm 69 now; my father lived to be 95. Unless it's excessive, it's less the food and more the body. Now I am reminded of this biblical verse: "It is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles" (Matthew 15: 11 NRSV). I have never been careful with what I eat either - like, I still eat oysters raw, straight from the shell, but I have learned to be careful with what I write.
During the celebration of the NBW, there was also some emphasis on the following: (a) enzyme biotechnology for coming out with food products, (b) drought-tolerant rice and corn, (c) enterprises based on biotech, (c) healthcare biotech, (d) teacher education on biotechnology, and (e) forensic DNA in child and women abuse. In fact, the winning logo for the NBW (see image) designed by Francisco Baldos Jr captures this variety of biotech applications, and it's dynamic enough: you can watch the logo come alive onsite, and watch it again (nbw.dost.gov.ph). The winning NBW Song ("Biotech Jingle") was composed by Ma Elizabeth Sanchez.
Bio-enterprise success stories were told: on agriculture and food, by Bernardo BJ Mitra (PhilHybrid Corp) and Ari Luis Halos (ArniChem Corp); on health, by Gisela P Concepcion (BioMART Asia) and Danilo P Manayag (Secura International Corp); and on environment, by Robert Y So (Eco-System Technologies).
On the research and development of drought-tolerant crops, Ines Hortense Slamet-Loedin of IRRI talked about rice, and Arnold Estrada of Monsanto Singapore talked about corn.
Where I hear "data" or "information" or "instructions" or something related to it, I always perk up. I note that there was a conference of the Network for Integrative Multi-Disciplinary Bioinformatics Utilization Strategies, NIMBUS, and they had panel discussions on biotech applications in health and biology, and on algorithms, which are programmed repetitive instructions for solving problems. Informatics is the application of information technology on knowledge; it is computers told to digest data. As a mass media person, I'm interested in more than just data - I'm interested in information I can digest. So to me, what NIMBUS did was good but I'm not that interested. Biotechnology Philippines must reach out to other information users, not only the biotech experts. I blog, and I write popular science for the American Chronicle and I'm always glad for a story op. Nimble or not, bioinformatics is not for mass media consumption - I find the name itself indigestible.
Biotech challenges all of us also in a surprising way. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo signed Presidential Proclamation1414 on 9 November 2007 designating every last week of November of every year as "National Biotechnology Week." So, that was 3 years ago. But the Souvenir Program said it was the annual 5th NBW - I find that amusing. I have checked, and the year 2007 is correct. Nobody explained it to me, but there are two things that could have happened here in the last 5 years. One, they celebrated an unofficial National Biotechnology Week in the first 2 years before 1414, which is OK with me. Two, the number "5" is an inadvertent, unintentional geometrically modified object, a GMO of another species; it is the number "3" in its original form. I love it when I can find humor in a boring subject.
"5K is OK for Biotech!" The major challenge to biotech from the people of the country is to be shown that it is in fact OK to the environment, health, beauty, livelihood, and progress, as the tagline says it is. Manila Biotech, as elsewhere, has a long way to go.
And last but not least, the biggest challenge to biotech is how it can help address climate change here and now. You want biotech to be more than just acceptable? Make it more relevant and more real. I was disappointed to find out, one, that there was no seminar, conference or talk about climate change action or plan at all during the National Biotechnology Week, as if biotechnology is irrelevant to global warming. It is not. And two, that there was no mass media education on biotechnology either, as if the mass media understand biotechnology. They do not. It is a challenge to all of them. In fact, biotechnology is a challenge to all of media. And climate change is a challenge to all of us.
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