An estimated P195 million is being allocated by government for a genome center which will be a common facility for tapping modern molecular techniques to build up technologies for agriculture, health, and biodiversity.

The Philippine Genome Center (PGC) is now being established in an aim to enable the country to keep up with international advancements on the use of DNA sequencers and molecular markers for various applications.

The PGC for Health, Agriculture, and Biodiversity (HAB) may be funded by a P45 million budget from the Office of the President.

It will have immediate “deliverables” as President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is asking proponents
to accomplish a program within specific timelines including one before the end of the year and another by around March 2010, according to University of the Philippines (UP) Vice President Amelia P. Guevarra.

A separate P150 million may come from the UP budget.

The facilities in a genome center which should include high-throughput screening (HTS) machines enable accelerated discovery of drugs or development of superior agricultural crop varieties – rice, corn, biofuel crops, and export-oriented fruits, among others.

HTS laboratories abroad can screen up to 100,000 compounds a day useful in drug discovery. But this involves highly-advanced technology that may include robot systems or high-speed computer technology.

The genome center will also enhance the current capacity of the National Institutes of Health to carry out identification of genes unique to Filipinos in relation to susceptibility to cancers and other diseases.

In enhancing conservation of natural resources and biodiversity, the center can aid in identification of endemic species and maximize their propagation. Or it can help identify foreign species and consequently prevent destruction of endemic natural resources.