I was invited to the 10th Filipino Faces of Biotechnology (FoB) Awards presented by the Department of Agriculture Biotechnology Program Office (DA Biotech Program).

Now in its 10th year, this award is given to scientists, civil servants, farmers, communicators, and student leaders who have contributed or played a significant role in the advancement of biotechnology in the country. It emphasizes how the individual moved biotech from idea to successful execution for the benefit of the country, with 90 percent of the judging criteria devoted to the individual’s accomplishments in research and development, policy, advocacy, and/ or communication, and the rest to awards and citations that serve as supporting documentation.

“This initiative sought to show that biotech in the Philippines is shaped by the people… [It is] a way to document and recognize the individuals who stayed in the field, quietly doing the work, often without recognition, and often under difficult conditions,” DA Biotech Program Director Paul Limson, DVM said in his welcome remarks. “Agriculture does not move quickly… it is shaped by… biological limits and influenced by markets, policy, and public confidence. Research plays an important role in this system, but research itself does not improve the yield, reduce losses, or raise farm incomes. What matters is whether technologies can be tested, adjusted, and eventually used under farming conditions that are far from ideal.”

We often forget that there are people behind research, and that behind every breakthrough is an individual or a team that devoted hours of their lives to a singular purpose. And though scientific discovery is important, in biotechnology, public acceptance and adaptation are just as essential. “The continuing challenge—and we are honest about this—is how to move from completed research to technologies that farmers can actually use and sustain,” Limson added in his speech.

“New biotechnology tools give us the opportunity to do things differently: to develop crops, fisheries, and livestock that are more resilient to reduce losses and to improve productivity in ways that were not possible before. But these tools will only matter if they are used,” DA Fisheries Biotechnology Center’s center chief Casiano Choresca, PhD, said, reading a message from DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel. “The future of agriculture will be shaped by those who are willing to use innovation not just to improve existing systems, but to transform them so that our food systems remain resilient, productive, and sustainable.”

Inspired by the social media account Humans of New York, which highlights the stories of random New Yorkers, the FoB celebrates its 10th year with its formal institutionalization within the DA through Department Order No. 17, Series of 2024. “... at that time, biotechnology was often discussed only in terms of technologies, policies, and debates. And so, the initiative of former director Ann Lopez asked a different question: who are the people behind the work?” the program explained. “Science becomes more meaningful when we see the people behind it… by sharing these stories, FoB helps bridge the gap between science and society, making biotechnology easier to understand and relate to.”

Here are the winners:

Dr. Ma. Jodecel C. Danting, Chief/ National Commodity Focal Person, Tilapia of the National Freshwater Fisheries Technology Center (NFFTC), was awarded for her contributions as a pioneer in fisheries biotechnology, specifically in the advancement of tilapia genetics, cryopreservation, and sustainable aquaculture.

Dr. Danila Hufana-Duran from DA-Philippine Carabao Center’s Reproduction and Physiology Section (RPS) under the Research and Development Division was recognized for her role as an outstanding leader in reproductive biotechnology and livestock genetic improvement.

Dr. Reynante L. Ordonio of the DA-Crop Biotechnology Center was recognized for his roles as a researcher and policy leader in the fields of crop biotechnology and gene editing, notably for his research and community engagement related to Golden Rice.

University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) associate professor Dr. Reniel S. Pamplona was awarded for his work as an outstanding educator and capacity builder in agricultural biotechnology and genomics.

UPLB associate professor Dr. Cesar B. Quicoy was awarded as a distinguished expert in biosafety, biotechnology policy, and socio-economic research on GM crops.

Dr. Mudjekeewis D. Santos, chief of NFRDI’s Training Division and the editor-in-chief of The Philippine Journal of Fisheries (TPJF), was awarded as an outstanding leader in fisheries genetics, conservation biotechnology, and marine biodiversity research.

Dr. Maria Corazon de Ungria, head of the DNA Analysis Laboratory at the University of the Philippines (UP) Natural Sciences Research Institute (NSRI), was recognized as a distinguished pioneer in forensic DNA science, genomics, and biotechnology ethics in the Philippines.