The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is eyeing to strengthen its existing policy against biopiracy to protect the country’s plant and animal genetic resources.
Director Theresa Mundita S. Lim of the DENR’s Biodiversity Management Bureau said Environment Secretary Roy A. Cimatu recently met with Rep. Josephine Y. Ramirez-Sato of the Lone District of Occidental Mindoro to craft a guideline on bioprospecting that will benefit the Philippines, including local communities, from the utilization of plant or animal genetic resources with high medicinal value.
Cimatu, she added, supports the development of a plant-based pharmaceutical industry by strengthening existing policies, particularly in the conduct of scientific research to tap the country’s important plant or animal genetic resources.
With its rich biodiversity, including unique species of plants traditionally used for curing various illnesses, Lim said the Philippines has a huge potential in becoming a major global supplier of high-value plant genetic resources for pharmaceutical industries.
Lim, however, said a huge investment is needed in bioprospecting.
“Having many players is encouraged because bioprospecting requires huge investment,” she said.
Bioprospecting is defined as the search for plant and animal species from which medicinal drugs and other commercially valuable compounds can be obtained.
One of the 17 megadiverse countries in the world, the Philippines, which is also high in endemism, should protect its plant and animal resources against biopiracy, Lim added.
Lim said Sato has a pending bill in the House of Representatives on access and benefit sharing in the utilization of Philippine genetic resources.
“Congresswoman Sato has a pending bill in the House of Representative on access and sharing benefit,” she said, adding that the lady solon is one of the DENR’s “biodiversity legislative champions” in the lower house.
House Bill 2163, or An Act Instituting Reforms in Existing Policy on Access and Benefit-Sharing, from the Utilization of Philippine Genetic Resources and for other purposes, was filed on August 1, 2016.
The proposed measure is up for discussion soon by a technical working group for the purpose of refining the bill.
The proposed measure promotes the conduct of scientific research and facilitating speedier regulatory approvals from concerned government agencies.
It also puts in place a tracking mechanism to monitor the progress of scientific research until their commercialization.
Access and benefit sharing are being espoused by the bill support two important international treaties—the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing.
Lim said the DENR chief and the lady solon are eyeing to collaborate to come up with a stronger policy and guideline in the conduct of scientific research to ensure access and benefit, particularly for the local communities where the resources are found.
Ensuring benefit for the communities, Lim said, will encourage local communities to play an active role to protect and conserve such resources.
She, likewise, added the collaboration will hopefully mainstream biodiversity protection and conservation in the aspect of development in protected areas (PAs) and key biodiversity areas (KBAs).
There are 240 PAs and 228 KBAs in the Philippines. These areas are set aside for conservation to prevent the extinction of endangered plant and animal species.
The DENR has an ongoing program called Strengthening National Systems to Improve Governance and Management of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities Conserved Areas and Territories (Philippine ICCA Project).
The project aims to strengthen the conservation, protection and management of key biodiversity sites in the Philippines by instituionalizing ICCA as a sustainable addition to the national PAs.
IPs, according to Lim, have vast knowledge on plant-based cures, it being their traditional way of curing illnesses and diseases that have been passed on from generation to generation. Many IPs continue to use plants as medicines.
According to Lim, the public-private partnership scheme is one way of developing a plant-based pharmaceutical industry, but it will require the polishing of existing policies and guidelines in coordination with national government agencies, including the departments of Trade and Industry, Health and the Bureau of Food and Drugs.