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Volume 3 Number 1 (Special Issue)OVCRE End-of-Term Report 1

Research Extension Report

Office of the Vice-Chancellorfor Research and Extension

University of the Philippines Los Baños

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2University of the Philippines Los BañosResearch, Development and Extension Digest

PREFACECommitment, dedication and service – it is in this context that the Office of the Vice-Chancellor for Research and Extension (OVCRE) has based its thrusts for the past six years as a contribution to achieving the goal of University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) in solidifying its reputation as a premier learning institution in the country and Asia.

It is our intention to present an account of our efforts to bring about the most effective and efficient research and extension (R&E) services possible, during the six years of R&E administration under the term of Dr. Luis Rey I. Velasco as the 7th Chancellor of UPLB.

Shown in this special issue of the UPLB Research, Development and Extension (RDE) Digest is our pride in bringing to you– our partners in development and clientele of our R&E products– a better level of service and commitment.

Despite financial challenges the past six years, the university's increased capability to respond to issues and research and development areas being prioritized by the government has enabled us to generate more support from external funding agencies.

In our own modest way, we have made simple improvements in administering various projects in our search for more conducive research environments. Considered one major achievement of the OVCRE was our vigorous campaign for the submission of long-overdue terminal reports. About 300 terminal reports–reports that our clientele may found useful and beneficial to their needs–were submitted during this term, substantially higher than what OVCRE received years before this term. We have increased the promotion of our research outputs and products via our participation in exhibitions and techno-fora, production of information materials for dissemination to a wider audience, and the use technology-based strategies in information, education and communication (IEC) activities such multi-media.

Suffice to say, the OVCRE is one of the few units in UPLB that have fully made use of the university's information technology (IT) infrastructure, having an online presence since 2006. We are now starting to come up with IT-based solutions aimed to increase the public’s use of our research findings and products.

Furthermore, we have striven to strengthen technology commercialization by protecting the university's intellectual property (IP). Through renewed relations with our counterparts at the UP System Technology Licensing Office

and IP Philippines, we have been able to fast-track our applications for IP protection.

We are also proud to report that we have been able to maximize the benefits from the Science and Technology Park. Through improved relationships with our long-time partners and new business partners, we have earned about P3.65 M from January 2007 to June 2011.

Our accomplishments does not end there, as we see more good things to come when the university fully operates the UPLB Agri-biotechnology and ICT business incubators which were established through our efforts.

Looking ahead, we are sure more can still be done. Changes are evolving requiring our focus. The University will continue to take its role steadfastly, as the government and people’s partner in the solution of challenges that may come up at these trying times.

ENRICO P. SUPANGCOVice-Chancellor for Research and Extension


Though financially challenged, the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) has made sure that it lives up to the expectations of its being a research university.

Starting 2006, the OVCRE was able to use the interest of endowment fund (UPLB Trust Fund) to support the implementation of new research projects as shown in the table.

With this fund, the UPLB researchers were encouraged to propose and implement studies and projects on less-than popular but equally important disciplines such as those in the humanities and the arts, and in scientific areas which are still to be explored by the university such as nanotechnology, material science and others.

This increased the number of over-all possible grantees, not to mention the building of their capabilities to make them experts in their own fields.

As a form of investment, we have also internally provided start-up funds for important, fast turn-around, and demand-responsive researches. These studies have become source of baseline data which have been used as leverage to get more resources from other agencies. Proof

GENERATING R AND E RESOURCES

Year

UPLB Basic Research Fund (P M)

UPLB Trust Fund (Endowment Fund)

(P M)

Funds Number of Projects Funds Number of

Projects

2004 1.675 30

2005 1.675 25

2006 1.675 26 0.200 2

2007 1.675 21 1.051 10

2008 1.675 21 1.051 17

2009 1.675 20 0.800 7

2010 1.675 21 1.500 15

2011 1.675 21 0.993 9

of success of this investment is our UPLB Alternative Energy RDE Program and UPLB Inter-disciplinary Program on Climate Change which have generated millions of research grants after their start-up periods.

▲A RESEARCH TRUST FUND has been created to augment the UPLB Basic Research Program Fund and provide more opportunities for junior faculty and researchers, as well as start-up investments in research.


Much of our yearly funds for research and extension work come from our partner agencies. With generous help from government funding agencies, international funding organizations and local/ private businesses, we were able to receive a total of P1.462 B for R&E work from 2005 to 2011.

These funds, monitored by the OVCRE and the UPLB Foundation, Incorporated (UPLBFI), were mostly generated by projects based at the College of Agriculture (CA), College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), College of Forestry and Natural Resources (CFNR), and the National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (BIOTECH). Other colleges and research units as well are also instrumental in successfully proposing, and later implementing important R&E activities. On the average, 100 proposals are received by the OVCRE each year, 90% of which are endorsed to external funding agencies.

From 2006-2011, a total of 315 projects were completed, 50%, 15%, and 11% of which were projects from the CA, CAS, BIOTECH, respectively. The rest came from the other units.

Institutional development efforts

In the institutional development front, we have been able to complete in 2006 the purchase of P1.77 M worth of equipment funded by the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Agricultural Research (DA-BAR) to improve the OVCRE’s capability to monitor and report research projects. We have also facilitated the approval of institutional development proposals to upgrade the analytical service laboratories of the College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) and CA-Animal and Dairy Sciences Cluster (ADSC) during the same year.

Also in 2006, we have sought out funds to make UPLB better provide the research and technical services needed by government agencies, educational institutions, private industries and businesses, farming and fisheries sectors, and the general public at the national, regional and local levels.

With the help of UPLB’s various units, we facilitated the crafting and submission of proposals to different agencies for the upgrading of 14 analytical laboratories to produce more in-depth R&E activities and sophisticated analyses to support upstream research and development.

▲TOTAL GENERATED FUNDS, 2005-2011 UPLB has been able to generate almost P1.462 B from 2005-2011, 33% of which was administered by the university through the OVCRE, while 67% was coursed through the UPLB Foundation, Incorporated.

Funds monitored by OVCRE-UPLB

Funds monitored by UPLBFI

▲TOTAL GENERATED FUNDS BY SOURCE, 2005-2011Funds generated by the university came from national government funding agencies (65%), local and private establishments such as corporations (13%) and international funding agencies (22%).

P 944.47 M

P 327.78 M

P 189.39 M

National government

Local private International

PP

P


▲YEARLY GENERATED FUNDS BY MONITORING, 2005-2011Funds for research and extension activities from the university's partners have relatively increased over the past years, with the year 2009 as the most productive in terms of funds generated.

Total UPLBFI-monitored

UPLB-OVCRE monitored


IMPROVING THE R AND E ENVIRONMENT

For the past six years, the OVCRE has done so much in providing the best support system that it can give to the university’s faculty, researchers and extension personnel.

Among the important activities that it had done in order to improve the administration of R&E activities in the university is to review and update the guidelines for the conduct of Basic Research. So aside from conducting a yearly assessment of the problems of the researchers and finding ways how to deal with them, the office have established in 2007 protocols for reviewing research proposals, monitoring ongoing researches and evaluating completed projects.

And even if the UPLB Basic Research Program funds are limited and cannot accommodate some of the creative proposals by our staff, we have actively endorsed these to other funding agencies.

We have continually liaised with our counterparts in order to remove administrative stumbling blocks usually encountered in the processing of agreements and other documents. We tried our best to ease the difficulties that

researchers deal with, specially in the process of securing the funds from other organizations, by always being in contact with funding agencies’ project management, accounting, and legal divisions.

We also made sure that we gave the best support to our funding agencies. We regularly conducted in-house reviews and made ways to ensure that project reports are submitted on time by the proponents. We also implemented mechanisms which compel project proponents to submit the terminal reports required of them by the funding agencies.

In light of the difficult times that we and our researchers and extensionists have sometimes encountered in implementing and monitoring R&E activities, we have conducted several dialogues among our faculty, researchers and extensionists in order to strengthen and promote quality research and development activities, perk up the delivery of extension services to our clientele, and further improve the operations in relation to issues and the general difficulty in procuring essential scientific supplies and equipment.


By linking with other agencies and personalities, we served as conduit for the various initiatives of government organizations such as the DOST and members of the Congressional Committee on Science and Technology to consider our researchers and extensionists’ suggestions, recommendations, and even complaints, on the difficulty of procurement of supplies and materials for research purposes.

Promoting inter-disciplinary activities

In line with the administration’s thrust to create and promote inter-disciplinary and cross-cutting activities in research and extension, we provided financial and logistical support to the UPLB Committees on Niches and Themes organized in 2006 by the administration.

These committees were working groups expected to formulate and recommend proposals for possible support of funding agencies, as well as to conduct activities that would promote an inter-disciplinary research culture among faculty and researchers. The committees formed were the following: (1) Agricultural modernization and competitiveness, (2) Equitable and sustainable rural development, (3) Managing tropical ecosystems, (4) Research and manpower support to CALABARZON, (5) Continuing education via open and distance learning, (6) Alternative Energy RDE, (7) Bio-organics RDE, (8) Natural Products RDE, and (9) Climate Change RDE.

An amount of P0.5 M was used to fund the expenses of the committees which included supplies, food and technical assistance during meetings, workshops, trainings, symposia, lectures and other activities. In the succeeding years of the committees’ operations, the office provided a total amount of P2.4 M. Highlights of these inter-disciplinary activities were the crafting of integrated research and development program packages which were alloted substantial funding by government agencies – the Integrated RDE Program on Jatropha curcas, Indigenous Plants for Health and Wellness Program, Nanotechnology Program, and the Genomics Program.

On the organizational level

Because the responsibilities given to our office by the administration compelled us to become focal and output-oriented, we have made key changes on how we would operate.

In 2007, we established the UPLB Center for Technology Transfer and Entrepreneurship (CTTE) through the UP Board of Regents (BOR). The center now integrates all the programs, policies and activities of the university in protecting, promoting and commercializing technologies. Under the CTTE’s umbrella, we have put the Intellectual Property Office (IPO), the UPLB Science and Technology Park (STP) and the APEC Center for Training and Small and Medium Enterprises (ACTETSME).

Also in 2007, the UPLB Committee on Culture and the Arts was elevated into the Office for Initiatives in Culture and Arts. It was placed under our office’s supervision in order for it to put emphasis on being a policy-making and coordinating body, as well as an office that would conduct research and scholarly study on history, culture and heritage in the Southern Tagalog and Bicol Regions.

In 2008, another unit supervised by the OVCRE–the UPLB Gender Program for Rural Development–was merged with the Office for Anti-Sexual Harassment and Adolescents Reproductive Health Committee, and elevated to a university unit now known as the UPLB Gender Center. With the reorganization, instruction, research, extension and advocacy programs on gender and development, including anti-sexual harassment and reproductive health have been integrated.

Also in 2008, we ceased to supervise the Southern Tagalog Agriculture and Natural Resources Research and Development Consortium (STARRDEC)when it transferred to the Cavite State University (CvSU). This made us more focused in our efforts and activities as part of the “national university” while acknowledging the capabilities of CvSU as an emerging university that has benefitted from UPLB’s assistance in the past.

Lastly, the OVCRE was restructured in 2010 and 2011 by organizing the staff into sections, namely the (1) Administrative Section, (2) Project Development, Monitoring and Evaluation Section, and (3) Information Management and Technology Utilization Section – all of which greatly addresses the recommendations of the university-wide job audit.

We are now putting in place a system by which we can ensure that the OVCRE remains lean organically but with a wider skills base.


SUSTAINING RELEVANCE THROUGH INTELLECTUAL PRODUCTIVITY

UPLB’s relevance to society primarily lies on its capability and capacity as a research university. Through its outputs in scientific publications such as journals and books, and by presenting the research findings in scientific meetings, conferences and fora, our faculty and research staff continue to sustain our contributions to

▲UPLB's INTELLECTUAL PRODUCTIVITY, 2005-2011Graph of data from various units shows that the years 2008 to 2010 have been the most productive in terms of number of journal articles, books and book chapters published, as well as papers presented in conferences.

Articles in ISI-indexed journalsArticles in internationally- refereed journalsArticles in local refereed journals

Books or book chapter/ sectionPapers presented in international conferencesPapers presented in local conferences

science and knowledge. For the period 2005 to 2011, we have on record the following: 749 articles included in ISI-indexed journals, 263 articles in internationally-refereed journals, 411 in local refereed journals, 187 books and book chaperts, 383 internationally-presented papers, and 1,149 papers presented locally.


DEVELOPING THE HUMAN RESOURCE BASE

Policies and guidelines

In order to strengthen the R&E capability of the university, our office spearheaded a series of consultations with the colleges, the University Executive Committee and the UPLB Research, Extension and Professional Staff Association to prepare a tenure policy for research, extension and professional staff (REPS) consistent with the policy applied to faculty.

This policy, approved by the UP BOR on July 27, 2007 during its 1222nd meeting, enabled us to ensure that REPS with temporary appointments will also focus on obtaining their masteral degrees and publishing their research outputs in reputable journals.

Our office also crafted and pursued into approval a proposal to grant corrective promotion to 56 REPS personnel through chain item shift. This enabled the university to transfer REPS occupying lower positions but have meritorious research and extension outputs to

items with higher salary grades. The vacated items were used to transfer 15 REPS to new positions.

Promotion and tenure

In 2008, our office facilitated the screening and processing of documents and papers as an important part of the Academic Personnel Board’s activities during that year’s call for promotions. Five REPS were given tenure, 34 were given merit increases, while a total of 74 REPS were given rank increase.

Professional development activities

Since 2006, we have conducted an annual seminar-workshop on “R&D Project Implementation and Management” which have been attended by faculty and researchers with ongoing projects, proponents of newly-approved basic research studies and other staff. A total of 105 faculty and 70 REPS have benefitted from this human resource development program.


We have also sponsored and or coordinated several seminars and other learning activities emerging subjects such as research systems, information and communication technology, bioenergy and biofuels, air quality research, bioinnovation and bioentrepreneurship, and biosafety. These activities, with speakers coming from distinguished research centers and industry players locally and abroad have been made open to all personnel.

Capability-building for office personnel

Through our international partners, we have been able to send our key staff to trainings abroad that made it possible for our office to pursue a technology commercialization program with a more global perspective.

Our IP focal person was able to attend a 2-month “Internship Program in Intellectual Property Rights and Technology Transfer” at Michigan State University, USA.

On the other hand, our TBI focal person has completed a 1-year “International Leadership Training on Regional Economic Development” and 3-month “Practicum at the Internationales Technologie-und Service Center, both in Germany.”

We have also sent another staff to an “IP Analysis and Strategy Workshop held in Taiwan and an “International Symposium on Promoting Business Incubation in Southeast Asia” held in Indonesia.

▲NUMBER OF REPS BY POSITION, 2011University Researchers comprise the most number with 190, followed by University Research Associates, University Extension Specialists and University Extension Associates with 70, 37, and 27, respectively. Lumped together, the College Librarians, Development Management Officers and Guidance Service Specialists totalled 27.

UESURAUR

CLDMO

GSSUEA

Casual - 4% Temporary - 19% Permanent - 77%

27068

13

▲NUMBER OF REPS BY TENURE STATUS, 2011The number of Research, Extension and Professional Staff (REPS) employed by the university by the end of 2011 totalled 351, most of which are already permanent in status.

Total: 351

▲NUMBER OF REPS BY EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT, 2011Almost half (49%) of the REPS have masteral-level degrees while 19% of the REPS personnel have doctorate-level degrees. Thirty-percent or 111 of 351 have baccalaureate-level degrees.

MS/ MA/ ML BS/ AB/ DVMPhD

REPS in figures


RECOGNIZING EXEMPLARY PERFORMANCE

One of the most important activities our office spearheads every year to recognize the exemplary performance of our R&E manpower is UPLB’s Annual Search for Outstanding Personnel. The awardees are given recognition during the annual Foundation Anniversary Week celebration.

From 2006, we have been able, through the assistance of a university committee, to select and award seven researchers, five research teams, three extensionists, six extension programs and four creative artists for their outstanding accomplishments.

We have also actively encouraged our personnel to become nominees to various awards given by other organizations. We have endorsed researchers, extensionists and their teams who later won prestigious awards such as the Presidential Gawad Lingkod Bayan Award and other awards given at the national level. Our university is dinstinguished for having four scientists and affiliates who have received citations for contributing significantly to the reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change which won the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize alongside former US Vice-President Al Gore.

A great number of our personnel had also won major awards given by the DA and its bureaus and attached agencies, the DOST and its Councils, the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED). Some of our researchers and extensionists have been awarded by local government, private, and non-government agencies.

▲NUMBER OF AWARDS RECEIVED, 2005-2011A total of 724 awards were given to UPLB and its constituents since 2005.

National InternationalLocal/ Regional


CONNECTING WITH OUR CLIENTELE

Sharing our expertise, enabling our clients

Every first quarter of the year, we spearhead the compilation of various training courses that will be offered by the different academic and research units during summer.

With this compilation, we produce a catalogue listing 100, more or less, short course offerings which our clientele can take. In addition, we have also made this listing available through email and as a featured download in our website for the past 3 years.

These short courses are part of the non-degree training activities that units of the university conduct throughout the year, either as regular courses or those customized and scheduled for specific groups.

From 2006 to 2011, a total of 3,080 non-degree training and other extension activities (seminars, fora, workshops, exhibits, etc.) were conducted by the university's various units. Participants to these non-degree training activities, based on the data submitted to the OVCRE, totalled 75,928.

Most of the participants on record were students and teachers, extension workers and community folks, farmers and forest officers, policymakers, entrepreneurs and hobbyists, and out-of-school youth.

▲NUMBER OF NON-DEGREE TRAINING ACTIVITIES AND BENEFICIARIES, 2006-2011In 2006 and 2007, the OVCRE focused on data on summer short courses coming from units which conducted them. Starting 2008, data on all kinds of non-degree training and extension activities have also been collected.

No. of non-degreetraining activities

No. of beneficiaries


Using information technology

We pride ourselves as the only administrative office in the university with a fully operational and comprehensive website since 2000.

Our website (http://ovcre.uplb.edu.ph) provides general information about UPLB’s RDE, resources and outputs of the university’s RDE programs and information on the OVCRE.

Users can view online versions of annual reports, newsletters, the UPLB Research Manual, and policies governing staff development, awards and grants, and intellectual property protection. It also lists unit R and E coordinators, experts, trainings, and provides downloadable forms and other resources.

We have also integrated social media in our website by using the social network Facebook, microblogging service Twitter, video and document platforms, Scivee and Scribd, respectively. Through this system, we have been able to link information among these services thereby increasing information dissemination.

We also have a mailing list, started way back in 2005. With this list, we are able to directly send news, announcements, and memoranda to the more than 1,000 members registered with the system through their email accounts.

▲THE UPLB-CHED ZONAL RESEARCH PROGRAM, which has been led by Vice-Chancellor Enrico P. Supangco from 2008-2011, provided support to HEIs in Regions IV and V in the forms of capability-building research expertise, research funds and grants for local and international travel.

Mentoring other institutions

From 2008 to 2011, we continued the operation of the UPLB-CHED Zonal Research Center, which has enhanced the research culture of 81 higher education institutions (HEIs) in Regions IV and V.

For this period, the center administered a research program supported by the CHED’s Grant-in-Aid fund, endorsed selected faculty and researchers to the CHED’s various thesis and dissertation grants, and supported participants and paper presenters to various conferences on higher education.

The Zonal Research Center was also able to conduct numerous training and worskhops for the HEIs within its coverage and provided technical assistance to other organizations (including HEIs which are not members of the zone) and other zonal research centers as well.

2008-2011

17 training-workshops conducted for

CALABARZON HEIs

Bicol HEIs

MIMAROPA HEIsbenefittingresearchers and faculty

632

392010


PROMOTING RESEARCH OUTPUTS AND PRODUCTSTraditional publications

To promote and disseminate UPLB’s technologies, services and events related to R&E, we have begun our newsletter “The UPLB RDE Digest” in 2009.

The Digest contains full-length features on R&E programs, personnel, products and technologies as well as news, articles and photos which have been featured in the UPLB RDE News Service website.

Regular recipients of the Digest include officials and units of the university, officials of the UP System, funding agencies, local government units, non-government agencies, as well as office walk-in and exhibit visitors.

Also yearly in March, we release a “Catalogue of UPLB Summer Short Courses and Training Programs,” a publication which lists all courses that will be offered during the summer. We have expanded the catalogue’s content and added the email addresses of training coordinators for faster and economical response to inquiries.

Multi-media production We also delved into newer IEC strategies to keep abreast of the changing communication landscape. The first among our multi-media products is the revised “UPLB Research Manual” which we released in 2008 in CD format. The 168-page manual included new guidelines on the submission of proposals, preparation and presentation of reports, and resources such as pro-forma documents of funding agencies.

We have also produced a DVD documentary entitled “UPLB: The Philippines Premier Research University.” The 5 chapter, 50-minute audio-visual provides a general peek on the university’s R&E capabilities, the services offered by the university and the technologies and products available for commercialization.

Two hundred copies of the DVD, in presentable PVC packs with inlay cards, have been distributed to university units and officials, government agencies, international visitors, as well as managers of the different Farmer’s Information and Technology Services Centers in the Southern Tagalog Region.


Efficient use of our IT infrastructure

The OVCRE is one of the few units which have fully made use of the university’s IT infrastructure. We have acknowledged the power, reach and efficiency of the Internet in bringing information and knowledge products to our clientele. Since 2006, we have tried our best to come up with IT-based solutions aimed to increase the use of our research findings as well our as technologies and products.

First, we came up with the UPLB RDE News Service (http://rdenews.uplb.edu.ph), a syndication system which provides a platform for articles written by contributors from UPLB and the press covering agriculture, science, technology and campus beats.

Since its launch in March 2009, the news service has had more than 71,000 visits, with an average of 80 readers daily. Through automatic syndication, our content has been picked-up and featured by blogsites, newsites and other websites.

We have also launched in the same month, the UPLB Journals Online (http://journals.uplb.edu.ph), a system which currently hosts 8 journals published by units and organizations affiliated with the university. Fifty-eight issues of the hosted journals are now available. After only three years of existence, it already has about 1,400 registered users and nearly 100,000 abstract downloads have been recorded.

In 2010, we created the UPLB Research Videos Online (http://researchvideo.uplb.edu.ph), a web-based repository of scientific presentations and discussions of faculty and researchers.

The videos of the presentors have been captured during the OVCRE’s annual Presentation of Completed Researches every March. The videos are synchronized with the presentation’s slides and rendered into multimedia format suitable for online streaming. The site currently hosts 47 videos. Since its launch in April 2010, the website videos have been viewed nearly 38,000 times.

Lastly, for 2011, we have made the UPLB RDE Database (http://redb.uplb.edu.ph), a set of databases that is open to public use. Its first feature is a Project Database which currently contains 2,704 records of completed and ongoing R&E projects conducted by the university since 1970. It has a configurable REPS Database which lists the university’s current crop of REPS personnel along with details important for those looking for experts, consultants or technical assistance. Its third feature is a Technology Database which as of now lists 540 technologies along with their respective descriptions.

We are now trying to further develop the site into one which can accept online submission of data and documents as inputs to the OVCRE’s data gathering and consolidation activities.


Media liasoning and press releases

In 2009, we forged a non-formal arrangement with Research News Asia, an international news agency which provides science and technology news content to global media. Research News Asia has provided us a three-month free subscription to their press release distribution services, enabling UPLB press releases to be picked up by international news organizations.

The Philippines News Agency (PNA) has also agreed to accept our press releases, enabling news websites that use PNA’s syndication services to pick up our articles. Overseas Filipino news websites have been able to feature our releases through the distribution of PNA.

Having maintained email correspondence with several media organizations and their reporters, we have also been able to release articles through them.

Through our request, the DA-BAR helped UPLB technologies gain media mileage on national television through the FARM Foundation’s “Mag-Agri Tayo,” an agriculture-oriented program which airs at 9-10 AM every Saturday on NBN Channel 4. Fifteen technologies and projects were documented and aired in 2009 and 2010.

Mainstreaming technologies through exhibitions

Acknowledging the effectivity of conceptualized and ingenuously packaged public presentation of our technologies, we have taken the liberty to coordinate the exhibits of the different R&E units which have showcased their products separate from the others in national exhibitions in the past.

Starting 2008, the OVCRE led the university’s various units in designing, implementing and manning consolidated booths during the DOST’s National Science and Technology Week Celebration (every 3rd week of July) and the DA-BAR’s Agriculture and Fisheries Technology Commercialization Forum and Exhibit (every 2nd week of August). The next year, 2009, we provided the direction for units which participated in the following events: DA-BAR’s Technology and Business Exhibit, Food Industry Summit, UPLB Centennial Exhibit of Technologies, Products and Services, AGRILINK, and DOST-IVA’ 2nd South Luzon Cluster S and T Exhibition.

In the local front, our office has provided valuable coordination and assistance in the holding of exhibitions during the SyenSaya: Los Baños Science Festival (every 3rd week of July), the Bañamos Festival (every 3rd week of September), and UPLB Loyalty Day and Alumni Homecoming (every 1st week of October). We have also coordinated the exhibits for the 2008 local celebration of the National Biotechnology Week and a technology forum and product exhibition for the 2010 Laguna Business Exposition.

These exhibitions have drawn tens of thousands of visitors and our office will keep on joining or helping organize these activities for our promotion purposes.

▲OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE MEDIA enabled us to feature technologies such as white corn, induced breeding of ayungin, use of nucleopolyhedrosis virus against cutworm, use of earwigs against the Asian Corn Borer and other research outputs of UPLB through the popular agricultural TV show 'Mag-Agri' Tayo.

►EXPOSURE DUE TO COVERAGE OF MAINSTREAM NEWS been instrumental in bringing more and more visitors to UPLB who seek to see our research undertakings, learn from experts,, and value science in general.


STRENGTHENING TECHNOLOGY COMMERCIALIZATION

Strengthening our IP system

Our efforts into protecting the university’s intellectual property has resulted to the creation of a Virtual Intellectual Property Office (VIPO) composed of selected staff from various colleges, research units, and offices engaged in technology development and providing technical, legal and business assistance. We had hoped for this VIPO to help the UPLB CTTE’s IPO in ensuring that all intellectual property produced by UPLB researchers, faculty, staff and students are protected and promoted.

Also, we have begun very good relations with both the UP System Technology Licensing Office and IP Philippines in order to bring over services such as online patent search and invention disclosure services to our IP practitioners.

One result of such relationship was the holding of a one-day seminar-workshop in 2010 for 16 IP facilitators on the process of patent search and the use of online tools for determining patentability of technologies.

In 2010, the IPO was able to draft proposed revisions to UPLB’s existing IP guidelines, as well as new policies related to protection of intellectual property and technology commercialization. These policies, submitted to the UPLB Management Committee for study, were on royalty rates and royalty sharing, invention/patent agreements, guidelines on paper presentation and evaluation for patentable inventions, and workload crediting for evaluating research papers for patentable technologies.

The IPO also contributed to the 2011 revision of the UP System’s implementing rules and regulations on IP.

Protecting our technologies

From 2007, a total of 14 applications have been filed at the Intellectual Property Philippines (IP Philippines) for patents on a method of termite control using lahar barrier, process for production of microbial rennet, coconut and papaya genes primers, microbial inoculants from plant-growth promoting rhizobacteria and the use of PRSV “Bulacan Isolate” coat gene.


Meanwhile, we have gained three patents in 2009 and 2010, namely, (1) method for extending the marketable life of Carabao mangoes, (2) microbial inoculant for use as biofertilizer, crop growth promoter and bio-control agent, and (3) nucleotide sequences for detection of Salmonella and S. aureaus.

Commercializing our technologies

We had commercialized the virgin coconut oil technology of BIOTECH in 2006, and successfully entered into licensing agreements with private companies for the production and marketing of BIO-N biofertilizer during the same year. BIOTECH is also now commercially-producing 10 other biotechnology products, generating income for the university. These products are awaiting takers from the industry.

Our technologies on Trichoderma, Sinta Papaya, Hibiscus and Simple Nutrient Addition Program hydroponics have been licensed by private businesses and corporations have reaped financial benefits for the university and its researchers as well.

To strengthen our efforts in commercializing our products, we had overseen a university committee tasked to formulate the criteria for the commercialization of technologies. Market, technical and financial feasibility had been identified as the major criteria to determine commercial potential. We had also coordinated with the College of Economics and Management (CEM), specifically its Department of Agribusiness Management (DAM), in order for its students to prepare their business plan academic requirements on selected mature technologies.

Developing the Science and Technology Park

In relation to the university’s plan to establish an Agri-Biotech and Information Technology Park, we have modified the UPLB Land Use Plan to expand the current area from 22 hectares to approximately 155.8 hectares, covering the university’s major research centers such as BIOTECH and the CA’s Crop Science Cluster, Crop Protection Cluster and Agri-Park, and some experimental and potential commercial areas. The park coverage was subsequently reduced to 70 hectares, divided into 9.15 hectares for an Information Technology Park and 60.85 hectares for an Agro-Industrial Park.

To maximize the planned parks’ potentials, the university has applied in 2009 with the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) for the parks to be registered as a Special Economic Zone. This special registration would provide fiscal and non-fiscal incentives to the parks’ business locators and to the university as well.

The UPLB CTTE was instrumental in preparing all the documents required. Through the Center, we have accomplished the requirements needed by the PEZA, namely, (1) verified cadastral survey returns, (2) endorsement of the Sangguniang Bayan of Los Baños, (3) zoning certification of the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board.

The CTTE is now processing the documents needed for the environmental compliance certificate which will be issued by the Environmental Management Bureau. The compliance certificate will be submitted to PEZA before the end of the year, and hopefully, PEZA will be able to endorse the issuance of the Presidential Decree to Malacañan.

Maximizing benefits from the Science and Technology Park

Since the establishment of the UPLB CTTE, our Science and Technology Park has become more responsive in providing the services needed by our business locators.

We have thus improved our business relationship with O’Mark Enterprises and PhilHybrid, Incorporated and entered into partnerships with new businesses, namely Biospark Corporation and Pioneer Hi-bred, Philippines. Biospark Corporation is a new company engaged in the

YearIP Applications

Patent Copyright Trademark

2005 14

2006 4

2007 9 1

2008 4 1

2009

2010 1 2

Total 14 17 5

▲ THE APPLICATIONS FOR IP PROTECTION has been facilitated our IPO and the IP divisions of partners such as DOST-PCARRD and DA-BAR.


mass-production of Biospark Trichoderma Microbial Inoculant while Pioneer Hi-Bred Philippines, Inc., is a multi-national corporation engaged in the production and sale of commercial hybrid seeds.

From 2007-2011, the UPLB CTTE was able to earn a total of nearly P 3.65 M from rentals and other services.

Establishing the UPLB Technology Business Incubator for Agri-biotechnology and ICT

In 2008, the university was chosen by the DOST-Philippine Council for Advanced Science and Technology Research and Development* (PCASTRD) and Germany-based InWEnt Capacity Building International as a recipient of financial and technical support for establishing a technology business incubator (TBI). The TBI would facilitate the commercialization of our technologies and spur socio-economic development in our area.

Through the coaching and mentoring of InWEnt consultants, and the financial support of PCASTRD for feasibility studies, our UPLB TBI team was able to produce a business plan which served as a springboard for the planned UPLB TBI.

PCASTRD and InWEnt also supported the UPLB TBI team by sponsoring their participation to conferences, fora and symposia which were organized to promote business incubation as a development strategy in today’s knowledge-based global economy.

One of the major outputs of the TBI team was the preparation and submission of a P10 M proposal for financial support to the UPLB TBI project from the DOST. The request for the grant was approved by the DOST in June 2010.

The grant, intended for the construction of additional office spaces, purchase of equipment for common services and hiring of personnel, will enable the full operation and implementation of the UPLB TBI –composed of the planned Agri-biotech Park and the Knowledge Enterprise Incubation Center or KEICEN, an IT hub.

Both the Agri-biotech Park and KEICEN are envisioned to encourage the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship at UPLB, and thus, are aimimg to create sustainable enterprises utilizing technologies developed at UPLB by agriculture, forestry, agribusiness, computer science and IT graduates, and even faculty and researchers.

In the course of implementing the KEICEN, we also got an additional P70,000 grant from DOST-PCASTRD in order to establish the KEICEN’s feasibility.

As of November 2011, renovation of the UPLB CTTE building to house the TBIs are ongoing. The Center has already negotiated with six prospective clients for the Agri-biotechnology Park. The companies, which we are now helping prepare their business plans, are focused on food and dairy products processing and microbial inoculant production.

◄BIOSPARK TRICHODERMA, a microbial inoculant for an assortment of crops developed by Dr. Virginia Cuevas of the Institute of Biological Sciences is currently being commercially produced at the Science and Technology Park.

*PCASTRD is now known as PCIEERD (Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development) after merging with the Philippine Council for Industry and Energy Research and Development in June 29, 2010.


Produced by theInformation Management and Technology Utilization Section

Office of the Vice-Chancellor for Research and ExtensionUniversity of the Philippines Los Baños

November 2011

The journey has been generally fruitful considering the setbacks occasionally encountered in the way.

We truly appreciate the cooperation given and received, without your continuous support, these accomplishments would not have been possible.

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