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Technological Milestones
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R&D Investments
In 1999, the Department of Science and
Technology (DOST) recorded 431 fruit
research projects with a total budget of
P145.4 M. Mango had the most number of
research projects and the largest budget
(39%), followed by banana (27%). Next were
durian (7%), cashew (5%), and papaya (4%)
(Pabuayon, 2000).
By institution, there were more
researches conducted in line government
agencies than in state colleges and
universities (SCUs). Among the SCUs,
the University of the Philippines Los
Baños (UPLB) had the biggest share
(32.92%), with a total budget for fruit
research of P59.09 M; followed by the
University of Southern Mindanao (USM),
with 3.03% of the total budget.
In 1993–1997, PCARRD embarked on a
P5.6-M comprehensive technology transfer
and commercialization program for mango.
To sustain the initial gains from this
program, PCARRD launched the research
project entitled, “Enhancing Productivity of
the Philippine Mango Industry (EPPMI)”
with a budget of P12 M. Almost
simultaneous to this, an even bigger
program dubbed as “Mango Information
Network (MIN),” which is a world-wide
web-based information service was
established in 1999, with a total budget of
P20 M from the United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP), DOST, and
PCARRD.
The banana industry has been included
in several national programs such as the
Science and Technology Agenda for
National Development (STAND) of DOST,
the High Value Commercial Crops Program
(HVCC) of the Department of Agriculture
(DA), and the Investment Priorities Plan
(IPP) of the Board of Investments-
Department of Trade and Industry (BOI-
DTI.)
Under the STAND Program, activities
promote increased production of quality
fruits to sustain competitiveness in the
world market. Activities which were funded
by DOST included mass production of
virus-free planting materials through tissue
culture, use of diagnostic kits for rapid
diagnosis of viral diseases, screening of
different cultivars for resistance to major
pests, further studies on bugtok disease,
improved management system for saba,
development/improvement of products from
saba for export, and field and in vitro
maintenance of banana germplasm.
Researches on biotechnology dealt with
the development of homogenic banana
varieties resistant to bunchy top disease
through genetic engineering and mutation
breeding. For the period 1998–2000,
biotechnology research for fruits had a total
budget of P47.57 M. Banana had more than
half of the pie (55%), followed by durian with
15.77%, papaya with 13.67%, and mango
with 11.35%. Pili had a share of 4.20%.
PCARRD also embarked on a P4.9-M
program to enhance the productivity of the
Saba industry through the development of
a quality assurance program from
production, handling, and processing.
16 ............................................................................................................. R&D Status and Directions