RDEDigest Volume 3 Number 2

Special Issue
Official Research, Development and Extension Newsletter
of the University of the Philippines Los Baños

6-Year
Research &
Extension Report
Office of the Vice-Chancellor
for Research and Extension
University of the Philippines Los Baños

Volume 3 Number 1 (Special Issue)

OVCRE End-of-Term Report 1
PREFACE
Commitment, 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.
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.

We have increased the promotion of our research outputs and ENRICO P. SUPANGCO
products via our participation in exhibitions and techno-fora, Vice-Chancellor for Research and Extension
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

University of the Philippines Los Baños

2 Research, Development and Extension Digest
GENERATING R AND E RESOURCES
Though financially challenged, the University of the
Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) has made sure that it lives UPLB Trust Fund
UPLB Basic
up to the expectations of its being a research university. (Endowment Fund)
Research Fund (P M)
Year (P M)
Number of Number of
Starting 2006, the OVCRE was able to use the interest Funds
Projects
Funds
Projects
of endowment fund (UPLB Trust Fund) to support the 2004 1.675 30
implementation of new research projects as shown in the
2005 1.675 25
table.
2006 1.675 26 0.200 2

With this fund, the UPLB researchers were encouraged 2007 1.675 21 1.051 10
to propose and implement studies and projects on less- 2008 1.675 21 1.051 17
than popular but equally important disciplines such as 2009 1.675 20 0.800 7
those in the humanities and the arts, and in scientific 2010 1.675 21 1.500 15
areas which are still to be explored by the university such
2011 1.675 21 0.993 9
as nanotechnology, material science and others.
▲A RESEARCH TRUST FUND has been created to augment the UPLB
This increased the number of over-all possible grantees, Basic Research Program Fund and provide more opportunities for junior
not to mention the building of their capabilities to make faculty and researchers, as well as start-up investments in research.
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
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.

Volume 3 Number 1 (Special Issue)

OVCRE End-of-Term Report 3
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 P
units as well are also instrumental in successfully P
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.
P
Funds monitored by Funds monitored by
OVCRE-UPLB UPLBFI
From 2006-2011, a total of 315 projects were
completed, 50%, 15%, and 11% of which were projects ▲TOTAL GENERATED FUNDS, 2005-2011
from the CA, CAS, BIOTECH, respectively. The rest UPLB has been able to generate almost P1.462 B from 2005-2011, 33%
came from the other units. of which was administered by the university through the OVCRE, while
67% was coursed through the UPLB Foundation, Incorporated.
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 P 944.47 M
institutional development proposals to upgrade the
analytical service laboratories of the College of Veterinary
Medicine (CVM) and CA-Animal and Dairy Sciences P 189.39 M
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 P 327.78 M
industries and businesses, farming and fisheries sectors,
and the general public at the national, regional and local
levels. National Local private International
government

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

University of the Philippines Los Baños

4 Research, Development and Extension Digest
Total UPLB-OVCRE UPLBFI-
▲YEARLY GENERATED FUNDS BY MONITORING, 2005-2011
monitored monitored
Funds 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.

Volume 3 Number 1 (Special Issue)

OVCRE End-of-Term Report 5
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
University of the Philippines Los Baños
6 Research, Development and Extension Digest
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.
Volume 3 Number 1 (Special Issue)
OVCRE End-of-Term Report 7
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
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.

Articles in ISI-indexed Books or

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

University of the Philippines Los Baños

8 Research, Development and Extension Digest
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.
Volume 3 Number 1 (Special Issue)
OVCRE End-of-Term Report 9
We have also sponsored and or coordinated several
seminars and other learning activities emerging REPS in figures
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 13 Total: 351
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
68
commercialization program with a more global 270
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 Casual - 4% Temporary - 19% Permanent - 77%

a 1-year “International Leadership Training on Regional

Economic Development” and 3-month “Practicum at
the Internationales Technologie-und Service Center,
both in Germany.”
▲NUMBER OF REPS BY TENURE STATUS, 2011
The 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.

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.

UEA URA CL GSS

UES UR DMO

PhD MS/ MA/ ML BS/ AB/ DVM ▲NUMBER OF REPS BY POSITION, 2011
University Researchers comprise the most number with 190, followed
▲NUMBER OF REPS BY EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT, 2011 by University Research Associates, University Extension Specialists and
Almost half (49%) of the REPS have masteral-level degrees while 19% of University Extension Associates with 70, 37, and 27, respectively. Lumped
the REPS personnel have doctorate-level degrees. Thirty-percent or 111 of together, the College Librarians, Development Management Officers and
351 have baccalaureate-level degrees. Guidance Service Specialists totalled 27.

University of the Philippines Los Baños

10 Research, Development and Extension Digest
RECOGNIZING EXEMPLARY
PERFORMANCE
One of the most important activities our office A great number of our personnel had also won major
spearheads every year to recognize the exemplary awards given by the DA and its bureaus and attached
performance of our R&E manpower is UPLB’s Annual agencies, the DOST and its Councils, the National
Search for Outstanding Personnel. The awardees are Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) and the
given recognition during the annual Foundation Commission on Higher Education (CHED). Some of
Anniversary Week celebration. our researchers and extensionists have been awarded by
local government, private, and non-government agencies.
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 Local/ Regional National International
Peace Prize alongside former US Vice-President Al Gore.
▲NUMBER OF AWARDS RECEIVED, 2005-2011
A total of 724 awards were given to UPLB and its constituents since 2005.

Volume 3 Number 1 (Special Issue)

OVCRE End-of-Term Report 11
CONNECTING WITH OUR CLIENTELE
Sharing our expertise, enabling our clients Most of the participants on record were students and
teachers, extension workers and community folks,
Every first quarter of the year, we spearhead the farmers and forest officers, policymakers, entrepreneurs
compilation of various training courses that will be and hobbyists, and out-of-school youth.
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,
No. of No. of non-degree
exhibits, etc.) were conducted by the university's various beneficiaries training activities
units. Participants to these non-degree training activities, ▲NUMBER OF NON-DEGREE TRAINING ACTIVITIES
based on the data submitted to the OVCRE, totalled AND BENEFICIARIES, 2006-2011
75,928. In 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.

University of the Philippines Los Baños

12 Research, Development and Extension Digest
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.
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
39 CALABARZON HEIs
20 Bicol HEIs
10 MIMAROPA HEIs
benefitting 632
researchers and faculty
▲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.
Volume 3 Number 1 (Special Issue)
OVCRE End-of-Term Report 13
PROMOTING RESEARCH OUTPUTS
AND PRODUCTS
Traditional 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.
University of the Philippines Los Baños
14 Research, Development and Extension Digest
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.
Volume 3 Number 1 (Special Issue)
OVCRE End-of-Term Report 15
 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.
▲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.
University of the Philippines Los Baños
16 Research, Development and Extension Digest
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.
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.
Volume 3 Number 1 (Special Issue)
OVCRE End-of-Term Report 17
 Developing the Science and Technology Park
IP Applications
Year In relation to the university’s plan to establish an
Patent Copyright Trademark
Agri-Biotech and Information Technology Park, we
2005 14
have modified the UPLB Land Use Plan to expand
2006 4
the current area from 22 hectares to approximately
2007 9 1 155.8 hectares, covering the university’s major research
2008 4 1 centers such as BIOTECH and the CA’s Crop Science
2009 Cluster, Crop Protection Cluster and Agri-Park, and
2010 1 2 some experimental and potential commercial areas.
Total 14 17 5
The park coverage was subsequently reduced to 70
hectares, divided into 9.15 hectares for an Information
▲ THE APPLICATIONS FOR IP PROTECTION has been facilitated our IPO
Technology Park and 60.85 hectares for an Agro-
and the IP divisions of partners such as DOST-PCARRD and DA-BAR. Industrial Park.

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.
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.

Commercializing our technologies The UPLB CTTE was instrumental in preparing all
the documents required. Through the Center, we
We had commercialized the virgin coconut oil have accomplished the requirements needed by the
technology of BIOTECH in 2006, and successfully PEZA, namely, (1) verified cadastral survey returns, (2)
entered into licensing agreements with private endorsement of the Sangguniang Bayan of Los Baños,
companies for the production and marketing of BIO-N (3) zoning certification of the Housing and Land Use
biofertilizer during the same year. BIOTECH is also Regulatory Board.
now commercially-producing 10 other biotechnology
products, generating income for the university. These The CTTE is now processing the documents needed
products are awaiting takers from the industry. for the environmental compliance certificate which will
be issued by the Environmental Management Bureau.
Our technologies on Trichoderma, Sinta Papaya, Hibiscus The compliance certificate will be submitted to PEZA
and Simple Nutrient Addition Program hydroponics before the end of the year, and hopefully, PEZA will
have been licensed by private businesses and corporations be able to endorse the issuance of the Presidential
have reaped financial benefits for the university and its Decree to Malacañan.
researchers as well.
Maximizing benefits from the Science and Technology
To strengthen our efforts in commercializing our Park
products, we had overseen a university committee tasked
to formulate the criteria for the commercialization of Since the establishment of the UPLB CTTE, our Science
technologies. Market, technical and financial feasibility and Technology Park has become more responsive in
had been identified as the major criteria to determine providing the services needed by our business locators.
commercial potential. We had also coordinated with
the College of Economics and Management (CEM), We have thus improved our business relationship with
specifically its Department of Agribusiness Management O’Mark Enterprises and PhilHybrid, Incorporated and
(DAM), in order for its students to prepare their entered into partnerships with new businesses, namely
business plan academic requirements on selected mature Biospark Corporation and Pioneer Hi-bred, Philippines.
technologies. Biospark Corporation is a new company engaged in the

University of the Philippines Los Baños

18 Research, Development and Extension Digest
 mass-production of Biospark Trichoderma Microbial One of the major outputs of the TBI team was the
Inoculant while Pioneer Hi-Bred Philippines, Inc., is a preparation and submission of a P10 M proposal for
multi-national corporation engaged in the production financial support to the UPLB TBI project from the
and sale of commercial hybrid seeds. DOST. The request for the grant was approved by the
DOST in June 2010.
From 2007-2011, the UPLB CTTE was able to earn a
total of nearly P 3.65 M from rentals and other services. The grant, intended for the construction of additional
office spaces, purchase of equipment for common
Establishing the UPLB Technology Business services and hiring of personnel, will enable the full
Incubator for Agri-biotechnology and ICT operation and implementation of the UPLB TBI
–composed of the planned Agri-biotech Park and the
In 2008, the university was chosen by the DOST- Knowledge Enterprise Incubation Center or KEICEN,
Philippine Council for Advanced Science and an IT hub.
Technology Research and Development* (PCASTRD)
and Germany-based InWEnt Capacity Building Both the Agri-biotech Park and KEICEN are
International as a recipient of financial and technical envisioned to encourage the spirit of innovation and
support for establishing a technology business incubator entrepreneurship at UPLB, and thus, are aimimg to
(TBI). The TBI would facilitate the commercialization of create sustainable enterprises utilizing technologies
our technologies and spur socio-economic development developed at UPLB by agriculture, forestry, agribusiness,
in our area. computer science and IT graduates, and even faculty and
researchers.
Through the coaching and mentoring of InWEnt
consultants, and the financial support of PCASTRD In the course of implementing the KEICEN, we also got
for feasibility studies, our UPLB TBI team was able to an additional P70,000 grant from DOST-PCASTRD in
produce a business plan which served as a springboard order to establish the KEICEN’s feasibility.
for the planned UPLB TBI.
As of November 2011, renovation of the UPLB CTTE
PCASTRD and InWEnt also supported the UPLB TBI building to house the TBIs are ongoing. The Center has
team by sponsoring their participation to conferences, already negotiated with six prospective clients for the
fora and symposia which were organized to promote Agri-biotechnology Park. The companies, which we are
business incubation as a development strategy in today’s now helping prepare their business plans, are focused
knowledge-based global economy. on food and dairy products processing and microbial
*PCASTRD is now known as PCIEERD (Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and
inoculant production.
Development) after merging with the Philippine Council for Industry and Energy Research and Development in June 29, 2010.

◄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.

Volume 3 Number 1 (Special Issue)

OVCRE End-of-Term Report 19
 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.

Produced by the
Information Management and Technology Utilization Section
Office of the Vice-Chancellor for Research and Extension
University of the Philippines Los Baños
November 2011

University of the Philippines Los Baños

20 Research, Development and Extension Digest