Dr. Saturnina C. Halos

Chair, Biotechnology Advisory Team,
Department of Agriculture, Philippines

Considered one of the pillars of Philippine biotechnology, Saturnina Halos has assisted the Department of Agriculture in developing and overseeing implementation of its policies and programs in biotechnology and chairs its Biotechnology Advisory Team. She has actively participated in the drafting of GM crop regulatory policies and has served as technical consultant to the Philippine Congress in the drafting of the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act of 1997 and in the preparation of various agricultural bills and resolutions to the COCAFM 2009-2010. Dr. Halos has established the first functional forensic DNA analysis laboratory in the country. She has more than 40 years experience in teaching, research, and extension in molecular biology and biotechnology in various capacities in a number of universities and governmental departments. She has more than 80 scientific articles and books in biotechnology and biosafety. Dr. Halos holds a BSc in Agriculture (Agronomy-Plant Breeding) magna cum laude from the University of the Philippines Los Baños and a PhD in Genetics from the University of California Berkeley, USA.

Session 1D: Delivering Biotech Seeds to Farmers Requires a Functional Regulatory System