For the last five years, scientists from the University of San Agustin (USA) in Iloilo province have been combing the country’s oceans for microorganisms that can cure intractable diseases. This year, they finally discovered a new species of marine bacteria in the sediments of Tubbataha Reefs in the Sulu Sea that could be developed into antibiotic, anti-cancer drug compounds. Their findings — published in the American Society for Microbiology Journal — were the first to explore the pharmaceutical potential of microorganisms in Tubbataha, declared by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization as a World Heritage Site in 1993.

Subingsubing, K. (2023, November 28). Iloilo researchers see potential for drug development; Marine bacteria in Tubbataha show anti-cancer properties. Panay News, p. 2.