The fishery sector of the country gets a big boost in the establishment of the P431 million biotechnology laboratory at the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC) in Tigbauan, some 24 kilometers south of Iloilo City. This biotechnology laboratory was visited by the Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Leonardo Montemayor. He said that this laboratory can help the fisheries sector in addressing problems they encounter in fish propagation, thus increase their production. The biotechnology laboratory was initiated in 1997 by SEAFDEC/ Aquaculture Department (AQD) and the DA.

Gobuyan, N. A. (2002, August 19). SEAFDEC P431 million biotechnology lab operational. Panay News, pp. 3, 16.