The country's first local government unit-owned and managed tissue culture laboratory for ornamental plants opened in Guiguinto, Bulacan.
The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) spearheaded the launching of the iLAB in Guiguinto town as the Garden Capital of Bulacan.
The facility is located beside the Tabang interchange in the terminal of the North Luzon Expressway and connected with the Manila North Road.
DOST Secretary Renato Solidum, Jr. said that with the completion and full opening of the facility, the agency shall ensure its sustainability and continuous success by formulating a business plan.
“We will help the ornamental planter-beneficiary to nurture the variety that was developed by the iLAB and ensure the value added to the plant,” he said.
Since the start of the partial operation of the iLAB in 2021, it has already produced a new variety of ornamental plants such as Vanilla planifolia, Pinguicula sethos, and Drosera spatulata.
The construction of the three-story, round-shaped structure started in 2020 through a joint undertaking by the DOST, Municipal Government of Guiguinto, and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
The municipal government allotted P9.7 million for the construction of the facility.
The DPWH appropriated P23 million from its multiyear allocation in 2021-2023 for the project.
“On our part, we already provided P5.87 million in the previous years for the procurement of equipment required for the operation of this laboratory for ornamental plants,” the DOST said.
There is also an additional P3 million funding for equipment, included in the 2026 National Expenditure Program, that was approved by the Department of Budget and Management.
The iLAB Guiguinto will also be the new site of the DOST Bulacan Provincial Science and Technology Office.