12 December 2005 - VIENNA – Philippine Ambassador to Austria Victor G. Garcia III, who is the Permanent Representative of the Philippines to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), reported to the Department of Foreign Affairs that the IAEA has designated the Philippines as one of the pioneer IAEA Collaborating Centres in the field of management of Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs).

IAEA Deputy Director General Burkart, on behalf of IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei, informed Ambassador Garcia of the formal designation made by the IAEA on 23 September 2005.  Also known as "red tide", the HABs have caused fish-kill in several coastal provinces, notably in Manila Bay, and has severely affected fishermen's livelihood, not to mention causing several deaths from consumption of shellfish with toxic substances found in HABs.  Losses to the Philippine seafood industry could be as high as $300,000 per day at the height of red tide season.

The designation follows consultations between Vienna and Philippine Nuclear Research Institute's Quezon City headquarters. HABs are a primary cause of "red tide", which is destructive to fishery and marine resources in the Philippines and throughout the world's coastal areas. In a letter to PNRI Director Alumanda dela Rosa, IAEA Deputy Director General Werner Burkart stated, "I believe that you can take pride that PNRI is in the first group of such Centres."

Under a three-year work plan, the PNRI will work closely with the IAEA's Marine Environment Laboratory in Monaco in improving the management of algal bloom occurrences. According to Secretary Estrellita Alabastro of the Department of Science and Technology, "such a designation is premised on the recognition of the PNRI as an institution with high scientific and technical standing, having attained international recognition in HABs research and development. Moreover, the designation was seen to be an avenue for further improving the management of algal bloom occurrences, and obtaining resources for the PNRI in this field."

What this means for the Philippines is that it amounts to a public recognition of the work being done in the country for the Agency. It can be regarded as an acknowledgement of being an internationally recognized player in the specified Field, and as an expression of thanks by the Agency, Ambassador Garcia said.

According to Director dela Rosa, other Philippine Government agencies, such as the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute, are its partners in this endeavor. The BFAR is due to receive a Receptor Binding Assay from the project. The equipment will be used to predict the occurrence of HABs. END