By Daniel P. Tapaoan, Jr.

Upscaling drug development in the country, a reputable Filipino-owned pharmaceutical company has partnered with the Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) to develop herbal products. 

The BauerTek (BT) Corporation, a pharm firm based in Guiguinto, Bulacan, and MMSU have agreed to pool their resources to cultivate herbal plants needed to produce supplements, cosmetic and pharmaceutical products. 

BT General Manager Richard Nixon C. Gomez and MMSU President Shirley C. Agrupis formalized this partnership through signing a memorandum of agreement at the company’s facility in Bulacan last February 14. 

Dr. Agrupis bared BT will purchase moringa, turmeric, nipa, bamboo, and garlic crops from MMSU. For this, the university will allocate a 10-hectare plantation in Sitio Lubbot, Brgy. San Pedro, City of Batac. 

Also, the university has started to coordinate with farmer-cooperatives, associations and local government units in the province which will serve as its partners in cultivating the herbal plants. 

Dr. Gomez said the company shall provide the university with package of technology, other technical ancillary and counterpart support to enhance the development of the raw materials. 

BT will also lead in the marketing of all products and handle all regulatory compliances. 

In their visit last February 21 and 22, BT inspected the university’s proposed model farms and processing facility, as well as the Tuklas Lunas Development Center. 

They also met key university officials, farmers’ cooperatives in the province and LGU representatives to tackle the production and processing of the plant materials.

As their initial project, BT and MMSU will launch “Accelerating Moringa Commercialization through Academe-Community-Industry Partnerships,” this March. 

Supported by the Department of Agriculture – Bureau of Agricultural Research (DA-BAR), the project aims to establish in-campus malunggay plantations and off-campus production areas through partnerships with farmer-cooperatives and organizations and LGUs. 

To date, MMSU is the third state university partner of the pharmaceutical firm, along with Isabela State University and the Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology. (JVBT, StratCom)