The rich and teeming biological diversity of the Philippines has made it a very inviting and tempting target for biopirates and bioprospectors.

Statistics from the Environmental Management Bureau showed that the Philippines has at about 13,500 plant species representing five percent of the world's flora. Of that number, 32 percent are endemic (native) and mostly found in primary forests. Flowering species are estimated at 8,000, of which 3,200 species are endemic.

According to EMB, about 5 to 8 percent of the flowering plants, mosses, fungi and lichen; 5 percent of ferns and liverworts and 5 percent of gymnospersm and alegae have yet to be named.

On the other hand, animal species, mostly insects, total about 170,000, half of which are endemic. Terrestrial vertebrate species are pegged at 960 of which 43 percent are endemic. Marine species include 488 species of coral, about 2,400 species of protozoans and six species of seagrasses.

As of 1991, 89 species of birds, 44 species of coral and about eight species of reptiles are internationaly recognized as threatened.

Left virtually unexplored by Filipinos for pharmacological and industrial uses, these "green gold" have been a lucrative venture for those who have the money and the resources.

A classic example, is the development of one of the most a powerful antibiotics the world has ever known -- erythromycin -- which was introduced in the market in 1952.

The microbes used in the production of erythomycin, was actually discovered by Filipino scientists who isolated them from molds in the soil from Iloilo.

Although Eli Lilly, the American pharmaceutical company which developed erythromycin acknowledged Filipino contribution by naming their patented drug after the province -- Ilosone -- it refused to share any of its profits with the Philippines.

The list of pirated Philippine materials is proving to be a long one. Rural Advancement Foundation International, a non-government organization based in Canada, has compiled some of the commercially-useful biomaterials already patented or are in the process of being patented in the US.

These include the bone marrow of a leprosy patient which produces tuberculostearic acide and pyrazine carboxylamidase deposited by W.L. Barksdale; soil used in the production of antitumor and antibacterial complex BBM-928 deposited by Bristol Labs; mosquito larvae deposited by AA Yousten, WHO.

Mud from ricefields of Luzon used for the production of crisamicin deposited by Sc. Schaffner; soil from Panay used in the production of the antibiotic C-2801-X deposited by Takeda Chem; soil from Bohol and Mt. Apo, Mindanao with the latter used in the production of eponemycin deposited by Bristol Myers.

Soil used in the production of antibiotics 43,334 and 43,596 deposited by Chas. Pfizer Inc; rice leaves which produces host-specific toxic/causes brown spot disease deposited by T.W. Mew; pine forest oil for type culture of Eupenicillium luzoniacum deposited by FRR; banana cv Latundan and banana cv Cavendish for vegetative compatibility by R.C. Ploetz; tobacco deposited by R. Hugh and washed rice root for Nitrogen fixation deposited by W.L. Barraquio.

Economic losses are hard to quantify in such cases, but a recent United Nations Development Program study revealed that medicinal plants and microbials from tropical and sub-tropical countries alone, contribute at least $30 billion annually to the North's pharmaceutical giants.

At the same time, former Acting Health Secretary Jaime Galvez Tan warned that the Philippines stands to lose its valuable resources to foreign bioprospectors if it is not vigilant.

For instance, he said, as early as 1980, a Japanese firm had patented a drug used for kidney affliction and diabetes derived from banaba, a tree endemic to the country.

Tan said while Japanese provided the funding to scientists from the National Institute for Science and Technology for the screening of the potential uses of banaba, all processess, outputs and the products now belong to that company.

"Banaba has long been used by the herbolarios and there were already initial researches done on it. That is why the Japanese group became interested. However, it is a very one sided contract favoring the Japanese since royalties were not awarded to either NIST or the researchers involved in the project," Tan told the Journal Group.

NIST, Tan said, knew what it was getting into. But he said he could understand Filipino researchers since they don't have adequate funds for such projects.

"The government has also to invest in Science and Technology. DOST and DOH receive the smallest proportion of the funding as compared to defense and education. If we are serious about advancing, then we should invest in it," he pointed out.

"Kung mabibigay lang ng funds, our scientists' caliber is of international stature and expertise as proven by the development of Lagundi and Sambong. DOST yon' and Filipino scientists," he said.

Lagundi is used for fever, asthma and cough while Sambong for kidney problems. Both are marketed by Pascual Laboratories.

Aside from banaba, Tan said, Ylang-Ylang has been patented by the House of Dior in France. Although the flower is common in Southeast Asia, he said the Philippine variety is noted for its strong scent.

In the Philippines, Ylang-Ylang is used in therapuetic massages by the herbolarios. Its essential oil is a soothing and relaxing liniment.

"They used to buy the materials here but then they got the seed and planted it in Africa which is nearer them and therefore cheaper. Nawala pa tayo ng market," Tan lamented.

"Right now, tons and tons of saluyot are being exported to Japan. Three or four years ago, nata de coco was a craze there. The same thing now is happening with saluyot. It's sold as a powder in sachet which Japanese mix in their soup. I have also seen it in triangular tablets," he added.

According to Tan, DOST inventory showed at least 2,000 medicinal plants. But, he said, about 8,000 to 10,000 are used by herbolarios nationwide.

"We sell our patrimony because we are a poor nation and we have no money except our resources. But we have to guard these especially with the World Trade Organization. Kung hindi, unti-unti mawawala," he warned.

WHO is a global pact that puts a premium not only on free trade but also on intellectual property rights. Tan said a the Philippine panel is strongly advocating for the exclusion of biological diversity.

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JOURNAL Group reporter Jenny S. Macrohon won the third prize in the Jaime V. Ongpin Awards for Investigative Journalism for this series on Biopirates.