Los Baños, Philippines
30 May 2025
More than a year after the groundbreaking for the new Agricultural Genomics Research Center (AGRC), a topping-off ceremony was held on April 22, 2025, to mark a milestone in its construction.
Representatives of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), and iSteel, the contractor for the AGRC building, attended the ceremony.
Dr. Nathaniel C. Bantayan, vice chancellor for research and extension and lead of the KOICA-UPLB-IRRI project implementation unit, said that the topping-off ceremony marks the day that the final layer of concrete was poured on the building.
It signals the beginning of the next phase of construction and celebrates the 444,124 hours of construction that have proceeded without incident.
Vice Chancellor Bantayan said that this milestone also signals that the AGRC is nearing completion and that its role as a hub for collaboration, innovation, and research hub will soon be realized.
KOICA Construction Manager Soonil Yi also offered congratulations on behalf of KOICA and commended the tireless effort and dedication of the construction team from iSteel.
In his message, Chancellor Jose V. Camacho, Jr. highlighted how the project shall soon contribute to the research community and benefit more researchers, students, and scientists.
The construction of the AGRC is part of a collaborative project between KOICA, UPLB, and IRRI to support plant breeding and genomics research in the country for sustainable agriculture.
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