Science and Technology Secretary Renato Solidum Jr. led the inauguration of the country’s first local government–owned and managed tissue culture laboratory for ornamental plants in Guiguinto, the Garden Capital of Bulacan.

The new facility, iLAB Guiguinto, is located beside the Tabang Interchange at the terminus of the North Luzon Expressway and its connection to Manila North Road.

Solidum said the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) will help ensure the lab’s sustainability by crafting a long-term 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 its partial operation in 2021, iLAB has already produced new ornamental varieties such as Vanilla planifolia, Pinguicula sethos, and Drosera spatulata.

DOST Bulacan Provincial Director Angelita Parungao shared that construction of the three-story, round-shaped facility began in 2020 through a partnership among the DOST, Municipal Government of Guiguinto, and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

The municipal government allocated P9.7 million for the project, while the DPWH provided P23 million in multiyear funding from 2021 to 2023.

DOST also provided P5.87 million for equipment and secured an additional P3 million under the 2026 National Expenditure Program.

The iLAB will also serve as the new home of the DOST Bulacan Provincial Science and Technology Office.