It is my pleasure to welcome you to the 11^th ANRRC International Meeting (ANRRC 2019) which will be held in the South East Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), University of the Philippines-Los Baños (UPLB) on October 16 to 18, 2019.

The Philippines is privileged to host ANRRC 2019 in the biodiversity-rich and refreshing UPLB campus, located about 70 km south of the city of Manila. It is also a momentous event in the history of ANRRC since this will be the first time that the ANRRC International Meeting will be held outside the three founding countries, namely, South Korea, Japan and China. With the unwavering support of the Office of the UPLB Chancellor and the Museum of Natural History (MNH), UPLB, the 11^th ANRRC International Meeting will come into fruition this October.

With the theme, “Bioresource Centers (BRCs): Infrastructure for Biodiversity Conservation, Biotechnology and Biomedicine”, ANRRC 2019 will consist of plenary talks, scientific sessions and poster presentations which aim to highlight the roles of BRCs in the conservation, preservation, and utilization of animal, plant and microbial resources, in the development of products and processes for agro-industrial applications and environmental remediation, and in addressing global health issues. Furthermore, the meeting will provide a venue to discuss updates and experiences on the implementation of laws and regulations pertinent to Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS), biobanking guidelines and operations, quality control, best practices and international standards for BRCs, and management, access and exchange of information.

I envision ANRRC 2019 as a forum for dynamic exchange of information and ideas and for fostering professional and social ties. It is also our hope that the momentum for research partnerships gained in the past ten years will be sustained through this meeting. Do join ANRRC 2019, enjoy the meeting in a refreshing forest ecosystem and experience Filipino hospitality!