Capas, Tarlac — Ethnobotanical research in the country or the study of the relationship between humans and plants has gotten a boost from the government with the planned building of the Ayta Ethno Botanical Center (AEBC) in New Clark City.

The Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), Department of Agriculture (DA) Regional Field Office III and the Pampanga State Agricultural University (PSAU) signed a memorandum of agreement (MoA) on 13 December to build the 10-hectare learning facility.

BCDA president and CEO Engr. Joshua M. Bingcang, DA Regional Field Office III executive director Dr. Eduardo L. Lapuz and PSAU vice president for planning and resource generation Dr. Lyndon G. Solis signed the MoA.

Under the agreement, BCDA will provide the land, PSAU will manage, supervise and monitor the facility, and the DA Regional Field Office III will allocate P4.8 million for a training project to enrich the agriculture, food and non-food-based indigenous practices of the Aetas at the AEBC.

Through the facility, the distribution and conservation of medicinal plants, and discovery of new therapeutic agents, could be assessed.

The use of plants as food and for other purposes will also be studied at the AEBC.