TUGUEGARAO CITY – The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Region 02 has launched its first ever Regional R&D Caravan office, joining different agencies and universities in the Cagayan Valley region to promote research and development.
With the theme “Inception to Commercialization Support to Researchers in Cagayan Valley Amid the Pandemic,” the caravan was designed to share DOST’s programs and services that can support researchers, inventors, and scientists in the region.
It also aims to get the interest and participation of the people for the R&D community.
The caravan aims to highlight how DOST can assist researchers, inventors, and scientists in the region through funding, promotion and more.
Engr. Sancho A. Mabborang, DOST 02 Regional Director, stimulated the participants and offered them DOST’s full support in their research initiatives.
Mabborang encouraged the emergence of more researchers in the region and presented concrete research’s impact on society.
He highlighted eight recent commercialized technologies developed by DOST and State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) in the region that now help enterprises and individuals in the whole country.
They include SemEx Goat Semen Processing, Chevon (Goat Meat) Food Processing, and Total Mixed Ration developed by Isabela State University; Novelty Pot Made of Eggshell Powder and Tatty-Ragged Towel, Three Peanut Post-Harvest Equipment pursued by the Cagayan State University; and the Ivatan Beer produced by the Batanes State College.
Meanwhile, Dr. Rowena L. Guevara, DOST Undersecretary for R&D shared DOST’s various achievements in Research and Development.
DOST-PCIEERD chief Grace F. Estillore discussed the agency’s guidelines for its 2023 Call for Proposals and Tips on R&D Proposal Preparation and encouraged the people to participate in the R&D Community.
Dr. Angel B. Encarnacion, the only career scientist in the Cagayan Valley region, discussed the “failure and success in submitting research proposals,” which highlighted Estillore’s discussion.
Dr. Gil L. Magsino, retired director of the National Crop Protection Center, spoke about his journey towards becoming a researcher starting from his student days when he did research as part of his academic requirements up to when he took research as a “career for a living.”
Following Magsino’s testimony, participants shared their own experiences and comments during the open forum.
“We first think of research as a mere subject requirement, but if you look closely, it’s more than that. Research is a tool that can change our society and the way we live,” Magsino said in response to a question during the forum.
The R&D Caravan aims to give researchers an avenue for them to share their experiences, ideas, and suggestions, which in the past were often unheard and ignored.
The caravan also encourages future researchers, including students and other interested people to attend the event and stir their interest in producing technologies through research and development, Mabborang emphasized.
The Cagayan State University Carig Campus co-organized and co-hosts the DOST 02 Regional R&D Caravan.
It has the participation of DOST’s partner agencies and universities– the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL), National Crop Protection Center
(NCPC), Department of Agriculture (DA), RDC 02 – RRDC, CVIEERDEC, CVHRDC, CVAARRD, and Elsevier Asia Pacific.
A total of 521 people joined via Zoom and 1,928 people joined via Facebook Live, mostly students from the different state universities and science high schools who attended the initial caravan webinar.
Different lectures and workshops were scheduled for two weeks to extensively discuss research and development.
Lectures on Patent Drafting by IPOPHL was set on May 18-19. A write shop for Research Proposal, conducted by S4CP, was on May 20-21. DOST 02 personnel handled proposal submissions for DPMIS on May 21.
Simultaneously, IPOPHL and DOST technical staff conducted on-site and virtual Review and Revisions of Research outputs per province in Cagayan.
On May 25, DOST-TAPI and PCIEERD spearheaded the training on Technology Transfer and Commercialization.
ELSEVIER Asia Pacific led the Forum on Research Publication on May 27.
The project will last until May 31 and will have its closing program on May 28 at 2 p.m.