Tacloban City, August 16, 2017 --- Department of Education Regional Office VIII (DepEdRO8) launches the Superkid Linis Lusog Scholl Caravan for school year 2017-2018 last August 15, 2017 at the Oriental Hotel, Palo, Leyte with Department of Health (DOHRO8), Department of Education (DepEd) and Rescope Communication, Inc.
The campaign aims to increase awareness among the school population on developing the habit of handwashing as a basic health or hygiene practice that can prevent infectious diseases.
The caravan had two (2) major activities: a) Pilot Launching of Continuing Health Education for Teachers (CHET) last August 15, 2017 at Oriental Hotel, Palo, Leyte. CHET is an annual assembly that aims to provide updates and new trends relevant to school health. The event was attended by almost 700 school personnel from DepEd Region 8. b) The Superkid School Caravan Proper, that will be conducted in 304 identified school in the 13 school divisions. The activity includes the Superkid Cartoon Video Showing, Superkid Handwashing, Superkid Ball Relay, and Superkid Handwashing Champion Oath taking. Activity started last August 7, 2017 up to September 29, 2017.
The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Region 02 in partnership with the Local Government Unit of Cauayan City and Isabela State University will conduct the biggest S&T celebration in the region on August 14-18, 2017 at F. L Dy Coliseum, Cauayan City, Isabela.
Informative, exciting and fun S&T activities will be held during the Regional Science and Technology Week 2017, a weeklong celebration that highlights the significant contributions, innovations, and breakthroughs of Science and Technology in the lives of the Filipinos towards holistic countryside development.
It aims to bring science and technology closer to the people, letting them get a first-hand experience on how science and technology work for a better and progressive life.
Anchored in the theme “Science for the People”, DOST R02 prepared various activities for the general public including S&T Quiz, Science Explorer, Technology Fora, Search for Ginoo at Binibining Agham at Teknolohiya, S&T Trivia, and many more.
Kids will have a unique science experience in the Science Explorer, a mobile interactive learning facility that provides access to audio-visual equipment, interactive exhibits, and countless learning materials letting the students learn concepts and ideas in science in a more exciting and fun ways.
Also, numerous DOST—assisted products owned by micro, small and medium enterprises in the region will be displayed and sold in the S&T Bazaar.
Moreover, different Regional Testing Laboratories nationwide are expected to come for the first ever National Laboratory Summit. This will further strengthen the awareness of laboratory personnel and staff to various regulations and laws and the significant breakthroughs in laboratory testing.
Aside from these, cash prizes will be given to researchers, inventors, faculties and students with the best research outputs and innovations during the Regional Invention Contest and Exhibits (RICE) scheduled on August 14-18, 2017. Winners from the regional level will compete to the national contest for the 2018 National Invention Contest (NICE).
The Smarter Approaches to Reinvigorate Agriculture as an Industry in the Philippines (SARAI) Project spearheaded by the University of the Philippines Los Bańos will also be introduced during the S&T event.
SARAI aims to improve the forecasting and crop monitoring system of the Philippine crops including rice, corn, coconut, banana, coffee and cacao. SARAI team has developed various systems and technologies including Cost-efficient soil moisture sensors and meters, Smarter Pest Identification Technology (SPI Tech), SARAI-Enhanced Cost-Efficient Soil Moisture Sensors and Meters, Smarter Pest Identification Technology, SARAI-Enhanced Agricultural Monitoring System (SEAMS), Automatic Weather Station (AWS) and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (AUV), and SARAI Knowledge Portal.
DOST key officials including Secretary Fortunato dela Peńa, Undersecretary for Regional Operations - Brenda L. Nazareth-Manzano, Assistant Secretary for Finance and Legal Affairs - Emmanuel S. Galvez, DOST-Technology Application and Promotion Institute Director Edgar I. Garcia, other DOST regional directors and other representatives from DOST’s attached agencies and research councils are expected to come.
Also, State Universities and Colleges (SUCs), Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), Regional Line Agencies, Provincial and Municipal Local Government Units and other partner stakeholders will also extend their support and presence during the RSTW 2017.
The activities are open to public for free. Updates will be posted in our official Facebook Account @www.facebook.com/cagayanvalley. Don’t forget to like our page @www.facebook.com/DOST.Region2.
In its bid to bring the gains of science, technology, and innovation (STI) closer to the people to reduce demographic inequality, create opportunities for businesses and employment, and expand the potential for growth in the countryside, the Department of Science and Technology Regional Office No. IX (DOST-IX) will be conducting “Science for the People (SFTP)” Festivals in key locations in the region.
SFTP is a consolidated effort of DOST to bring S&T products and services to the countryside. This fiesta-inspired event aims to, among others: (1) reach and serve rural community folks, especially in places where regular access to government services is quite challenging; (2) introduce and demonstrate the beneficial applications of DOST technologies, programs, and services, which are all geared toward improving the quality of life in the region; and (3) promote collaborative efforts towards meaningful development through strengthening partnerships between DOST, other line government agencies, local government units (LGUs), private businesses, non-government organizations (NGOs), and local communities.
Through the SFTP Festivals, communities are set to benefit from the opportunities to be created by technology bazaars and exhibits, technology business fora, technology trainings, and nutri-feeding activities, among many other things.
For the first leg of its SFTP festival, DOST-IX has chosen the Municipality of Titay as its venue. Located at the western part of the Zamboanga Peninsula (ZamPen), Titay is a humble yet thriving municipality that acts as the gateway for travelers headed for Zamboanga del Norte and the other provinces of ZamPen. Given its inland location and distance from the main cities, it is often found on the wanting side of science and its advancements. Thus, DOST-IX believes that it is the most viable setting for its first Science for the People Festival, which will be held at the Titay Municipal Hall on 22-24 May 2017.
Among the highlights of the 1st SFTP Festival include nutri-feeding program for children, sharing of products of DOST-SETUP-assisted firms to senior citizens, and a tree planting activity.
DOST-IX is inviting the public to witness and take part in this event. Everyone is encouraged to view the various technologies that will be showcased, which include those related to disaster risk reduction and management, improvement and/or development of business enterprises, education, and health. Admission to all of the activities during the Science for the People festival is FREE. (Bon Padayhag, DOST IX Press Release)
The Titay Municipal Hall on the SFTP Festival opening day
In its bid to bring the gains of science and technology closer to the people, the Department of Science and Technology Regional Office No. IX (DOST-IX) brought its fiesta-inspired version of the agency-wide Science for the People (SFTP) to the municipality of Titay in Zamboanga Sibugay Province.
The celebration of the SFTP Festival aims to reduce demographic inequality, create opportunities for businesses and employment, build and strengthen partnerships with local organizations, and expand the potential for growth in the countryside.
Through the SFTP Festival events, communities are set to benefit from the opportunities to be created by tech bazaars and exhibits, technology business fora, and various S&T trainings, among other enriching activities.
Titay, Zamboanga Sibugay
Located at the western part of the Zamboanga Peninsula (ZamPen), Titay is a humble yet thriving municipality that acts as the gateway for travelers headed for Zamboanga del Norte and the other provinces of ZamPen. Given its inland location and distance from the main cities, it is often found on the wanting side of science and its advancements. Knowing that the municipality was set to celebrate its Araw ng Titay on the 24th of May, DOST-IX held the first of the three-day SFTP festival on the 22nd, ensuring that the festival’s final day would end in a bang.
The Exhibits
As early as 7am, the municipal hall saw participants pour in by the hundreds, each making their way through the agency’s various displays sprawled across the grounds’ expanse.
Each exhibit had its own S&T advantage to bring to the table; the Science and Technology Academic and Research-Based Openly Operated Kiosk Stations or STARBOOKS, offered onlookers a glimpse of its capabilities - a digital library that allows users access to over 500,000 local and foreign S&T resources in text, video, and audio formats, which include digitized journals, serial publications, reference materials, and other sci-tech resources found in the DOST-STII (Science and Technology Information Institute)'s libraries.
The agency’s RSTL or Regional Standards and Testing Laboratories exhibit shared to guests the various laboratory services they offer, as well as introduce them to OneLab - a platform that interconnects DOST labs and their services, allowing customers to submit their samples to the nearest DOST lab for analysis, testing, and/or calibration - even if that lab currently does not have the means to process the said sample.
Also on display was the RxBox, - a compact, easy to operate, 6-part telemedicine device that could immediately and accurately provide patients data on their current health status. The RxBox contains a Blood Pressure Monitor a Pulse oximeter – which measures the level of oxygen in the patient’s blood, an Electrocardiogram or (ECG) a Fetal Heart Monitor a Maternal Tocometer – that measures the strength of a mother’s uterine contractions during labor and delivery, and a Temperature Sensor.
Adjacent to the RxBox stood lifesaving devices of a different kind; project DEWS (Deployment of Early Warning Systems) put on display models of the different warning devices installed in the municipality and in the region, as well as educated participants on how these devices aided in preventing and mitigating potential disasters.
Acting as the event’s concession stand, the Techno Bazaar featured products from DOST-assisted businesses and firms – everything from Cassava chips to crafted art – all acquired through the agency’s SETUP (Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program), and available on Onestore.ph – the online e-commerce web portal for S&T goods and commodities.
Day 1
A number of forums were conducted on the SFTP’s first day. One gave Titayanons an in-depth look at the agency’s S&T support services, and the SETUP program, where investment and technology-transfer opportunities in the municipality were discussed. The other, a discourse on Disaster Risk Reduction and Management, which educated locals on the different types of disasters, their early detection, and how the said could and would affect their municipality.
Day 2
The second day saw residents participate in the different techno trainings and demonstrations conducted by the agency. Titayanons gained advanced knowledge in Buko juice processing, as well as the processing of various fish and meat products. As a locale having much of the said resources available, the conduct of the techno trainings is expected to better the knowledge of residents who are engaged in the business of dealing with such, as well as inspire others to venture into the trade. A forum on other important DOST programs and services was also held for the benefit of the community. Among those discussed were the RxBox, and the agency’s CEST (Community Empowerment thru Science and Technology) and S&T scholarship programs.
Day 3
An event of this scale deserved nothing short of an exit equivalent its grandiosity. As such, the event’s third day called for 3 major activities: tree planting, a nutri-feeding program for children, and the sharing of agency-assisted products to senior citizens.
At first light, DOST-IX, along with the local police and other local government agencies set out for the municipality’s barangay Imelda, where over 100 fruit-bearing trees were planted. Immediately after the activity, the agency made their way to the municipality gymnasium, where close to 800 people – made up of mothers, children, and senior citizens – took part in the culminating activity.
In the days to come, DOST-IX plans to bring the Science for the People Festival to even more towns and municipalities in the region, continuing its drive to improve the quality of life in distant remote communities through science and technology.
The Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD) in cooperation with the Health Research and Development Consortium Region IV-A (HRDCR IV-A) conducted a seminar-workshop entitled “Workshop on Framework for Disaster Research Phase I: Capacity Enhancement on Disaster Research in Health” last April 25-26, 2017 at the Acacia Hotel, Alabang. The activity aimed to develop the capacity to generate, translate, and utilize research findings for disaster risk reduction policies, programs and services using standard concepts, methods and frameworks. The two-day seminar-workshop featured talks on disaster risk-reduction, exercises, workshops and mentoring sessions, plenaries and presentations. This was conducted as a follow through action to the key messages from the disaster risk reduction (DRR) sessions at the 2015 Global Forum on Research and Innovation for Health 2015. Dr. Ofelia Saniel, Dr. Jessie Manuta, Dr. Juan Pablo Nanagas and Dr Carlos Primero Gundran served as the resource persons. A total of 29 participants attended the said workshop and all left armed with enhanced capacity in doing disaster health related research. They were also able to write a research proposal for possible funding of PCHRD.
"Disaster is not forever… building back better"… some phrases to live by from Dr. Saniel and Dr. Manuta during the workshop.
