Pasay City, METRO MANILA- It’s that time of the year again for the science community!

The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) will hold the National Science and Technology Week (NSTW) on 17-21 July 2018 at the World Trade Center (WTC).

With the theme “Science for the People: Innovation for Collective Prosperity,” the Science Department will once again highlight the contribution of science, technology, and innovation (STI) to national development.

This year, DOST will feature its breakthrough programs, technologies, and services into three clusters namely STI at Home, STI at Workplace, and STI at School. A marketplace area will also be placed to feature the products of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) assisted by DOST regional offices.

The Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD) leads the Home cluster where they will feature their newly-supported health technologies such as the Feasibility Analysis of Syndromic Surveillance using Spatio-Temporal Epidemiological Modeler (FASSSTER), a user-friendly tool for disease modeling and syndromic surveillance visualization of dengue, typhoid fever, and measles; and Agapay, a 3D-printed wearable robot which provides post-stroke and injured patients with a cost-efficient and high performance rehabilitation system.

The Health Research Council will also showcase their Omic Technologies for Health, a program which aims to utilize ‘Omic’ technology platforms in crafting local technologies which can be developed into personalized medicines, diagnostics, and therapeutics; and ReliefVent, a compact, affordable, safe, and effective intensive care unit (ICU) ventilator that can be used for both children and adults.

The Biotek-M, a local and cheaper confirmatory test for dengue diagnosis which is a gold medal awardee of the 46^th International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva, and Tuklas Lunas, a program which aims to come up with efficacious, safe, and accessible standardized drug candidates are also included.

The Home Cluster will also house the technologies and products of the Philippine Textile Research Institute (PTRI), the Forest Products Research and Development Institute (FPRDI), the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI), the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI), the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD), the Science and Technology Information Institute (STII), the DOST regional offices, and partners such as the Design Center of the Philippines (DCP) and the De La Salle University (DLSU).

“Our cluster will showcase the applications of STI in various parts of the home: living room, bed room, kitchen, dining room, comfort room, study room, and garden. We want to emphasize how science can help our people starting from the corners of their home,” Dr. Jaime Montoya, PCHRD Executive Director, explained.

Aside from the annual exhibit, people can also expect weeklong interactive games, raffle, massage, nutrition counseling, cooking demonstration, and photobooth. For more information, visit www.nstw.dost.gov.ph!

The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) celebrated its 60^th founding anniversary with the theme “S&T Journey: 60 years and beyond” at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC), Pasay City on 13 June 2018.

In his opening remarks, PCHRD Director, Dr. Jaime C. Montoya, thanked DOST’s partners and stakeholders for their contributions to the success of the Department in the past 60 years. Dr. Montoya emphasized in his speech, “The past six decades paved the way in the major developments in the S& T industry of the country. Through research and development, science, technology, and innovation become a driving force for economic globalization.”

One of the highlights of the event was the opening of exhibit which showcased the Department’s accomplishments and triumphs each decade. It also contained key research priorities of DOST for the past years.

DOST Secretary Fortunato de la Peña expressed his gratitude to everyone especially to his predecessor in committing to the mandate of DOST to provide central direction, leadership, and coordination of scientific and technological efforts and ensure that the results therefrom are geared and utilized in areas of maximum economic and social benefits for the people.

Furthermore, Sec. De la Peña awarded the former heads of DOST with a plaque of appreciation for their contributions to the success of the Department. Before commencing to the second part of the program, the Secretary offered a toast and set the S&T initiatives and future directions of DOST.

Competition of performance per cluster was the highlight of the second part of the program. Each cluster was given specific eras as theme of their presentation. The Los Baños cluster won the first prize with the 90’s theme while the Bicutan cluster got the second prize with a modern dance themed performance.

More awards and prizes were given to winners of the cluster presentation towards the end of the program. Prizes were also raffled for everyone who attended. In the end, Sec. De la Peña thanked all who have been part of what DOST has become and for what it will become in the future.

Details
Written by Catherine Joy C. Dimailig
Created: 25 June 2018

Alugbati is one of the widely consumed vegetables in Asia, however it is relatively understudied for its benefits. It is known to exhibit a wide range of biological functions and is traditionally recognized as a medical plant with anti-bacterial, anti-oxidant, and anti-cancer potential.

Asst. Professor Darcy Garza from the Department of Chemistry at De La Salle University, presented the study entitled “The Genotoxic Potential of Basella alba Linn. Var. rubra on MCF-7 Cells” during the Metro Manila Health Research and Development Consortium’s (MMHRDC) 2^nd International Symposium and 9^th Annual Scientific Conference Oral Presentation held on 24-25 May 2018 at Pan Pacific Hotel, Manila. The event was bannered by the theme “Food Fortification in Universal Health Care.”  The study was recognized as the best research presented during the conference.

The study was a result of the collaboration of De La Salle University and St. Luke’s Medical Center. The research determined the genotoxicity of alugbati leaf extracts on MCF-7 cells which is the most studied human breast cancer cell line in the world. The researchers found out that alugbati leaves subjected to enzyme-assisted hydrolysis or juice extractions prepared in an organosulfur compound caused considerable damage in MCF-7 cells. This means that alugbati shows promising properties that could fight off breast cancer cell lines.

Three outstanding researches were also recognized during the conference. “Multi-core Microencapsulation of Lactobacillus acidophilus using Lipid-based Material and Carbohydrate-based Matrix for Functional Food Application,” “Characterization of In VitroEffects of Using Purified Coconut Oil Bodies as Encapsulating Agents for Doxorubicin and Paclitaxel,” and “An Evaluation on Nicotine Absorption and Health Risk Utilizing Human Scum Cotinine and Polycyclic aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) Among Filipino Classical Cigarette Users and E-Cigarette Users” won first, second, and third respectively.

To officially close the conference, NIH Executive Director Dr. Eva Maria Cutiongco-De La Paz delivered the closing remarks. She thanked the organizers and delegates for the hard work and reminded everyone that it is important to remember the role of food fortification in the control of micronutrient deficiency and malnutrition in the country. Finally, she urged everyone to conduct more research that would support food fortification and continue to do good work in promoting a healthier Filipino nation.


Details
Written by Catherine Joy C. Dimailig
Created: 04 June 2018