Biliran studes join DOST Scholarship exams

A total of one hundred twenty three (123) graduating high school students from around Biliran Province and nearby Leyte town flocked to Naval State University where the SY 2012-2013 DOST Scholarship Qualifying Examinations was conducted on November 20, 2011 from 7:00 AM to 6:00PM.

The students came from the different private and public high schools from the Division of Biliran and were members of the top 5% of the graduating class and those from special match and science classes of science accredited high schools.

If this examinees would pass the test, they will be considered DOST scholars who can avail free tuition and monthly stipend and other benefits in accredited universities around the country.

Micro-entrepreneurs in Biliran receive free consultancy

The MPEX Team with Ms. Lucy Dauz of DOST 8

Through the assistance of the Manufacturing Productivity Extension (MPEX) Program of the Department of Science and Technology, five (5) new micro enterprises from around Biliran province will benefit through a free consultancy services from local and national experts.

DOST will provide the consultancy support fund to Naval State University to mobilize their experts to conduct technical, marketing, and management advises to improve the productivity of the firms.  These consultancy will run for six months where consultants submit short and long term recommendations to the MSME for enhancement of their firms in line with the business operational areas mentioned earlier.

The beneficiary enterprises are: San Rose Processed Food Products from Sampao, Almeria, Biliran producing milk candy and other related candy products; the Almeria Builders from Almeria, Biliran producing metal products such as steel windows, grilles, steel trusses and others; CM Furniture in Acaban, Culaba specializing in wood based furniture; the Ronnie Furniture Shop in Bulalacao, Kawayan, Biliran who develops bamboo based furniture; and Julyanna's Cakes and Catering Services on cake production.

DOST Regional Office No. 8 in coordination with the Naval State University organized two consultancy teams to handle these five clients. The teams will be supervised by Mr. Daniel Ariaso, the Vice President of NSU responsible for external affairs and extension related services.

SETUP approves 2 new projects for Biliran

A total of PhP355,000 worth of technology upgrading assistance has been released to two (2) micro enterprises in the Province of Biliran in the 3rd quarter of 2011. The financial support include the acquisition of new equipment to improve production efficiency and production volume and improve the packaging and labeling of their products.

Winconfel Suman from Naval, Biliran would soon be acquiring improved set of equipment for the processing of glutenous rice into the popular native delicacy from Naval - the "Balintawak suman." In the otherhand, JV Bakeshop from Kansanoc, Kawayan, Biliran will be improving their process of producing the sweet otap, a sugar coated pastry popular among Cebuanos.

The financial support aims to improve the production volume of the msmes by at least 20% from their current production. This support will economically result to increase revenue and will provide employment opportunity in the locality.
(Inset Photo: wrapping of balintawak suman in anahaw leaves)

Online Rain Monitor for Biliran is on

DOST-Biliran has completed the installation of the Automatic Rain Gauge (ARG) in Naval, Biliran Province. The rain gauge is located at the back of the Biliran Provincial Capitol in Calumpang, Naval, Biliran. The automatic rain gauge uses the tipping bucket to collect the amount of rain in the location and automatically send the data to a central database managed by the DOST's Advanced Science and Technology Institute (ASTI).

The instrument helps to provide a real time assessment of the amount of water absorbed by the soil and assess potential flooding or landslides. It is therefore of great help in hazard mitigation and in other use requiring precipitation data. 

The ARG deployment is part of a nationwide project implemented by the Phillipine Atmospheric, Geophysical, & Astronomical Services Administration (PAG-ASA) and ASTI. In Biliran, the Provincial Government provided support with the use of the lot and security of the unit, while DOST Regional Office No. 8 provided the materials for installation and fencing.

Protect your creations, DOST tells inventors

Aside from encouraging Eastern Visayan inventors to get creative through inventions and innovations, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Region 8 underscored the importance of protecting their creations through intellectual property rights.

“Protect your products first before you sell them,” advised Dr. Edgar Garcia, DOST’s Technology Application and Promotion Institute director, to inventors and student researchers who participated in the first ever Regional Invention Contest and Exhibits (RICE) at the Robinson’s Place in Tacloban City August 22-25.
Protecting inventions, said Garcia, means applying for patent or intellectual property right of an inventor’s creation or product. Securing a patent protects the inventor from duplication of the product and entitles him or her royalties when the product is sold or commercialized. Read Full story here
(from dost.gov.ph by: Framelia V. Anonas, S&T Media Service)

Phase II of citronella project in Biliran takes off

BEOMP consultant Engr. Jesus Villamil, inspects new distilling still

Another set of new citronella oil distilling equipment is about to be used by Biliran Essential Oil Manufacturing of Brgy. Bato, Biliran, Biliran Province after DOST provided the company the second phase of financial support for technology upgrading of its processing plant.

BEOM is the first success story of the SETUP program in Biliran province when it created income opportunity to the community through employment, improvement of its product quality, and increasing the production volume, on top of other economic parameters (see related article). Above all these indicators is the successful completion of the firm's refund of the financial support provided by DOST for the Phase I of equipment acquisition. DOST provided PhP 865,000.00 for the Phase II new equipment.

The equipment is ready for testing at the fabrication site in Kananga, Leyte who is supervised by BEOM consultant Engr. Jesus Villamil. "When tests will be completed the equipment will be transported to the plant site in Brgy. Bato for on-site testing and trial operation," Mr. Jesus Doyon Sr., BEOM propriator said. The new equipment is expected to replace the old distilling unit used by the firm when its operation started. The old unit had been inefficient due to frequent bug downs and repair. With the acquisition of the new unit, cost of maintenance will be reduced and production capacity of the plant will be optimized.

The new unit will now be working side by side with the distiller purchased during the phase I of the project