5th Visayas Cluster S & T Fair

We are announcing the conduct of the 5th Visayas Cluster Science and Technology Fair on August 3-6, 2009 in Tacloban City. This S & T Fair is not only for science and technology professionals and students but also is designed for the benefit of the general public. We therefore call the general populace to come and participate.

The activity once again will feature the contribution of Science and Technology in the different sectors of society, the professionals, businessmen, and common people alike. A new type of exhibits will be featured during the fairs; products out of the firms the DOST assisted will also be sold in the exhibit area; and technologies that affect the people will be presented during the technical sessions.
(Photo was taken during the 4th S & T Fair from http://ro7.dost.gov.ph)

The following is the general lined up activities.

Day 1( August 3)

• 8AM-11AM Opening Ceremonies and Opening of Exhibits at the People's Center, Tacloban City.
• 11AM-1PM Press Conference, Hotel Alejandro
• 1PM-5PM Forum with SETUP assisted SMEs and Sec. Estrella F. Alabastro and Assistant Secretary Carol M. Yorobe

Day 2 -5 (August 4-6)

• Technical Sessions on Various Topics: (Renewable Energy, Gifts & Holiday Decors, Solid Waste Management, Climate Change, Food Safety, etc) Various experts on these fields will present important information that are useful even to the common person.

Further details on the activities will be posted here from time to time, so please keep watch.

Biliran PMSMED Council revitalized

The implementation of Republic Act (RA) 9501 paved the way for the revitalization of the Provincial Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Council (PMSMEDC) which is actively participated by the Biliran Provincial S & T Center. In Biliran, the Council is chaired by Mr. Tiburcio Morales, retired DAR 8 Regional Director, now representing the private sector. RA 9501 is actually an act to promote entrepreneurship by strengthening development and assistance programs to micro, small and medium scale enterprises, amending the "Magna Carta for Small Enterprises" (RA 6977).

Organized just in May 2009, a year after the Act was approved in May 2008, the Biliran PMSMEDC focued on three sectors as priority for development and implementation of support policies and programs. These are: Food processing, Gifts and Holiday Decors, and Tourism. The provincial council included the following agencies: DOST, DILG, DOLE, TESDA, PNP, PCA, NIT representing the academe, and major Provincial LGU Departments like the Agriculture, Toursim, and the Planning Office. The priority sectors were also represented by selected private enterprises.

This month on July 6-12, 2009 the SMED Week was celebrated and the Council embarked on intensive information drive and advocacy on its programs and projects currently implemented and those planned for implementation.

ISO Preparation activities

The month of June was a hectic month for Biliran PSTC. Not only that our activities were focused on finalizing our implementation of ISO 9000:2008 for accreditation purposes, but also that my assistant, SRS II, is on leave for the entire month, and sadly he planned to resign starting July 2009; for greener pasture, I suppose.

The whole DOST-8 was occupied with series of events on ISO and provincial staff were required to join. We have our Internal Audit training last month, of course with MIRDC, and the actual conduct of Internal Audit.

Despite the time pressure, with me out of office most of the time, new projects are being worked out and are on the pipeline. I would mention them on the next post. Thanks to my job order staff, a janitorial employee who is able to cope the instant promotion (of work only, not pay) in becoming my SRS II. Things really are tough in the DOST. Well, that's science and technology.

SETUP online database takes off in Visayas

After initially developing the DOST SETUP Projects Online in Mindanao The Department of Science and Technology is now on the process of extending the database to include data on projects from the Visayas and Luzon regions.

The DOST SETUP Projects Online is a web-based GIS that features the location of the projects and the interventions of the DOST to the MSMES in the country. A search facility allows one to find projects by major categories, by region, province, district and city/municipality. Each project location features a profile of the project and photos of the progress of implementation.

Currently, the site is hosted by GEOPLAN, a non government foundation that provides solutions and applications that makes use of geographic information systems (GIS) technology. GEOPLAN is responsible for the development of the project in close coordination with DOST Regional Office No. 7.

The DOST-8, through its designated project Administrator Ms. Mae Anne Reyes, has recently given signal to the PSTDs in Region 8 for the inputting of the necessary data and information.

The database for Mindanao can be initially accessed through http://geoplan.ph/dost-setup

PSTDs join PAGASA Training

The Biliran Provincial S & T Director, Mr. Romeo L. Dignos, joined the one week training on Extreme Weather Observation Protocol for PSTDs conducted by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) on May 25-29, 2009 at the PAGASA Regional Training Center in Diliman, Quezon City.

The training was the second batch out of three batches designed for Provincial S & T Directors all over the country with the end view of augmenting and widening PAGASA's data gathering of weather parameters (like rainfall intensity) during extreme weather conditions.

The training include series of lectures on: PAGASA's functions, programs and services, The weather systems affecting the country, the forecasting and warning systems on typhoons and floods, some basics on climatology, agrometeorology, and climate change. The group also visited the different stations of PAGASA such as the Upper air station in Tanay, Rizal, the Agromet station in UP Los Baños, Laguna, and the Radar Station in Baguio City.

DOST Secretary visits DOST-8 project, event

The DOST Secretary Estrella F. Alabastro, despite the hectic schedule during the joint NAFC and Cabinet Meeting in Tacloban City managed to visit the TBI project in Palo, Leyte and DOST co-organized S & T Exhibits and Fair at the People Center, Tacloban City last April 28, 2009.

Sec. Alabastro was not suppose to go out after the Cabinet meeting due to tight schedules but the exhibit, which is one of the highlights of the on-going Palarong Pambansa in Tacloban City, is worth visiting for. Meanwhile, The TBI project in the Leyte Academic Center is a major project of DOST-8 in the Region and is among the unique ones, and therefore worth seeing as well.

Through the leadership of Dir. Edgardo Esperancilla, DOST-8, the visit was very fruitful not only because of the successful projects and event but also because it brought fellowship among the top leader of DOST and its middle managers, the PSTD and the Regional Unit heads.