MANOLO FORTICH, Bukidnon (PIA)–First District Representative Jose Manuel Alba of Bukidnon province lauded the efforts of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) in helping develop emerging economies in rural areas by providing innovative techniques and technology to startup businesses and livelihood organizations.
He said that DOST’s support for cooperatives and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) at the provincial and regional levels drives job creation and enhances local economic growth.
“We are starting to change the notion that we can also find opportunities in our rural communities, and not only in the capital [Manila],” Alba said in a press conference on 28 November 2024 in Cagayan de Oro City.
Alba is one of the champions in Congress supporting alternative livelihood through a circular economy, among them the propagation of bamboo industry from farming up to the production of raw materials for construction.
The development of bamboo industry is one of DOST’s exhibits in this year’s National Science and Technology Week (NSTW) in Cagayan de Oro City, along with other startup companies and developed products of MSMEs based in Bukidnon.
DOST-10 Regional Director Romela Ratilla said that as a regional host to the NSTW, the agency provides a platform for community entrepreneurs and scientists to network with industry leaders, which may also lead to partnerships and expansions. (DOST-10/PIA-10/Bukidnon)
