VIGAN CITY, Ilocos Sur (PIA) – The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) in the Ilocos Region is taking strides to empower communities through innovation and technology.
Recently, the agency partnered with the local government unit (LGU) of Santa Catalina, Ilocos Sur, to organize the Rambak ti Siyensya (Science Festival/Caravan) 2024.
It featured various science, technology, and innovation (STI) activities attended by students, farmers, municipal and barangay health and nutrition professionals, and personnel from the municipal and barangay disaster risk reduction and management offices (M/BDRRMO).
Racquel Espiritu, assistant regional director of DOST-Region 1 for Technical Services, said the caravan is anchored on the agency’s four pillars — human well-being, wealth creation, wealth protection, and sustainability.
“These principles are the cornerstone of the Community Empowerment through Science and Technology (CEST) program, and they serve as our roadmap toward empowering Santa Catalina [town] and beyond,” she said.
The caravan was held at Barangay Cabuloan in Santa Catalina.
It can be remembered that the DOST and the LGU Santa Catalina signed a memorandum of agreement on August 12 to implement the CEST program, which emphasized support to improve salt production in the community through facility upgrading.
Espiritu added, “This ensures that our progress does not come at the expense of future generations. By integrating sustainable practices into our technologies and programs, we ensure that the development we achieve today will stand the test of time. So, let us strive to make Santa Catalina a model of green innovation and environmental stewardship.”
The DOST provided various science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learnings to enhance teaching and learning, robotics for elementary and secondary teachers, and the utilization of the Versatile Instrumentation System for Science Education and Research (VISSER), or the laboratory-in-a-box technology.
In partnership with the Philippine Science High School (PSHS), a mobile planetarium also offered visitors an immersive and educational experience, especially for students and teachers.
Connie Rose Anicas, Teacher III from Santa Catalina Central School, said from the moment she arrived at the venue, she observed the excitement and enthusiasm of the students as they engaged with all the technologies showcased at the caravan.
She hopes this experience will be memorable and impactful for the students, and they will share it with their classmates.
Anicas said, “As part of the country’s modernization and technological advancement, this initiative by the DOST is significant. Through this caravan, students not only focus on their textbook lessons and our discussions, but they also could explore various technologies with experts available to explain them.”
Moreover, various STI technologies were showcased in an exhibit led by DOST partners such as the Ilocos Sur Polytechnic State College, University of Northern Philippines, Pangasinan State University-Food Innovation Center technologies, Visayan Agricultural Innovation, Nutridense Food Manufacturing, and the DOST-Philippine Nuclear Research Institute.
Lastly, the municipal and barangay health and nutrition professionals were trained on the DOST package for the improvement of the nutrition of young children (PINOY), and farmers learned sustainable STI practices to boost agricultural productivity.
Personnel from local DRRMOs also received training in disaster response using DOST-Advanced Science and Technology Institute technologies. (AMB/JMCQ, PIA Ilocos Sur)
