DOST commits to 5 development programs

THE Department of Science and Technology (DOST) will develop and introduce appropriate technologies to create growth in the countryside such as world-class technology-based products, food processing technologies and super farms.

DOST Secretary Mario Montejo, in his 2011 report furnished Sun.Star, said this is one of the agency’s five-point development programs in line with the Aquino administration’s development agenda.

“The others include exploring the avenues opened by public-private partnerships to use S&T to solve pressing problems. We will rely heavily on our research and development programs to address dengue, tele-health services, potable water, malnutrition, rice shortage, brown/fortified rice, baby food program, coral reef rehabilitation, disaster mitigation, red tide control and management and the infestation affecting our banana plantations, among others,” he added.

“We will leave no stone unturned to improve industry competitiveness. We already have the automated gateway transit system while under various stages of development and prototyping are technologies that can raise the productivity of industries spanning BPO, electronics, renewable energy like solar and wind as well as the mining industry.”

Montejo said S&T will also be used to enhance the delivery of government and social services with initiatives like the government broadband network, national tele-health Services and the national 3D (three dimensional) mapping.

“We will also build and enhance capacity in emerging technologies such as biotechnology, nanotechnology, genomics, advanced food production technology and advanced manufacturing systems like in robotics and automated process control,” he added.

“Our motto has always been ‘local technology works.’ As such, we will always promote local technologies toward the nurturing of a business environment that addresses the special needs of technology-based entrepreneurship.”

Montejo said that in 2011, DOST blazed new trails in addressing long-standing and emergent problems under its high impact technology solutions (HITS) program.

“Through HITS, we were able to scale up our efforts and initiatives to make an impact on the life of Juan de la Cruz and his family. Under this program, we launched technologies such as the automatic weather stations, automatic rain gauges, automated guideway transport (AGT) system, water nano-filtration containers, and complementary foods, among others.” (CGC)