IN A bid to employ information and communications technology (ICT) in spurring local economic recovery, the Provincial Government of Negros Occidental will make use of applications developed by its scholars enrolled at STI-West Negros University in Bacolod City.

The scholars, who presented their output to Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson Friday, May 7, 2021, are fourth-year students taking Bachelor of Science and Information Technology.

The ICT scholarship is a pioneering scholarship program of the Negros Occidental Scholarship Program (NOSP) Division.

It was designed to help some 100 deserving ICT students finish their courses at the said university.

The scholars' system outputs are seen to benefit the provincial government.

Its use will be in coordination with the province's Information and Communication Technology Division.

The five best systems conceptualized and developed by scholars were Emergency Rescue and Response Operation System, Depot Procurement and Inventory System, Fire Alert Notification with Map Locator, Monitoring System of the Scholarship Program Division, and Document Tracking System of Negros Occidental.

The Emergency Rescue and Response Operation System was adjudged the best system.

It features online registration, user management, online rescue and response operation module, locator, and emergency report management.

The winning group received P10,000 cash from Lacson and Provincial Consultant on Economic Affairs Albee Benitez.

The other groups received P2,000 each as consolation prizes.

Also present in the activity held at the Negros Residences were Sangguniang Panlalawigan Committee on Education chairman Board Member Agustin Ernesto Bascon, STI-West Negros University Executive Vice President Dr. Ryan Mark Molina, NOSP head Karen Dinsay, and Benitez' son Javi, among others.