TALISAY CITY -- The Department of Science and Technology - Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST-PCIEERD), along with partner-stakeholders, is pushing for more researches to address development needs in Western Visayas.
DOST-PCIEERD deputy executive director Dr. Raul Sabularse, at the press conference on the 1st Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology (IEET) Research Conference at Nature’s Village Resort here Thursday, November 21, said the agency is supporting the development of several consortia in many regions.
For Region 6, the Western Visayas Consortium for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (WVCIEERD) is one of the major consortia.
Sabularse said the consortium composed of state colleges and universities (SUCs) and other relevant organizations supports what is in the development agenda of the region in terms of science and technology (S&T) and research and development (R&D) inputs.
“This conference together with the SUCs, its faculty and students, and other stakeholders, are here to know what’s happening in terms of R&D and what it can offer in the region as a whole,” he said, adding that “it’s coming together, talking to each other to address regional needs and looking for solutions using science, technology and research.”
The DOST-PCIEERD official pointed out that the government has been putting premium to research as it plays a vital role in development.
He said the country cannot afford to just import technologies and products from abroad, stressing that technology adds value to the products.
“S&T and R&D is a way of investing now for the future of the economy,” Sabularse, adding that “we believe that S&T will play a big role in the Philippine development.”
Slowly, the government he said is adding more investments on S&T. The budget is increasing through the years but the output of these R&D activities has to be seen.
Themed “Convergence of Researchers in Food, Energy and ICT for Smart and Sustainable Communities,” the two-day conference until today gathers student and faculty-researchers, inventors and innovators in the field of IEET.
It focuses on three R&D clusters namely food safety and security; energy efficiency and renewable energy; and electronics, information and communications technology (ICT) and emerging technology.
The IEET Conference is a result of the collaboration of the 21 member-institutions of the WVCIEERD led by the DOST-Region 6 in partnership with the Technological University of the Philippines – Visayas and Carlos Hilado Memorial State College (CHMSC) – Talisay.
Aside from showcasing the researches from the member institutions through research presentations and competitions, the activity also aims to present opportunities to strengthen R&D capabilities, dissemination, utilization and collaborations among the consortium-members.
Moreover, the activity also included a product pitching from invited sponsors and identification of research collaborations.
Dr. Emelyn Flores, assistant regional director for technical operations, said the regional line agency established the WVCIEERD in 2009 through the DOST- PCIEERD funding particularly for basic research to address the needs of the region through SUCs.
“Through the convergence, people may know what are the SUCs are doing and this might be adapted in the community so we can address the pressing problems that we are facing now,” she added.
For his part, WVCIEERD executive director Dr. Carmelo Ambut, said there’s a great gap between the actual uses of the research output.
But, what is important is the collaboration where stakeholders talk each other, Ambut said.
“By talking with each other and collaborating, at the end of the day, more problems will be solved through research and development,” he added.