THE Department of Science and Technology (DOST)-Cordillera is assisting community groups in making project proposals for technology transfer and training.
From July 30 to August 1, DOST-CAR hosted 53 municipal and city Science and Technology coordinators from various local government units (LGU) in Cordillera for a Capacity Building Seminar and S&T Development Proposal Writeshop.
The three-day event included presentations about the high performing public sector organization and individuals, team building activity, orientation on DOST-CAR programs and projects and proposal writing workshop.
Each participant submitted proposal which includes technology transfer for community livelihood involving brown rice, biogas digester, loomweaving, coffee processing, technology training, product packaging and labeling, among others. The outputs were also finalized for submission and possible funding.
DOST-CAR Regional Director Julius Caesar Sicat, in an interview, disclosed the project he conceptualized and introduced in the Cordillera, generally aims to spur economic development especially in the far flung areas in the region.
“I started this in December last year; my idea is for the DOST assistance to be felt at the grassroots level. In the past only those LGUs that are capable to write proposals gets the funding so I invited the mayors especially those in the far flung areas, to send in representatives whom we will train and teach to write a proposal and by the end of the activity they are assured of DOST funding for their identified priority project,” Sicat stressed.
The intended beneficiaries are people’s organization or cooperatives in the community, for them to be able to put up or expand their business to help improve their economic condition, through technology assistance such as equipment and trainings, he added.
Sicat also reported DOST-CAR was able to fund P11 million worth of project proposals from the writeshop activity held December and allocated P16 million this year.
“This will be a continuing project for DOST-CAR, as we want to bring in our resources to where it can be felt,” Sicat said. (Carlito Dar)