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By Rene Q. Bas, Editor in
Chief
FEW Filipinos realize that,
counting just from 2003, as many as 35,984 small enterprises have
received aid—from the government’s science and technology
department—to become more efficient, productive, profitable and
globally competitive through the use of scientific and technological
innovations.
This is one of the achievements
the Department of Science and Technology proudly points out as it
begins tomorrow, June 2, its year-long celebration of its 50th or
Golden Anniversary.
For the first time in the
Philippines, 50 scientists and science/technology-driven
entrepreneurs will be given public recognition—like movie stars.
This and other activities are designed to dramatize the
importance of sci-tech as the key factor in our country’s
deliverance from mass poverty, food security and
global-competitiveness problems.
DOST Golden Jubilee
This will happen as one of the
major events the Department of Science and Technology has lined up
to observe the Fiftieth or Golden Anniversary of the formal creation
of the government’s scientific establishment in 1958 as the
National Science Development Board, which became the National
Science and Technology Authority in 1982 which soon enough became
the Cabinet’s Department of Science and Technology.
Tomorrow the Golden Jubilee
celebration starts at the DOST Plaza in Bicutan, Taguig City, with
the launching of the new DOST hymn and the opening of the
“Milestone Exhibit” which displays pictures and memorabilia of
the great events in the development of science and technology in the
country.
SET-UP Program
The 35,984 firms were assisted by
DOST under its “Small Enterprises Technology-Upgrading Program”
(SET-UP) which was launched in 2003 and that year had only 1,307
clients. The SET-UP
participants more than doubled—to 3,675—in 2004.
In 2005, there were 8,884 small-enterprise clients, in 2006
10,540 and last year 11,578.
Veritably all clients have become
better achievers in the domestic and export markets with DOST help,
which means they have achieved global competitiveness.
They account for 99,355 good jobs. In all, the DOST gave or
performed 4,392 scientific-technological interventions to help
improve these enterprises.
Obviously, DOST will need more
than the P250 million it has been given to fund this undertaking
whose clientele is growing every day.
(See related story “Gov’t
spices up technology transfer to Filipino firms.”)
50 Men and Women
of Science
These science and technology
notables include scientists who started the government’s science
and technology establishments as well as entrepreneurs who made
their companies globally competitive using innovations like the
co-proprietor of Lety’s Buko Pie of Los Baños, Laguna, Mrs.
Leticia O. Belarmino.
The awardees are scientists,
researchers, administrators, educators, “technopreneurs” and
“innoventors” as communicators who have made an impact on
science technology development, specifically in connection with the
DOST’s efforts.
On June 11 President Gloria M.
Arroyo will give them their awards in fitting ceremonies in Malacañang
Palace.
Asean and EU participation
In July, the DOST anniversary
celebrations will revolve around the activities scheduled for the
2008 Asean and National S&T Week.
Delegates from the Asean
countries and Asean dialogue partners (the USA, China, Japan and
Russia) will attend the various activities.
Among these are the Asean and the
National Science and Technology Awards, the Asean Youth Science
Summit and the Asean/National S&T Fair and Exhibits, and a
ministerial Asean-European Union S&T Dialogue and an informal
Asean ministerial meeting on S&T.
DOST officials and the scientific
community in general hope the publicity and glamour given to
scientific and technological concerns will make the masses of
Filipinos learn to appreciate the need to become science and
technology adepts for their own and the common good.
SIN-AG cultural program
A cultural (song and dance)
program is scheduled at the UP Theater in Diliman on June 9.
The program is a specially choreographed production titled
“Gabi ng Ginintuang SIN-AG.”
The Tagalog word “sinag” is playfully spun to show the
first sylabbles of sining (art) and agham (science).
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