S4CP team plays up aquaculture, textile, and pharma projects in WV
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S4CP team plays up aquaculture, textile, and pharma projects in WV
Department of Science and Technology’s (DOST) Science for Change Program (S4CP) carried out project visits focusing on aquaculture, textile, and pharma R&D projects of State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) and private institutions in Western Visayas. S4CP is a nationwide program spearheaded by the former DOST Undersecretary for Research and Development (R&D), Dr. Rowena Cristina Guevara. During the visits, Usec. Guevara and the S4CP team were accompanied by personnel from DOST VI Regional Office to assess the status of S4CP projects as well as other R&D outputs in the region.
Their first stop was Herbanext Laboratories, Inc. in Negros Occidental. As the first beneficiary of S4CP’s component program, Business Innovation through Science and Technology (BIST), they were able to procure professional-grade equipment which helped streamline product analyses for improved accuracy.
In addition, Herbanext also had the opportunity to launch its Applied Research and Innovation Laboratory (ARIL) through the BIST program, which is aimed at helping government and academic researchers in the development of scaling-up processes for herbal ingredients and products.
Afterward, the team paid a visit to the University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV) which houses a Mollusk R&D Center and the Philippine Genome Center (PCG).
This was followed by a trip to Iloilo Science and Technology University (ISAT-U) which is home to the Regional Yarn Production and Innovation Center (RYPIC) in Western Visayas. A center of natural textile innovation, the facility provides technical assistance to micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) specializing in the garment industry throughout the region. In addition, they aim to produce yarn using local natural textile fibers to reduce the burden of importing raw materials.
The team’s last stop was at the University of San Agustin (USA) where Dr. Jonel P. Saludes, Associate Vice President of the university, and Dr. Doralyn S. Dalisay, director of the university’s Center for Chemical Biology and Biotechnology (C2B2) Laboratory, presented the various projects conducted in the campus which cover topics such as drug development and fisheries. The school’s Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Spectroscopy facility was also introduced to be utilized by the Tuklas Lunas program. The visit also covered the aforementioned C2B2 and the Center for Natural Drug Discovery and Development (CND3), both of which make use of microbiology for drug treatments of rampant diseases affecting the nation.
Former Usec. Guevara pushed for the promotion of the R&D outputs. “R&D results should reach the intended users. It is through bringing research results to intended users that we can weave through change.” (KJRGagajena/DOSTVI-KMU)
