Disadvantaged areas in Bukidnon receive P2.8M worth of sci-tech project funds

STARBOOKS

Charissa Luci-Atienza

The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) has granted P2.8 million worth of science and technology project funds to the geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs) in Talakag, Bukidnon through its Community Empowerment through Science and Technology (CEST) program.

The DOST said a total of six sci-tech projects will be implemented in the first class municipality of Bukidnon to provide assistance to the marginalized communities.

“DOST-Bukidnon will distribute Ceramic Water Filters to communities that lack drinking water, install two Automatic Rain Gauges to flood-prone areas, and provide a Plastic Densifier and Shredder for better solid waste management,” it said in a Facebook post on Monday, June 14.

The deployment of six units of Science and Technology Academic Research-Based Openly Operated KioskS (STARBOOKS) units to the community will also be part of the project.

STARBOOKS is the country’s first science and technology (S&T) digital library in a box. It contains thousands of digitized science and technology resources in various formats (text and video/audio) placed in specially designed “pods” set in a user-friendly interface.

The DOST-Bukidnon also noted that the implementation of the Malnutrition Reduction Program (MRP) has been funded.

Under the program, undernourished children aged six months to five years old will be given the nutrient-rich Bigas-Monggos or Big-Mo for a period of 120 days.

Developed by the DOST-Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI), Big-Mo contains 130 kilocalories (kcal) and four grams of protein per 30 grams serving portion – enough to meet the 18 percent of recommended energy and 28.6 percent of the recommended protein intake for children 6 months to less than 59 months old, the DOST-Bukidnon said.

“To boost the community livelihood initiatives of Talakag, a group of marginalized coffee farmers in the Miarayon area will also receive a complete set of food-grade equipment, training, and assistance to acquire a License to Operate from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA),” it said.

The DOST-Bukidnon cited that LGU-Talakag can expect “another set of projects” by the end of the second quarter this year for more S&T interventions, particularly for the Indigenous peoples, women, children, and farmers.

“The DOST-CEST program is dedicated to ending poverty, especially to GIDA communities and identified conflict-driven areas through five key entry points: Health, Human Resource Development, Livelihood and Economic Development, Disaster Risk Reduction and Management, and Environmental Protection.”

Source: https://mb.com.ph/2021/06/14/disadvantaged-areas-in-bukidnon-receive-p2-8m-worth-of-sci-tech-project-funds/