October - December 2012 Vol. 4 No. 4
Official Publication of the Department of Science and Technology Cordillera Administrative Region
Science Department capacitates LGU partners in S&T based development project proposal preparation
T
he Department of Science and Technology-CAR conducted an Orientation Seminar on Development Project Identification and Project Proposal Writeshop in the six provinces of the region from November to December 2012. The main objective of the activity is to technically equip identified municipal science and technology coordinators/MPDOs from all municipalities in CAR in effective project identification, project proposal preparation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. A brainchild of the new DOST-CAR Regional Director, Dr. Julius Caesar V. Sicat, this writeshop is the first among a series of activities designed to establish a network of capacitated and high performing local S&T coordinators in the region, and to ensure the effective collaboration among LGUs, LGAs and other stakeholders in development project planning and implementation. At the end of the two-day activity per province, participants prepared and presented project proposals for DOST funding to be implemented in CY 2013. Dir. Sicat informed the LGU coordinator-participants that DOST-CAR initiated this program because it recognizes the critical role of the LGU partners in identifying development projects for their municipalities. On condition that all the comments and suggestions of the evaluation panel are incorporated in the revised versions, all the proposals presented during the writeshop were approved in principle. Dir. Sicat further encouraged the municipal S&T coordinators to continuously submit proposals that may be covered under the DOST Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program (SETUP).
Recognizing the limited budget of government agencies, the DOST-CAR invited representatives from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) as well as State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) to join in this collaborative undertaking. The partner stakeholders presented their programs and other inputs to help the LGUs identify areas where they can tie up for a more cohesive and strategic partnership. The SUCs in particular presented the “Locally Available Technologies and Expertise” to better inform the participants on the locally developed technologies and experts that they can tap in the conceptualization and implementation of their project proposals. The activity kicked off in the province of Kalinga on November 19-20 followed by Baguio City-Benguet on November 28-29, Apayao on December 3-4, Abra on December 6-7, Ifugao on December 10-11 and was concluded in Mountain Province on December 13-14. For all the six provinces and Baguio City, reception of the LGU officials and participants for the program was marked with enthusiasm, acknowledging the DOST-CAR’s unprecedented efforts in bringing its S&T services to the grassroots level. One LGU S&T coordinator from Kalinga sums it best when she said, “prior to this activity, never in my life have I written a project proposal. And now, I submitted two. With just a few adjustments, I can go home to my municipality, proud because I will be bringing home S&T projects for them.”