By Franklin P. Gumapon
DIPOLOG CITY, Feb. 1 (PIA)- The Department of Science and Technology (DOST)-IX reported this week that it had surpassed its targets for 2011.
Guided by its core values of excellence, commitment, customer-priority, innovation, integrity and teamwork, DOST-IX was able to provide 155 technology interventions to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the region through the flagship program, Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program (SETUP), which was 19 percent higher than its target of 130 interventions.
It also implemented 21 community-based projects and funded eight research and development projects through its local Grants-In-Aid (GIA) program.
DOST-IX also installed 10 units of Automated Weather Stations (AWS) and Automated Rain Gauge (ARG) throughout the region. AWS are monitoring stations equipped with different sensors capable of measuring wind speed and direction, air temperature, air humidity, air pressure, and rain amount, duration and intensity.
ARG, on the other hand, uses a tipping bucket that measures the amount of rainfall over a set period of time.
Moreover, its Regional Standards and Testing Laboratory (RSTL), which offers physical, chemical, microbiological and metrology testing, has served a total of 1,111 customers last year with 2,311 samples received for testing.
A total of 698 graduating high school students from as far as Jolo, Sulu were also assisted in their applications for the DOST scholarship examination.
As the lead government science and technology agency, DOST-IX spearheaded the launching of DOST-STII’s Science and Technology Academic and Research-Based Openly-Operated Kiosk Stations better known as STARBOOKS project. Such a project is the first of its kind to be implemented in various rural public schools in the country aimed at providing a stand-alone information kiosk, which provides digitized library materials to students in rural communities without the need of an internet connection.
DOST-IX’s yearend report has summed up: 2011 was a very productive and dynamic year in that it has accomplished much more than its targets amid many challenges. (FPG/PIA-Zamboanga del Norte)
