DOST’s MakiBayan program to raise PH productivity

By Framelia V. Anonas, S&T Media Service

More jobs, more equipped workers, more businesses, and more income—these are the ultimate aims ofMakiBayan, the Department of Science and Technology’s solution in raising the productivity of the metals industry in the country. Short for “Makinaryaat Teknolohiyaparasa Bayan,” MakiBayan is a tripartite program that involves close collaboration among DOST, the metalworks and other allied industries, and the Engineering Research and Development for Technology (ERDT), a consortium of topnotch engineering universities across the country.

“The MakiBayan program is essentially an indicative roadmap that outlines the research and development thrusts for the industry in order to achieve more sustained growth and overall development of the industry,” said DOST Secretary Mario Montejo.

MakiBayan provides a more enabling environment to spur growth in the metalworks and other related industries by strengthening research and development to provide solutions to industry problems, developing needed machineries and technologies locally, and equipping the industry manpower through higher education and training.

Through MakiBayan, the program partners will be able to work more closely and share their resources to work on common goals. The industry can identify its technology needs and, through collaboration, will be able to produce the technology and machinery locally. This results in more accessible and lower-priced equipment that will minimize the industry’s dependence on imported machineries, and even increase its competitiveness to export products and machinery.

A more vibrant metals industry will create more business opportunities through new products and services, and will result in more job opportunities for Filipinos.

According to Sec. Montejo, a strong and brisk metalworking sector is an important component in increasing the gross domestic product in the local and global economy. Globally, the metals and allied industries employ some 70 million people worldwide and account for nearly half of the goods produced in the manufacturing sector and more than half of all merchandise exported worldwide in terms of value, he said.

Consequently, the metal industry is both a driving force of the world economy and is influenced to a large extent by the overall world economic climate.

“I thank the DOST, through the leadership of Secretary Montejo, for the MakiBayan Program. It has always been our aspiration to upgrade the status of the tool and die sector of the country. Now we can work together to bring this objective into reality,” said Luis Antonio T. Fuster, president of the Philippine Die and Mold Association, one of the industry partners of MakiBayan.

PDMA through MakiBayan aims to establish a common service facility to accommodate small and medium enterprises who cannot afford to purchase costly pieces of equipment.

Other industry partners include the Metalworking Industry Association of the Philippines and the Electronics Industry Association of the Philippines, Inc.“We at MIAP are privileged to be part of this event in crafting the roadmap of the metalworking sector. As a gesture of  gratitude we are taking a bold stance by accepting the challenge as one of the government partners in working towards improving productivity in the metal sector,” said Virgilio F. Lanzuela, MIAP president.

To produce more experts to work locally, “the industry can tell us its manpower needs and we will produce them,” assured Dr. Aura C. Matias, ERDT Program Leader. ERDT consists of eight universities with strong engineering curriculum, namely Ateneo de Manila University, Central Luzon State University, De La Salle University, Mapua Institute of Technology, Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology, UP Diliman, UP Los Baños, and University of San Carlos.

The MakiBayan partners will complete a collaborative research and development (R&D) roadmap that will frame plans, projects, and milestones from 2012 to year 2016. The roadmap is expected to propel the metalworks, machinery and allied industries in the country toward greater  competitiveness both in the local and global markets.

Piliin ang mga produktong may Sangkap Pinoy Seal

Alam ba ninyo na sa mga kabahayan na nakasama sa surbey ukol sa mga

produktong pagkain na may Sangkap Pinoy Seal (o SPS), walo sa bawa’t sampu sa

kanila ang bumibili ng produkto na may SPS? Ito ay ayon sa 7th National Nutrition

Survey na isinagawa ng Food and Nutrition Research Institute ng Department of

Science and Technology (o FNRI-DOST). Tandaan, pag bumibili ng processedfoods,

laging hanapin ang tatak ng Sangkap Pinoy.

Ang Sangkap Pinoy Seal o SPS ay tatak na ibinibigay ng Department of Health

bilang katunayan na ang mga produktong mayroon nito ay nakapasa sa tamang

antas ng food fortification o dagdag sustansiya gaya ng bitamina A, yero (o iron)

at yodo (o iodine).

Makakamit ang tamang nutrisyon sa abot-kayang presyo sa mga produktong

pagkain na may SPS.

Ngunit tandaan na ang pagkain ng iba’t-ibang uri ng pagkain ang siya pa ring

tuntunin sa tamang nutrisyon at kalusugan.

Ang impormasyong ito ay hatid sa inyo ng FNRI_DOST, ang pangunahing ahensiya

ng gobyerno sa pananalilsik sa pagkain at nutrisyon. Para sa karagdagang

impormasyon at kaalaman sa pagkain at nutrisyon, sumulat o tumawag kay

Dr. Mario V. Capanzana, Direktor, FNRI-DOST sa kanyang email address:

mvc@fnri.dost.gov.ph, mar_v_c@yahoo.com o sa telepono bilang 837-2934/837-

3164 Maari ding bisitahin ang FNRI-DOST website: http://www.fnri.dost.gov.ph.

(FNRI-DOST S & T Media Service/PIA Bulacan)

Produkto mula sa yakon ginawa ng FNRI

Alam ba ninyo na ang yakon ay tumutulong sa pagpapababa ng lebel ng asukal

at kolesterol sa dugo? Ang yakon ay isang uri ng lamang-ugat na matatagpuan sa

Nueva Vizcaya, Misamis Oriental, Cordillera at iba pang bulubundukin na lugar.

Ayon sa pag-aaral ng Food and Nutrition Research Institute ng Department of

Science and Technology o FNRI-DOST, ang yakon ay maaaring gawin sa ibatibang

produkto gaya ng tsaa, juice, salad, at iba pa.

Ang mga lamang-ugat gaya ng yakon ay nagbibigay ng enerhiya at lakas sa

katawan. Ang kakulangan sa pagkain ng karbohydrat (o carbohydrates) ay

hahantong sa mababang timban, panghihina, pagkahilo at pagbaba ng l;ebel ng

asukal sa dugo, ayon sa Gabay sa Wastong Nutrisyon” ng FNRI-DOST.

Ugaliing kumain at maghanda ng mga lamang-ugat tulad ng yakon, kamote,

kamoteng-kahoy, ube at iba pa, upang maiwasan ang sakit na diyabetis at

altapresyon.

Ang impormasyong ito ay hatid sa inyo ng FNRI_DOST, ang pangunahing ahensiya

ng gobyerno sa pananalilsik sa pagkain at nutrisyon. Para sa karagdagang

impormasyon at kaalaman sa pagkain at nutrisyon, sumulat o tumawag kay

Dr. Mario V. Capanzana, Direktor, FNRI-DOST sa kanyang email address:

mvc@fnri.dost.gov.ph, mar_v_c@yahoo.com o sa telepono bilang 837-2934/837-

3164 Maari ding bisitahin ang FNRI-DOST website: http://www.fnri.dost.gov.ph.

(FNRI-DOST S & T Media Service/PIA Bulacan)

DOST studies tawa-tawa as potential cure for dengue, TB

By Luisa Soriano-Lumioan, S&T Media Service

The Department of Science and Technology (DOST), through its Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD), is currently doing studies on tawa-tawa’s (scientific name Euphorbia hirta) anti-viral and anti-inflammatory properties and its supposed ability to increase blood platelets.The discovery of tawa-tawa’s active ingredient will lead to the development of treatments for dengue and tuberculosis.

Tawa-tawa and other Philippine herbs are current research priorities in DOST’s drug development program which looks into natural substances from plants and animals as possible sources of cure for diseases.

“Natural products research in the country is being refocused and modernized by DOST as competition in the increasingly global industry becomes more intense,” DOST Secretary Mario Montejo said.

An analysis of drug origins from 1981-2002 showed that28 percent of new chemical entities (NCE)are from natural products.

“This is a significant percentage,” said Dr. Jaime Montoya, DOST-PCHRDexecutive director.

An NCE is a molecule developed at theearly stage of the drug discovery process. Itgoes through clinical trials before it is developed into a drug that could cure certain diseases.

That most NCEs come from natural productssuggests that natural products are important sources of new drugs or lead compounds suitable for further modifications during drug development, Dr. Montoya explained.

Drug development is one of the priority programs of DOST-PCHRD starting this year. To harmonize drug discovery researches in the country, the Council launched  "Tuklas Lunas" (Filipino for cure discovery) Centers  to build the health research capacity in the regions. Named as the first Tuklas Lunas Center in the country is the Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT) campus, to be followed by two more research institutes in Luzon and the Visayas.

Along with developing new drugs from natural products, DOST-PCHRD will also embark on development of diagnostic kits for priority diseases, genomics and molecular technology; functional foods; hospital equipment and biomedical devices; information and communication technology (ICT) in health; and chronobiologyor the study of the effects of night and day to living organisms. PCHRD in particular will study the effect of shifting work schedules for workers in the Business Process Outsource industries, Dr. Montoya revealed.

PCHRD, one of the sectoral councils of DOST is mandated to formulate policies, plans, programs, project, and strategies for health science and technology development; program and allocate government and external funds for research and development; monitor research and development projects; and generate external funds.