DOST-6’s grandest regional S&T event starts today

DEPARTMENT of Science and Technology Regional Office VI(DOST) highlights the achievements of the region’s science and technology community through the celebration of the 2019 Regional Science and Technology Week (RSTW) alongside the biennial Regional Invention Contest and Exhibit (RICE) starting today, October 21 until 25 at the Iloilo Convention Center, Mandurriao, Iloilo City.

The biggest S&T event in Western Visayas embraces the theme “Science, Technology and Innovation for Sustainable Development” and features the latest innovation in technologies, products, and research that can help achieve the goals of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

The Sustainable Development Goals are the blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all, that address the global challenges we face, including those related to poverty, inequality, climate, environmental degradation, prosperity, and peace and justice.

Remarkably, the celebration is part of the first-ever Iloilo Innovation Expo 2019 which is a week-long event brimming with various activities such as the Iloilo Innovation Summit, ILOILOvation Business Matching and Investment Forum, Iloilo Federation for Information and Technology (IFIT) Job Fair and National ICT Confederation of the Philippines (NICP) ICT Summit, among others.

The Iloilo Innovation Expo aims to showcase the critical role of science, technology, and innovation for the socio-economic development of the region’s different provinces, cities and municipalities.

Meanwhile, the Regional Invention Contest and Exhibits (RICE) aims to promote the creativity and ingenuity of the inventors in the region.

The DOST- Technology Application and Promotion Institute (DOST-TAPI) is tasked to implement Republic Act No. 7459, otherwise known as “Inventors and Invention Incentives Act of the Philippines,” which provides assistance to inventors since the promulgation of the Act in 1992.

In carrying out the incentives of the Act, the law expanded the function of the Institute without provisions for additional manpower and for program administration. This law has entailed additional costs on the part of the Institute and substantially increased the workload of the staff.

The qualifiers will subsequently vie for cash prizes and awards in the 2021 National Invention Contest and Exhibits (NICE) intended to be held as a component of the National Science and Technology Week. It is expected that this will result in more entries and enhance creativity and inventiveness in the regions.

Considering the country’s significant strides in embracing innovation, this event is an opportunity for the different sectors in the Western Visayas to gather and interact so as to build a ‘smart’ city in Iloilo.

DOST 6 is also bringing for the first time the agency’s recently launched mobile science learning facility called nuLab – DOST’s second science bus following the success of the Science Explorer, which has served more than 30,000 elementary and high school students in more than 100 municipalities all over the country since 2010.

Primarily intended for senior high school students, nuLab’s advanced Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) modules feature topics such as nanotechnology, aerospace engineering, nuclear science, earthquake risk analysis, science media literacy, programming, oceanography, robotics, entomology, and environmental science.

Moreover, the regional officeis also hosting the Mini-Robotics Workshop and Competition that will bring exhibitors from Data Science and Technology Corporation (DSTC) to demonstrate to the high school student participants from Iloilo City some of robotics concepts and masterpieces through a workshop on the first and second day of the event and will get to compete on the third day.  This aims to hopefully encourage the youngsters to pursue science courses in the future.

In pursuing this year’s theme, several activities are lined up to showcase S&T innovations and accomplishments such as the S&T Exhibits, Tektienda: MSME Product Fair, YES! Youth Explorers of Science, iLounge, Innovation Challenge, and other attractions aside from above mentioned.

Last year, the three-day RSTW was celebrated at Robinsons Place Roxas, Roxas City, Capiz and was attended by 55,480 participants.

Everyone is welcome to visit the exhibits and experience the celebration of DOST’s RSTW and RICE. (J.R.A. Gabiota)

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