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STARBOOKS, a digital science library developed by the Department of Science and Technology’s Science and Technology Information Institute (DOST-STII) made its touchdown in Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Masbate, Negros Oriental, and Romblon last March and April 2013 when the cutting-edge units – the first of its kind digital library in the Philippines -- were installed for free in the four provinces.


STARBOOKS, or the Science and Technology Academic and Research-Based Openly Operated Kiosk Station, is a stand-alone research kiosk which may be accessed even in the absence of internet connection. DOST officials consider it as a “library in a box.”


With fresh and relevant S&T information in thousands of digitized materials in text, video, and audio formats, STARBOOKS is an excellent research medium for students, teachers, journalists, and other interested individuals. The collection includes such diverse topics and resources as food and nutrition, health and medicine, emerging technologies, energy, environment, livelihood technologies, investigatory projects and theses in different fields.


In DOST-CAR, Assistant Regional Dir. Maria Rowena Madarang turned over three STARBOOKS to the provinces of Kalinga, Apayao and Abra represented by their respective science and technology officers at the DOST –CAR Regional Office.


In Masbate, DOST Regional Director Tomas Briñas led the turn-over ceremonies for the groundbreaking research platform. The beneficiaries were the Masbate National Comprehensive High School, Dr. Emilio B. Espinosa Sr. Memorial State College of Agriculture, and the local government of Aroroy.


In Negros Oriental, the Dumaguete City Public Library as well as the local government units (LGUs) of Bayawan and Mabinay were added to the list of beneficiaries after DOST-Negros Oriental officials and LGU representatives signed a Memorandum of Understanding.


Meanwhile, around 70 representatives from different educational institutions, government offices and the media attended the STARBOOKS launching at the Provincial Science and Technology Center in Romblon.


Each beneficiary received a server, uninterrupted power supply, and a pod.


With just a few clicks on the keyboard, STARBOOKS can aid students in their studies and research and thus increase their chances of availing scholarships in S&T schools. At the same time, the stand-alone kiosk is also seen to promote greater S&T interest and awareness in the country and encourage more students to take up S&T related courses. The digital library also contains materials useful for entrepreneurs, farmers and other players in the agricultural industry, as well as other S&T related sectors.


According to Annie Lyn Bacani, administrative coordinator of the project, STII chooses recipients from the top 20 poorest provinces in the country based on the survey of the National Statistical Coordination Board (NCSB).


However, the DOST agency may also provide STARBOOKS kiosks to provinces with limited internet connections and those requesting for their installation. Local government units, non-government organizations, and educational institutions are qualified to avail of the technology.

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<p style="text-align: justify;">Local technology in Philippine textiles takes the spotlight as the Philippine Textile Research Institute (PTRI) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) unveils the latest in textile innovation using indigenous or neo-ethnic materials at the 2013 Neo-Ethnic Philippine Textiles Conference on June 11, 2013 at the Heritage Hotel in Manila.<br /><br />The event, which aims to confront current issues relevant to local textile production such as sustainability and longevity, takes its cue from industry stakeholders and advocates of native fabrics who are giving the textile industry a second look, thereby giving it a much needed push to make a dent in the global market. <br /><br />Neo-ethnic textiles refer to clothing made of natural or indigenous materials that are used today and created using green scientific and technological approaches by spinners, dyers, weavers and artisans.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><br />These innovative approaches to fabrics creation, a DOST-PTRI intervention under the DOST-TECHNICOM funded project on neo-ethnic textiles, integrate traditional patterns, designs and motifs that preserve Filipino art and cultural heritage. As a result, regular or traditional fabrics are transformed into world-class products bearing neo-ethnic materials and designs that are unique and a cut above the rest.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><br />At the same time, this will create additional livelihood opportunities for ethnic groups and communities in the countryside where the raw materials come from, thereby sustaining the growth of the local textile industry.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><br />To be featured in the event are three conference sessions and a one-of-a-kind fashion show expected to ignite interest on our local fabrics and artistic designs among local and international buyers. The show, titled “Neo-Ethnic Wear,” will showcase wearable ensembles with an array of avant-garde designs executed by international fashion designer Anthony Cruz-Legarda and the Clothing, Textile and Interior Design Department of the College of Home Economics-University of the Philippines Diliman.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><br />Dr. Rowena Cristina L. Guevara, executive director of DOST’s Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (PCIEERD) will be the keynote speaker for the event.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><br />For people looking for ideas on what will stand out from the crowd and what could be the next best thing in local textiles, the Neo-Ethnic Philippine Textiles Conference and Fashion Show will surely help.</p>
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<td width="79%"><span style="text-align: justify;">One of the showcases at the Philippine Neo-Textile Conference: <em><strong>(Text by Julius L. Leaño Jr./ Photo courtesy of DOST-PTRI)</strong></em><br /> </span></td>
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<td><span style="text-align: justify;">Pineapple-silk  jacket dyed with talisay leaves embellished with talisay dyed lace made  of Philippine silk. An Anthony Cruz Legarda creation to be featured in  the Neo-ethnic Wear Fashion Show at the Heritage Hotel on 11 June 2013 <em><strong>(Text by Julius L. Leaño Jr./ Photo courtesy of DOST-PTRI)</strong></em></span></td>
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Farmers will have greater earning capacity while more engineers, chemists, and other professionals will be employed, if government and coconut industry players will focus more on cocochemicals, specifically oleochemicals, to prop up an industry currently experiencing a slowdown.

This was the major point raised during a recent Round Table Discussion (RTD) organized by the National Academy of Science and Technology, an advisory body of the Department of Science and Technology. Titled “RTD on the Philippine Coconut Industry’s Cocochemical Sector: Quo Vadis?”, the event was held last May 28, 2013 at the Hyatt Hotel Manila.


Cocochemicals are the highest-value products among coconut commodities and coconut-based oleochemicals, which come from plant and animal fats, are now experiencing an upsurge in terms of market interest. The fuel industry benefits most from oleochemicals production since these may be processed to produce biodiesel, additives, lubricants, greases and solvents.


Proposed solution: embrace the value chain


To tap the opportunities generated by oleochemicals and boost the local cocochemical sector, Dean Lao Jr., managing director of CHEMREZ Technologies and president of the Philippine Oleochemical Manufacturing Association, believes that producers should venture into the other components of the value chain. He mentioned that the Philippines, as of now, is confined to only one component, which is ingredient manufacturing, or simply oleochemical production. Meanwhile, the entire value chain is quite long, comprising feedstock production, ingredient manufacturing, compounding and formulation, branding and packaging, logistics and distribution, retail or direct marketing.

Lao stressed his point during the RTD by citing Pilipinas Kao, which has gone all the way to branding and packaging. “If you go all the way down the value chain, there are savings and profits. You harness value at every stage of the chain. You are less sensitive to feedstock prices, and have more options to market finished goods,” the CHEMREZ official disclosed.

The availability of highly skilled human resources does not appear to be a problem either as Lao noted many Filipino engineers and chemists who are experts in this field. Some are getting hired in Malaysian and Indonesian cocochemical companies and plants where they continue to excel, he said.

Challenges in the cocochemical sector


According to Carlos B. Carpio, deputy administrator for research, development and extension branch of the Philippine Coconut Authority, the Philippines was one of the first oleochemical producing countries in Asia.

In recent years however, the ballgame has changed.

During his presentation titled “The Raw Materials Supply Chain: The Quality of Oil Produced by the Coconut Tree,” Carpio said that Malaysia and Indonesia are now two of the world’s biggest oleochemical producers with the most dedicated research and development (R&D) facilities. Fact is, Indonesia is the world’s biggest producer of palm oil, which includes oleochemicals among its end-products.

Evelina L. Patiño, executive vice-president and chief operating officer of United Coconut Chemicals Inc., echoed the statement of Carpio.

In her talk on “Philippine Cocochemicals for the Local and Global Markets,” Patiño specified that both Malaysia and Indonesia are now supplying 42 percent of the market for oleochemicals. “The trend has now shifted from Europe to Asia. But, we hardly have anything to speak of where cocochemical production is concerned,” she lamented.

Pilipinas KAO and PIDI are the only operating basic oleochemical plants in the Philippines, apart from biodiesel producers. The others, like Cocochem, Pan-Century, IPI, and Lina Holdings, have either closed shop or are now on shutdown.

Patiño cited the following challenges faced by local cocochemical producers: limited foreign investments, difficulty competing with other producers, absence of an export tax support unlike in Malaysia and Indonesia where an export tax scheme makes domestic oil prices cheaper, and absence of a long-term plan for increasing coconut production.

Lao added other issues affecting the industry, such as inefficient feedstock production, cost of logistics and electricity, limited R&D, regulated/restricted access to Europe, and difficulty in finding end-users for the product.

A major challenge, said a member of the audience during the open forum, is how to make the benefits of cocochemical production cascade down to the farmers. “They sell their product to manufacturers and it’s the manufacturers who earn from their product, not the farmers,” he lamented.

Aside from the fuel industry, oleochemicals also have applications in the homecare, agriculture, plastic, and food industries. These may also be used to produce metal cutting fluids, cleaners, and resins.

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Local residents of the so-called “Next Wave Cities” are in for more job and economic opportunities, according to a Department of Science and Technology (DOST) official. In an interview with DZRH’s Radyo Henyo recently, Monchito Ibrahim, deputy executive director of DOST’s Information and Communication Technology Office, explained that a “next wave city” will not only serve as a location for an Information Technology-Business Process Management office. The city will also provide locals with employment, business, and livelihood opportunities right in their area as IT-BPM companies locate in their places.

In a joint study by the DOST-ICTO and the Information Technology and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP), “Next Wave Cities” were identified as the best current or potential information technology and business process management (IT-BPM) host cities based on talent resources, infrastructure cost, business environment and risk management – the three most important considerations in locating an IT-BPM office.

The establishment of “Next Wave Cities” is one way of pushing for a more robust ICT climate in areas beyond Metro Manila to generate more employment and business opportunities in the countryside.

DOST-ICTO and IBPAP identified in the 2012 Top 10 Next Wave Cities in the country, namely Davao, Dumaguete, Iloilo, Lipa, Metro Bulacan, Metro Cavite, Metro Laguna, Metro Naga and Metro Rizal.

Ibrahim cited the fresh college graduates from the provinces to stress the idea behind the program. “We are bringing the jobs to them, right in their area so they don’t have to go to Metro Manila to get decent employment,” Ibrahim pointed out.

Ibrahim also believes that by promoting and convincing industry investors to put their business within their areas, an appropriate eco-system for local residents is also put in place for them to cultivate and develop their own ICT industry.

“Aside from employment, we are also giving opportunities to young graduates and professionals to get into business or what we call IT entrepreneurship,” Ibrahim said.

Meanwhile, DOST-ICTO and IBPAP continue to identify alternate locations that could be suitable destinations for IT-BPM operations.

At the end of 2012, the IT-BPM industry generated revenues of U$ 13.3 billion and provided more than 717,000 jobs in all parts of the country.

Ibrahim also revealed that a few months from now, they will be holding several regional road shows to promote the initiatives of Next Wave Cities as well as to market other IT-BPM services aside from call centers, such as healthcare outsourcing and gaming development, to countryside folks.

 

Monchito Ibrahim, deputy executive director of the Department of Science and Technology-Information and Communications Technology Office (DOST-ICTO), discusses the idea behind Next Wave Cities Program during its press briefing last May 20, 2013 at Manila Peninsula Hotel, Makati City

 

Monchito Ibrahim, deputy executive director of the Department of Science and Technology-Information and Communications Technology Office (DOST-ICTO), discusses the idea behind Next Wave Cities Program during its press briefing last May 20, 2013 at Manila Peninsula Hotel, Makati City. According to him, this program helps investors assess which other cities outside Metro Manila can be the most viable venue for their IT-BPM operations. He also added that through this initiative, graduates who reside in provinces have the opportunities to get jobs and earn money without moving from their respective areas. (Text by Allan Mauro V. Marfal / Photo by: Gerardo Palad, S&T Media Service, DOST-STII)