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Welcome a new clearinghouse of halal products in the Philippines as the Department of Science and Technology Region 12 opens its halal laboratory at the DOST Compound in Cotabato City.

The newly established laboratory has advanced technology, and state-of-the-art equipment and facilities, according to DOST-12 Regional Director Haja Sittie Shayma (Zenaida) P. HR Laidan.

“This is the only existing halal laboratory in the country devoted to serving local and international clients,” said Dr. Laidan. “Its range of services spans the entire supply chain of halal food and selected non-food.”

DOST’s halal laboratory services include profiling of fatty acids of animals and plants; DNA analysis of foods and other processed products; gelatin content analysis of milk and other dairy products; testing of genetically modified organism (GMO); alcohol content analysis of beverages and other related products; qualitative detection of haram in meat products; and detection of lard in bakery products and edible oils, among others.

Among those who will benefit from the establishment of the halal laboratory include several sectors, such as the food and beverage manufacturers and producers, food service outlets, caterers, food distributors and suppliers, food importers and exporters, pharmaceutical manufacturers, medical device manufacturers, and other sectors aiming for halal certification.

Said laboratory was established in line with the Philippine Science and Technology Program for the Development of the Halal Industry initiated by Dr. Laidan.

 

DOST-12's Halal Laboratory

 

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The Department of Science and Technology and the Department of Health kicked off the nationwide distribution of the Mosquito Ovicidal/Larvicidal trap or the OL Trap at the Balyuan Convention Center in Tacloban City Feb 19.

The launch was anchored on firm partnership between the two agencies to decrease the number of dengue-carrying mosquitoes and subsequently bring down the number of dengue cases in the country.

The OL Trap is a simple device that helps reduce the number of the dengue-carrying female Aedes aegypti mosquito by attracting mosquitoes and killing their eggs trapped in the kit.

According to DOST and DOH, the local governments have a very important role in the successful deployment of the technology, making them an essential component in this drive against dengue.

“We are enjoining the local governments to help in spreading the mosquito trap technology,” said Department of Health Secretary Enrique Ona as he pitched the effectiveness of the DOST-developed the OL Trap based on previous tests.

The OL Trap was launched after a series of successful laboratory and field tests that proved the 100 effectiveness of the trap in bringing down the number of the dengue-carrying Aedes Aegypti mosquito.

From left: Tacloban Mayor Alfred Romualdez, DOST-ITDI Director Nuna Almanzor, DOH Secretary Enrique Ona, DOST Secretary Mario Montejo, Leyte Governor Jericho Petilla, DOH Undersecretary David Joaquin Lozada, and DOST Undersecretary Carol Yorobe. (Photo by Joy M. Lazcano)

 

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The Department of Science and Technology will kick off the national roll-out of the Mosquito Ovicidal/Larvicidal (OL) trap system in Balyuan Convention Center, Tacloban City on February 19.

The DOST-developed mosquito OL trap system is a simple device that helps reduce the number of the female Aedes aegypti, the dengue virus carrying mosquito, by killing its eggs trapped in the lawanit strip of the trap.

“This activity starts the ball rolling for our technology initiatives in curbing dengue,” DOST Secretary Mario G. Montejo said.

DOST will distribute 2,800 kits to identified household participants in Leyte during the launch. Said households will use the OL trap for a period of six months.

The Department of Health, as partner institution, coordinated with local government units for the identification of participants.

DOST, through the Industrial Technology Development Institute (DOST-ITDI), will distribute 200,000 mosquito OL Trap kits nationwide. Each household participant will receive four complete sets of OL trap kit and six-month supply of organic OL trap pellets.

DOST likewise allocated 2,800 kits for each of the 17 regions including the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, except NCR which will receive 5,200 kits because of the high number of dengue cases.

“This shows that the government is really bent on reducing the number of dengue cases in the country,” Secretary Montejo added. “In fact, the DOST is in synergy with the Department of Health, both agencies are working very hard in coming up with solutions to fight dengue.”

Laboratory and field testing in Marikina and Quezon City showed positive results.

Meanwhile Secretary Montejo urges communities to participate and support the project. “This is our fight, we hope that in the end we can overcome the dreaded virus that has put many into sufferings and mourning.” (Joy Lazcano, S&T Media Service)

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The outflow of Filipino science and technology workers has risen to 148 percent, initial results from a Department of Science and Technology (DOST) study said.

DOST-Science Education Institute (SEI) Officer in Charge and Deputy Director Dr. Leticia V. Catris said that based on the preliminary findings of the SEI study on the Migration of S&T workers, outbound S&T workers in the Philippines has increased from 9,877 in 1998 to 24,502 in 2009, amounting to an increase of about 148%.

The Philippines experienced the highest outflow from 2000 to 2001 when it increased from 11,186 to 17,756 or a difference of about 59 percent.

Catris said that the study also showed that from 1998 to 2009, more female S&T migrants left the country than males, which peaked between 2000 to 2005, at a ratio of 2:1.

“Consistently there were more female S&T migrants than male ones across the years, which was particularly pronounced in 2001, wherein almost three quarters of S&T workers who left the country to work abroad were women,” she said.

The number of S&T professionals getting out of the country was highest in 2009 at 24,502, followed by 2008 (24,330), 2007 (18,771) and 2001 (17,756).