Provincial Science and Technology Center (PSTC) directors of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) have their hands quite full every working day. Their offices are mini-DOSTs, implementing various programs that address their area’s needs in health and nutrition, livelihood generation, education, disaster preparedness, and others.
Thus House Bill No. 1205 filed by Zamboanga del Sur 1st District Representative Divina Grace C. Yu is a welcome development to recognize the huge inputs of DOST provincial directors to the whole science community.
The bill titled “An Act Upgrading the Position of the Provincial Science and Technology Officer into the Provincial Science and Technology Director in the Department of Science and Technology and Amending Republic Act No. 6959”, is also known as Provincial Science and Technology Directors Act of 2016. It aims to upgrade the status and rank of S&T center provincial officers with commensurate increase in remuneration and benefits.
House Bill No. 1205, once enacted into law, upgrades the PSTC director to Salary Grade 27 and shall be entitled to reimbursable representation and transportation allowance and other benefits prescribed by law. Currently, most PSTC directors are within Salary Grades 19-22.
Likewise, the PST office shall be provided with a minimum of six technical staff and one non-technical officer, thereby further strengthening the PSTC. PSTCs currently have only one to two permanent staff, plus a few project staff.
Also, the PSTC shall be appropriated with separate funding by the Department of Budget and Management allowing it to better extend service to the people in the provinces.
PSTC directors currently have the following functions: formulate the provincial S&T plan, programs and projects; implement and monitor technology promotion and commercialization of projects under the Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program (SETUP); disseminate S&T related information of R&D results; coordinate with LGUs, the academe and other public and private institutions to push S&T education, research, and human resources training; among others.
On this development, DOST Secretary Fortunato T. de la Peña is quite grateful. “We thank the House of Representatives Committee on Science and Technology headed by Rep. Aumentado for supporting this bill to upgrade the position of our PSTC officers,” says de la Peña.
“They are the ones directly implementing the DOST programs like SETUP for livelihood, the RxBox for healthcare service, our scholarship programs and many more,” he adds.
To push the enactment of the bill into law, the Committee on Science and Technology at the House of Representatives held a public hearing at the Bohol Bee Farm in Dauis, Bohol last May.
Committee chair Rep. Erico Aristotle C. Aumentado of the 2nd District of Bohol and host of the event said that the committee fully recognizes the many projects of the DOST in the province, as well as in the regions, that greatly help people improve their lives.
The public hearing served as a venue for the participants to submit their comments, suggestions, and recommendations before the final draft is made for endorsement to the committee-at-large.
“We also are thankful for the DOST and the PSTC in Bohol for providing our people the needed assistance using science and technology like the STARBOOKS that were given to our public high schools, therefore, providing them with information they can use for school work,” says Rep. Aumentado.
The public hearing was also attended by other House Committee on S&T members namely, Rep. Francis Gerald A. Abaya of the 1st District of Cavite, Rep. Allen Jesse C. Mangaoang of the Lone District of Kalinga, and Rep. Mark Aeron H. Sambar of the PBA Party List.
