By Caryl Maria Minette I. Ulay, DOST-STII Media Services
Cheers erupted as the rural community of M’Lang of Region 12 declared as the best CEST community during the 2024 NSTW in CDO on November 27, 2024 (Photo taken by DOST-Regional Operations)
Key agents in energy, education, agriculture, and community development were recognized for their valuable contributions in growing the green industry movement during the Community Empowerment through Science and Technology (CEST) Forum and Awards at the 2024 National Science, Technology, and Innovation Week (NSTW) in Cagayan de Oro City.
The event was centered on highlighting the initiatives and sharing of opportunities that can be adopted by CEST programs to expand developing communities that enable cleaner energy, lesser waste, and other significant actions to mitigate climate change. In the same forum, the country’s outstanding CEST communities where recognized by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).
“By empowering the least, the last, and the lost, we can build resilient livelihoods, create green jobs, and uplift our rural economy,” conveyed Senator Lorna Regina Legarda in a virtual message. As the sponsor and primary author of several environmental laws in the country, the fourth-term senator expressed her commitment to advancing policies to support the green transition.
Clean energy for Communities
The advocacy of the energy department for clean power sources was affirmed by Dr. Rowena Cristina L. Guevara, undersecretary of the Department of Energy (DOE). She elaborated on the country’s renewable energy landscape and collective efforts to expand renewable energy services from the national down to the community level.
At present, more than 2 million Filipino households are still deprived of sustainable power supply. According to Guevarra, complete electrification in the country will provide a significant economic impact of PHP 315 billion or 1.8% of our gross domestic product (GDP).
In 2022, a solar PV project in the Iloilo provincial hospital with an installation cost of PHP 6.8 million resulted in 1.3 million in savings each year. With this record of cost efficiency, the local government unit of Iloilo decided to replicate the power project in all of its hospitals.
Through the partnership with the private sector, DOE has established different solar energy and micro-hydro power plant projects in other communities nationwide. These clean energy sources can run 24/7 during the wet and dry seasons and provide complete energy demand for home appliances and electrical tools, agricultural equipment, and public facilities. Some of which even accomplished net zero energy.
"I encourage everyone to register your renewable energy projects so that we can achieve our goal for 35% renewable energy by 2030 and 50% by 2040," urged the energy speaker. Installing renewable energy is tax-free for importation of parts and equipment.
DOE Usec. Rowena Cristina L. Guevara shared strategic plans on empowering communities through clean electrification (Photo taken by DOST-Regional Operations)
Green future through Modified Education
Institutional ways of working with the green economy were unraveled through Dr. Richard Abendan, the chief of party of the Research Triangle Institute (RTI) International.
The seven pillars of Arizona State University (ASU) were used as a model to understand the role of advanced school programs that put the institute as America’s top global leader in sustainability for five consecutive years by the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings.
“We have to go beyond the traditional boundaries of learning and teaching,” said Dr. Abendan pertaining to ingraining sustainable development among students.
It is necessary to build a curriculum that will offer non-traditional programs like ASU’s School of Sustainability, International Letters and Literature, and School of Complex Adaptive Systems, cited Abendan.
In this way, multi-skilled professionals will rise in number, paving the way to a pool of experts that will aid in solving complex societal problems. These experts can also be persuaded to stay and serve their homeland by being compensated with high-wage roles.
Likewise, global partnerships were emphasized as a vital element in cascading innovations which were executed in collaborative green-based programs of RTI International with various state universities in the Philippines.
Profitable Agri-waste Utilizations
Business Development Manager Ms. Judith Alday-Mangmang of Batangas Egg Producers Multipurpose Cooperative (BEPCO) presented an “Eggcosystem” that highlighted practices in biosafety and profitable utilization of poultry wastes in the leading egg producer-province.
There are three waste management cycles for manure, feathers and bones, and egg shells as an excess of layer and broiler production in BEPCO. These wastes are converted into other inputs such as organic fertilizers, animal feed, and calcium supplements that enrich the business portfolio to multiply sources of income.
The waste utilization is viable based on the observed purchasing behavior of farmers during the height of the offshore war. However, additional support on composting facilities for the egg basket capital is highly encouraged.
Multi-faceted Smart Farming
Last to step on the forum stage is Mr. Michael S. Caballes, the chief farmer of Bukid Amara–a learning and agri-tourism site at the foot of Mt. Banahaw in Lucban, Quezon.
The Bukid Amara led the development of the country's first Japanese musk melon for export as one of its groundbreaking innovations. (Photo taken by F&B report)
The bukid-sphere not only manages to pull off seasonal colors in their flower pathways but also exemplifies the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in dosing and nutrition control. Integrated into their smart farming culture, is a cloud-based system used in greenhouses for performing safer experimental trials. The system applied was set up by a scholar of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).
Recently, the Philippines has been struck with four strongly categorized typhoons in just 10 days leaving millions worth of agricultural damages. “We are alarmed about what will happen to our crops because of the rapid change of the weather,” explained Mr. Caballes.
Sustainable food security means providing enough food for today and the future without harming the environment or future supply. The chief farmer implied solutions like precision farming, crop rotation using weather-resistant varieties, natural pest management, and agroforestry, which he insisted, are long been mature and ready for scaling in rural farms.
Best Nat’l CEST Community
The rural community of M’lang received plaque and incentive for winning the best S&T empowered community
(Photo taken by DOST-Regional Operations)
The title for most outstanding S&T-driven community was taken home by the municipality of M’lang in Cotabato. The CEST award recognizes local communities all over the Philippines for their outstanding work in carrying out transformative science and technology projects in their area.
The community of M'lang is composed of Solo Parents Association, Association of Persons with Disabilities, United Bangsamoro Women Association, New Rizal Social Action Farmers Association, and Barangay Dunguan.
The other top two CEST finalists were the Municipality of Bauko Mountain Province and Weaving Community of Brgy. Miagao in Iloilo.
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