DOST’s ‘Bridge’ focuses on R&D breakthroughs

The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) is set to launch “Bridge,” a coffeetable book on success stories on research and development (R&D) projects funded by the agency and written by the researchers themselves, on February 27, 2017 at the Manila Hotel.

As part of its 30th anniversary, the DOSTScience and Technology Information and Institute (STII) said the coffee-table book launch is aimed at raising awareness among those outside the science community on reasearch and development projects in the country.

“‘Bridge’ would not only serve as very useful information resource but also as an inspiration and motivation to our scientists, engineers, and researchers as we pursue our purpose – ‘Science For The People’,” DOST Secretary Fortunato T. de la Peña said.

STII, established in 1987 through Executive Order 128, is the information and marketing arm of the DOST.

The coffee table book will contain 83 stories culled from R&D projects funded by DOST from 2010 to 2015 particularly in the areas of agriculture and aquaculture, health and nutrition, and industry and emerging technologies.

The idea of creating a coffee-table book as information resource can be attributed to former DOST Secretary Mario Montejo in 2015.

“We owe it to the citizens of the Philippines to bring these products of scientific inquiry to the public, written in laymanized language that they could understand,” Montejo said.

“By publishing ‘Bridge’, we hope we could help raise awareness and appreciation on how hard and conscientious our researchers work, and how the fruit of their scientific inquiry could help us have a better life,” he added.

Aside from DOST’s R &D projects, articles on some of the most successful beneficiaries under DOST’s Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program (SETUP) and stories of former DOST scholars who became successful in their chosen fields, are also included in the coffee-table book.