The National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST), an agency of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), has tapped the University of Northern Philippines as the host of a regional research training-workshop held 15–18 November 2022.
Titled Training-Workshop on Research Upgrading and Performance Evaluation (RUPE), the event gathered college faculty of science, technology, and allied fields from the four provinces of Region I.
Dr. Armando Q. Ganal, regional director of DOST I, welcomes the participants.
It is one of the capability building activities of NAST which aims to enable researchers to implement research projects and produce scientific papers that are publishable in international refereed journals.
The event is part of the project titled “Evaluation and Improvement of the Research Publication and IP Productivity of the National R&D System” which aims to improve the productivity and the international visibility of the country’s science and technology community.
Dr. Erwin F. Cadorna, UNP president, expressed his gratitude to the NAST for choosing UNP as the host. He also expressed his hopes for the sending of a Balik Scientist recipient to the University to revitalize its research culture.
Cadorna encouraged the participants to “learn from one another and sustain our responsibility to our communities in helping promote healthier, safer, and more productive lives for all.”
Dr. Erwin Cadorna thanks the NAST for choosing UNP as the host of the regional training. For him, the affair is crucial in the advancement of research culture in the University.
In the same manner, Dr. Armando Q. Ganal, director of DOST–Region I, emphasized that research is not only a way of going up the ladder in one’s career but also an act of contributing to nation-building.
Ms. Luningning E. Samarita-Domingo, NAST director, also shared the programs and projects of the NAST and the conferment of the National Scientist title to exemplary women and men of science in the country.
She also discussed the admission process to the NAST’s Scientific Career System, which is a pool of highly qualified and productive scientists devoted to the advancement of science in the country.
Ms. Luningning Samarita-Domingo, NAST director, discusses the benefits of a career in science, which, in fact, ends at the Libingan ng mga Bayani if one reaches the stature of a National Scientist.
National Scientist Lourdes Cruz, known for her significant contributions to the biochemistry of toxic peptides from marine snails, also presented the dismal state of science productivity in the country, considering the limited number of publications by Filipino scientists compared to those of their Southeast Asian neighbors.
She ended with the hope, however, that much still needs to be done for the advancement of science in the country. As such, NAST’s RUPE program addresses this challenge through capacity building in the regions, strengthening the scientific foundations of young learners, and mainstreaming science education for inclusive national development and national and global sustainability.
UNP faculty grab a photo opportunity with National Scientist Lourdes Cruz, professor emerita of biochemistry at UP Diliman.
Other talks on the first day and the speakers include: research ethics in the collaboration among the academe, the government, and the industry (Dr. Marco Nemesio E. Montaño, NAST Phl); the case for nipa fruticans (Dr. Marilou P. Lucas, Mariano Marcos SU); patents and utility model registration and intellectual property rights (Dr. Jaine Reyes, UP Los Baños); research performance evaluation and writing publishable papers (Dr. Franco Teves, MSU-IIT); and research group mentoring (Dr. Percival F. Almoro, UP Diliman).
The former president of NAST, Dr. Rhodora Azanza, also discussed the Future Earth Platform and Pagtanaw 2050 as guide to research and development planning.
Emphasizing the need for utilization of knowledge production, other speakers dealt with regional development and the value of research in communities.
Ms. Mariz Dafinae H. Mendoza, senior specialist at the National Economic and Development Authority, tackled regional development vis-a-vis national development.
Complementing her talk is linking research outputs to communities, with a focus on industry, health, and agriculture research. Representatives from the Department of Trade and Industry, the Department of Health, and the Department of Agriculture focused on these concerns.
The last two days of the event were for the workshops on writing a research proposal, focusing on writing strategies for each of its parts. The workshops, including critiquing, were facilitated by Dr. Maribel Dionisio-Sese (UP Los Baños), Dr. Mudhekeewis Santos (University of Santo Tomas), Dr. Allan Patrick G. Macabeo (University of Santo Tomas), Dr. Allan N. Soriano (De La Salle University), Dr. Merlyn S. Mendioro (UP Los Baños), and Dr. Windell L. Rivera (UP Diliman).
Guests, participants, and University officials end the training-workshop with a picture.
Source: UNP-PIO