DOST charts 3 strategic S&T programs to boost eco development

Three strategic programs have been charted by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) to harness S&T to help accelerate the country’s economic development.

To be pursued until 2004 are the Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program (SET-UP), Technological Innovation Commercialization Program (TECHNICOM), and Technology Support Program for E-Governance (SUPREGOV).

DOST Secretary Estella F. Alabastro said the three are among the programs to be undertaken under the National Science and Technology Plan (NSTP) 2002-2020 whose finalization is being spearheaded by DOST.

"In the drafting of the National S&T Plan, we conducted a series of consultations with various sectors of society throughout the country in order to arrive at a consensus on how S&T can be used as a basis for future economic development," she said.

Dr. Alabastro’s forum was the First Philippine Science Journalism Congress held recently at the Monte Vista Resort in Calamba City, Laguna.

The congress was organized by the Philippine Science Journalists Association, Inc. (PSciJourn) in cooperation with the DOST Science and Technology Information Institute (STII). It was supported by DOST, Office of the Press Secretary (OPS), and IBM.

The DOST official said that SET-UP is a nationwide program designed to raise overall productivity levels of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the region.

Under this program, technology upgrading assistance and services in an integrated manner will be provided to enterprises in the manufacturing, agricultural, or service sectors.

TECHNICOM was designed to hasten the process of spinning off technologically innovative enterprises. It will identify and select the most commercially promising innovations and technology-based business concepts.

SUPREGOV was envisioned to provide technology support for E-governance system requirements. It will involve concerned DOST agencies in national efforts to accelerate the application of information and communication technology (ICT) in government processes and services.– Rudy Fernandez