COMMUNITY MEDIA ARE KEY PARTNERS FOR SCICOMM

Also present during the event were Rev. Jose Corazon Tala-oc, Bishop of Kalibo; Undersecretary Edwin Cordevilla and Assistant Secretary Bobby Ricohermoso of Presidential Communications Office (PCO), Mr. Juan Dayang, Chairman of the Provincial Multi-Media Press Corps PH, Inc. (PMPCPI), Mr. Roy Bato, Chapter Chairman of the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) Calabarzon, Ms. Lydia Bueno, President of the National Press Club of the Philippines, Mr. Nelson Santos, President, Publishers Association of the Philippines (PAPI), and Mr. Rowen R. Gelonga, Regional Director of DOST-VI. During his talk, Secretary Solidum highlighted the DOST’s efforts and initiatives that are anchored by four thematic areas: Wealth creation, through economic development and job creation; wealth protection, through climate and disaster resilience; human well-being, through health, education, access to water and energy; and sustainability, by ensuring protection and conservation of natural resources. “We at the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) have witnessed how communicators helped us become relevant in the public eye especially during the height of COVID-19 pandemic where most of the news are about vaccines, clinical trials, virgin coconut oil (VCO), and testing kits, to name a few. We owe the media the public’s increased awareness about DOST, which then helped us leverage our projects with our lawmakers and stakeholders”, said Secretary Solidum.

“Making sense of science & technology-related news can be a daunting task, and delivering it to public in layman manner requires keen sense of inquisitiveness and curiosity that only truly dedicated communicators can do.” Secretary Solidum added that engagement with members of the media has always been part of DOST’s strategy to inform the public about the agency’s efforts in terms of service delivery and improvement of public awareness about the Philippines’ science & technology ecosystem in general. In his presentation to the members of the media, Secretary Solidum discussed DOST’s flagship programs and offerings in the field research and development (R&D); industry, energy and emerging technologies; food security and agricultural process; technology intervention among micro-small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), communities, academic organizations, government agencies, research institutions, and local industries; ICT tools and technologies for monitoring of weather and geophysical events; and scholarship opportunities for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students at the secondary, undergraduate, and graduate levels. For further information on the event or requests for a copy of DOST Secretary Solidum’s PowerPoint presentation and speech, you may email us at osec@dost.gov.ph and epbelga@dost,gov.ph for more details.