PIA Press Release
Friday, January 20, 2012 Feature: DOST-IX bares 2011 accomplishmentsThe Department of Science & Technology Region IX (DOST IX) bared their accomplishments for 2011 declaring that it was a very productive and dynamic year. Despite the many challenges and demands of their tasks, the department achieved and even surpassed its targets for 2011 through the best practices that DOST-IX incessantly demonstrated over the years. Its tough organizational Core Values such as Excellence, Commitment, Customer-Priority, Innovation, Integrity, and Teamwork (ExCITe) led to the enormous success of the office’s organizational goals. Some of the remarkable accomplishments in 2011 were: The Field Operation Services provided 155 technology interventions to MSMEs in the region thru the flagship program Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program (SETUP), which is 19% over the target of 130 interventions. Through its local Grants-in-aid program (GIA), DOST-IX implemented 21 community-based projects and funded eight (8) Research & Development Projects. The regional office successfully installed a total of ten (10) units of Automated Weather Stations (AWS) and Automated Rain Gauge (ARG) throughout the region. The AWS are monitoring stations equipped with different sensors capable of measuring wind speed and direction, air temperature, air humidity, air pressure, and rain amount, duration and intensity, while ARG system uses a tipping bucket that measures the amount of precipitation or rain that has fallen. It gathers and records the amount of rainfall over a set period of time and automatically sends the data to a central-based station on a pre-determined interval basis. In the 3-day Intellectual Property and Patent drafting Workshop, DOST-IX has facilitated 4 patent applications with the Intellectual Property Office The Year 2011 marked the intensification of DOST-IX’s commitment to increase its scholars through the DOST-SEI scholarship. There were at least 698 senior high school students from as far as Jolo, Sulu who sought to hurdle the said scholarship examinations. Moreover, a TRACER has been initiated aiming to track DOST’s scholar-graduates. The DOST-Regional Standards and Testing Laboratory or RSTL served some 1,111 customers in 2011. Out of the 2,311 samples received for analyses, a total of 4,366 tests were conducted. The RSTL offers physical, chemical, microbiological and metrology testing. The laboratories generated / collected testing fees amounting to P2M. The DOST-IX has successfully renewed its ISO 9001:2008 Certification. The certification (CIP/4068/07/12/552), dated 03 February 2011, and is valid until 02 February 2014, was issued by the Certification International Philippines, Incorporated (CIPI), an internationally renowned ISO certifying body. Meanwhile, RSTL – Chemical and Microbiological Laboratories also effectively renewed its 3-year accreditation to the ISO/IEC 17025:2005 version and is valid until 2013. ISO/IEC 17025 is the global quality standard for testing and calibration laboratories. Another accomplishment of the DOST Regional Office IX in 2011 was the accreditation from the Philippine Accreditation Office (PAO) - Department of Trade and Industry for being the 1st ISO 17025 Accredited Metrology Lab in the Regions. DOST IX was evaluated and has been found to conform with the PNS ISO/IEC 17025:2005 requirements and the PAO condition for laboratory accreditation in the field of calibration. The lead government Science & Technology agency spearheaded the launching of the DOST-STII’S Science and Technology Academic and Research-Based Openly-Operated Kiosk Stations better known as STARBOOKS project. A first of its kind to be implemented in various rural public schools in the entire Philippines, a total of 8 public schools were selected as recipients. STARBOOKS is a stand-alone information kiosk, which provides thousands of digitized S&T resources in various formats without the need for an internet connection. This innovation is said to introduce digitized library materials in the fingertips of the Filipinos in the rural communities. DOST-IX maintained its strong linkages with various stakeholders considered as partners. This year, DOST-IX relentlessly commits itself to deliver quality major products and services consisting of Technology Transfer and Commercialization; Analytical Testing and Calibration Services; and S&T Promotion, Information, Dissemination and S&T Scholarships right in every community’s frontier. (DOST-IX/PIA9/alt) | 
