Scientists and Academics Mount Science and Technology Festival

The University of the Philippines (UP), with support from the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), will celebrate the scientific projects and accomplishments of the scientific community through a festival that hopes to raise public awareness of the value of science and its role in improving the quality of life of ordinary Filipinos.

Aghambayan: A DOST-UP Science Technology and Innovation Festival will be held on June 20, 2018 at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Manila.

Aghambayan follows the lead began by the annual celebration of the Regional Technology Transfer Days of the DOST and the first UP Knowledge Festival in 2016 that featured science and other branches of knowledge.

The one-day festival will illuminate the often-overlooked close relationship between people in everyday life and the science community through technological and scientific innovations that impact the seemingly ordinary challenges of daily living such as agricultural pest control to the highly-technical use of satellites and radars to mitigate environmental hazards.

Researchers and faculty members of higher education institutions and research universities;  policymakers; relevant government agencies such as the DENR, DAR, DTI, NEDA, DBM, the Chambers of Commerce; industry leaders and technology adapters; technology entrepreneurs and start-ups; investors, and the LGUs will be at the event.

The festival will have two main components: the exhibit/display of scientific works along the themes of health and well-being, environment, food and human resource development and job creation; and a conference with short panel discussions and break-out sessions that will expound on the policy implications, utilization and uses of scientific research and innovations that benefit the public. The festival will also have poster exhibits, tech demonstration corners, and help desks on the side.

UP President Danilo Concepcion will give a message on public good, extension and technology transfer and Science and Technology Secretary Fortunato Dela Peña will talk about science for the people.

The festival will celebrate and showcase both UP’s and the DOST scientific community’s achievements in science and contributions to the nation; demonstrate how science contributes to the public good and its relevance to people’s everyday life; highlight the policy contributions and implications of scientific research and innovation, provide a networking platform for high-level researchers and industry leaders to explore ideas and research collaboration opportunities provide an inspiring and innovative platform for learning about, and appreciating even more, science and the work of the scientific community.

Some of the technologies to be showcased are the UP Phil-LiDAR project that conducts hazard mapping of the Philippines using LiDAR and the UP SENSLOPE that develops and deploys landslide sensors and data communication system. The food agri-science theme will feature the protein-enriched copra meal (PECM) as feed for swine and poultry and the shrimp pathogenomics program.

The festival will also showcase health innovations such as the sambong tablet as an anti-urolithiasis and diuretic and newborn screening and health diagnostics such as the Lab in a Mug. There will also be a feature on the improvement of coconut varieties through genomics, genetics, and molecular breeding for a competitive and sustainable coconut industry. (UP)