Officials of the Department of Agriculture - Bureau of Agricultural Research (DA-BAR) discussed with the officials of the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD) on March 14, 2022 the harmonization and complementation of research for development programs, projects, and activities of both institutions.
DOST-PCAARRD Executive Director Reynaldo V. Ebora underscored the importance of convergence efforts on the Technology Business Incubation (TBI) Program to avoid unnecessary duplication of efforts and promote more efficient utilization of funds.
“We have to utilize our limited government resources properly and maximize whatever outputs that we can derive from those resources,” said Dr. Ebora. At the same time, he urged both agencies to look at the entirety of technology business incubation in the country to map out the ongoing efforts of DOST and DA and identify potential areas of complementation and possible gaps that can be addressed through the interagency partnership.
DA-BAR Director Junel B. Soriano supported the idea of convergence efforts with DOST-PCAARRD, as he sees that their TBI and other technology transfer initiatives can be complemented and positioned with the ongoing efforts of the Council. Patrick Cabrera of the Research Program Development Division (RPDD) of DA-BAR added that their TBI was institutionalized in 2021 to come up with a business incubation program not just with the academe partners but also with DA.
Other areas identified for possible convergence are biofertilizer R&D, resource sharing with the regional consortia, and production of flour from sweetpotato, cassava, and arrowroot as wheat flour alternatives.
Meanwhile, to ensure that the technology transfer efforts of DOST and DA will remain visible vis-à-vis the volume of other current initiatives, Dr. Ebora underlined the need of evaluating the impact of the first technology forum as a way forward to its second wave. The technology transfer forum was the first DOST-DA forum that that allowed technology developers or generators to pitch and feature their DOST-PCAARRD- and DA-BAR-funded technologies to investors or users. It was held via Cisco Webex and Facebook Livestream on September 30, 2021.
Together with Dr. Ebora were the Deputy Executive Director for Administration, Resource Management and Support Services (ARMSS) Director Melvin B. Carlos; Socio-Economics Research Division (SERD) Director/Officer-in-Charge of the Office of the Deputy Executive Director for Research and Development (ODED-RD) Ernesto O. Brown; Policy Coordination and Monitoring Division (PCMD) Director Lilian G. Bondoc, Technology Transfer and Promotion Division (TTPD) Director Noel A. Catibog, and Senior Science Research Specialist Eugenio G. Afalla, Jr. who welcomed DA-BAR's Director Soriano along with Ms. Cynthia Remedios V. De Guia, Ms. Glacelle Alyne Malinao, Mr. Joell H. Lales, and Mr. Cabrera at the DOST-PCAARRD Headquarters.