The Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (PCAARRD-DOST) conducted the National Symposium on Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (NSAARRD) on November 10, 2014.
An annual activity for the Council, NSAARRD recognizes the significant contributions of individuals and institutions in promoting the status and gains of research and development for the country’s agriculture, aquatic, and natural resources sectors.
Recognition focuses on the research and development outputs that fuel the Council to address its task in providing science-based know-how and tools that will enable the agricultural sector to raise productivity to world-class standards.
Other than the awards, NSAARD indispensably measures what the Council has so far accomplished and what it has yet to accomplish in setting research and development direction for the AANR.
PCAARRD’s R&D Commitment
Blending up its four-pronged R&D approach, the Council aims to contribute in achieving sustained growth for our people through high-end sciences and technologies which have commercial potentials, generated and managed by a capable R&D workforce and sustained by needed R&D policies.
Worthy of mention in realizing this goal were the Council’s various R&D pursuits in enhancing productivity through biotechnology and reproductive biotechniques as well as various programs and modalities.
The Council’s R&D engagement yielded fine and productive results having been anchored on well-crafted programs and strategies as warranted by the needs of the time.
Looking back, the Council initiated the Conservation Farming Village which showcases technologies for sloping areas; crafted the Science and Technology Agenda (STA) to make S&T an effective tool to achieve growth in the concerned sectors; and likewise crafted the Philippine S&T Agenda on Climate Change (PSTACC) to sustain productivity and competitiveness in the midst of climate change.
The Industry Strategic S&T Program (ISP), the Council’s latest R&D-enabling blueprint, embodies the different S&T Plans for selected agricultural commodities and crosscutting concerns, describe the targets for each industry, and pinpoint the aspects of the industry where S&T will make a difference.
Through the ISPs, some notable high-impact and world-class technologies and services are now breaking new grounds for the benefit of our stakeholders:
Bridging People and Technology in the AANR
In terms of diffusing its R&D outputs, the Council strengthened its technology transfer and commercialization activities through the Techno Gabay Program and various information, education, and communication (IEC) strategies attuned with the increasing globalized information age.
Different information systems on agriculture and aquatic resources remain accessible and updated in the PCAARRD portal. The Council also made technologies and services available through mobile phone or Short Message System (SMS), and in keeping up with the social media age, PCAARRD makes itself visible in various social networks (Facebook, Twitter, and Google+) to reach a wider, younger, and more tech savvy clientele.
The interest of technology transfer soars untrammeled for the Council with its Pinoy S&T Services for Farmers and Entrepreneurs. This modality seeks to expand the reach of S&T products in the country through the synergy of three basic components: S&T Community Based Farm (STCBF); TechnoMart (TM); and One-Stop Information System (OSIS).
Capacitating the Country’s R&D Workforce
In its effort to achieve a capable and efficient R&D workforce in the AANR, the Council regularly finetunes its human resource development program with the prevailing need of the R&D environment through its Graduate Fellowship Program and non-degree training courses. It also provides incentives and awards for significant R&D accomplishments, among other capability-enhancement strategies. The Council also enhances the demand for graduates of agricultural courses as an incentive towards accelerating human capital build up.
Moreover, manifesting its culture of quality, PCAARRD adheres with international quality standard as shown by its having been certified with ISO 9001:2000 and later on with ISO 9001:2008 in 2011. PCAARRD was likewise awarded with the Philippine Quality Award (PQA) Level 1 in 2009.
Aware of the importance of policy formulation and advocacy to improve the environment for S&T, the Council promoted the interest of intellectual property management by its having spearheaded the enactment of RA10055, otherwise known as the Philippine Technology Transfer Act of 2009.
The law provides the framework and support system for the ownership, management, use, and commercialization of intellectual property generated from research and development funded by government and for other purposes.
Through meaningful and productive research and development endeavors, PCAARRD continually pursues a legacy of excellence for the interest of more than two-thirds of the country’s total population which depends on the country’s agriculture and aquatic resources sectors.
PCAARRD thus, hope that as it celebrates a legacy of excellence in the AANR, it also gives more reason for those who depend on these sectors to celebrate life.