by Lourhenz Igloria and Joana Mae Villanueva/UM Interns
THE DEPARTMENT of Science and Technology (DOST) will launch its hydraulic ram pump water system and Cacao processing facility in Paquibato District on June 22 of 2023.
Arnel M. Rodriguez, DOST Davao City director, said the water pump is designed to feature a slanting pipe so it would bypass the need for electricity. Instead, the process will utilize gravitational force to carry the water from the spring three kilometers away.
Their objective is to bring potable water to the remote village of Barangay Lumiad, which had a population of 1,500 based on the 2020 census.
In June last year, the DOST also installed six solar street lights in the same barangay with the help of the police under its Revitalized Pulis Sa Barangay.
Meanwhile, Rodriguez said they would also initiate packaging development projects to help reduce the high rate of loss of fruits and vegetables and lengthen the shelf lives of farm-produced crops.
These initiatives form part of the Community Empowerment Thru Science and Technology to assist the identified Geographically Isolated and Depressed Areas (GIDA) with their five entry points; health and nutrition for undernourished children; training for disaster risks management resiliency; solar-based power source; and innovation of food processing facilities which focus on providing training and equipment to help farmers in producing Cacao halal certified.
The DOST will provide all the equipment required for the intervention. CEST will commence a training program to introduce the halal process of its branding and packaging to enhance production in rural areas.
“The DOST as an agency would like to help as much as possible sa atoang mga communities and sa atoang mga MSMEs and other sectors nato— sa regional offices ang atoang mandate is to help MSMEs and communities through science and technology innovations and interventions” (The DOST as an agency would like to help as much as possible to our communities and MSMEs and other sectors — in regional offices, our mandate is to help MSMEs and communities through science and technology innovations and interventions),” said Rodriguez.
