LOS BAÑOS SCIENCE COMMUNITY CELEBRATES THE 2005 NATIONAL SCIENCE
AND TECHNOLOGY WEEK
THE Los Baños Science Community, with its 22-member-agencies, celebrated the National Science and Technology Week on July 27 at the PCARRD Headquarters, Los Baños, Laguna. This year’s theme was “Magtagumpay sa Tulong ng Agham at Teknolohiya”.
Activities held for the celebration were the opening of the exhibits located at the PCARRD’s Bulwagang Panday Karunungan, followed by a program held at the Elvira O. Tan Hall. Dr. Patricio S. Faylon, PCARRD Executive Director and LBSCFI President, presented the accomplishments of the LBSCFI for 2004. Key officials led by Laguna Vice Governor Edwin L. Olivarez, DOST Assistant Secretary Carol M. Yorobe, and Department of Budget and Management Secretary Romulo L. Neri graced the occasion where they delivered messages and the keynote speech, respectively. Conferment of the MS Swaminathan Research Award, and PARRFI R&D Awards for Research and Development, and paper presentations of the awardees were also held.
In his message, Vice Governor Olivarez emphasized that the Province of Laguna is blessed with many resources and products that its people can be proud of. Among the Lagunense’s creativity and craftsmanship that are popular locally and internationally are the wood carvings of Paete, and the barong tagalog of Lumban. He encouraged the Lagunenses to adopt the “One Town, One Product” scheme so that each town will be known for its specialty product.
Dr. Calixto M. Protacio, MS Swaminathan Research Awardee, presented the winning paper on “Unraveling the Role of KNO3 in Mango Flowering” which he co-authored with Dr. E. Serrano, Mr. P. Rodriguez, Ms. J. Guinto, Ms. I. Marquez, and Ms. W. Absulio of the UPLB-CA-Horticulture.
Dr. Elda B. Esguerra, PARRFI R&D Awardee for Development, presented the paper on “A Modified Rapid and Effective Heat Treatment for the Control of Postharvest Diseases of Mango Fruits. His co-authors were Mr. S. Chavez, and Ms. R. Valerio of the UPLB – Postharvest Training and Research Center.
The paper on “Manual Strand Orientation as a Means of Improving the Strength Properties of Woodwool Cement Boards in the Philippines” won the PARRFI R&D Award for Research was presented by Dr. Rico J. Cabangon of the Forest Products Research and Development Institute. His co-authors for the paper were Mr. P. Evans and Mr. R. Cunningham.
Simultaneously held with the morning program was a tour/plant visit of farmers to selected LBSCFI agencies.
In the afternoon, a technology and livelihood forum was held, also at the Dr. E. O. Tan Hall. Technologies on “tapuy” or rice wine-making, planting and processing of medicinal plants, tilapia processing, and milk production and processing were presented by researchers from the LBSCFI member-agencies.
Speakers from financing institutions such as the People’s Credit Cooperative, Technology Livelihood Resource Center, and the Land Bank of the Philippines, also presented the financial aids/loan schemes that the farmers could avail of.
The exhibits were open for public viewing on July 27-29 to allow more viewers to see the featured technologies of LBSCFI member-agencies. More than 1,000 students and teachers from schools in Los Baños such as the Liceo de Los Baños, Colegio de Los Baños, Los Baños National High School, Maquiling School, Inc., Philippine High School for the Arts, Laguna State Polytechnic College (Los Baños Campus), Evangelical Baptist Church Schoolers, Los Baños Day Care, OB Montessori, and Women’s Groups visited the exhibits.
For PCAMRD’s exhibit, technologies on value-added products from tilapia, breeding and culture of giant freshwater prawn, freshwater aquarium fish breeding and culture, vermicomposting, and tilapia broodstock in saline waters were featured.
