The Technology Commercialization Team of the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (DOST-PCAARRD) has been named by the Civil Service Commission (CSC) as one of its Pagasa awardees (Group Category) for 2021.
DOST Secretary Fortunato “Boy” T. de la Peña extended his felicitations to PCAARRD’s five-man TechComm Team. The team is composed of Science Research Specialist II Mae A. Dagaas, Senior Science Research Specialists Lucy A. Lastimosa and Abigail F. Gueco; Noel A. Catibog, team leader and director of the Institute’s Technology Transfer and Promotion Division (TTPD); and DOST-PCAARRD Executive Director Dr. Reynaldo V. Ebora.
During his weekly report on Friday, Nov. 19, the DOST chief said the team “has improved the innovation ecosystem of the country’s agriculture, aquatic and natural resources (AANR) sector in the last three years.”
“The TechComm Team led the conceptualization, packaging, coordination and implementation of 118 projects on intellectual property (IP) management (Intellectual Property and Technology Business Management – IP-TBM)), technology promotion (Science for the Convergence of Agriculture and Tourism or SciCAT Program) and technology commercialization (Agri-Aqua Technology Business Incubation or the ATBI Program).”
The projects have been allocated a total budget of P312 million to support the technology transfer activities of 60 agencies that include state universities and colleges (SUCs), research and development institutes (RDIs), among others, de la Peña said.
He said the SUCs, and RDIs have provided about P93.9 million as counterpart funds.
The PCAARRD team was behind the initiation, monitoring and the development of these programs alongside their other functions such as the management of the Innovation and Technology Center (DPITC), the Council’s technology promotion and commercialization platform, and participation to the technical working groups that amended the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of certain laws.
“The outputs of these projects benefitted not only the researchers of various SUCs and RDIs but also the entrepreneurs, farmers and fisherfolks in the country.” de la Peña said.
The CSC Pagasa is one of the three award categories under the 2021 Search for Outstanding Government Workers. It is given to an individual or group for outstanding contributions that directly benefit more than one department of the government.