The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) showed its steadfast commitment to the United Nations’ (UN) sustainable development goal to make cities and communities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.

The DOST through the Niche Centers in the Regions (NICER) for Research and Development (R&D) program launched Monday, Nov. 8, three innovation centers “geared towards providing solutions for light pollution, energy consumption, disaster risk reduction, and technologies to help local government units (LGUs) manage their natural resources.”

The three innovation centers were showcased during the “NICER Symposium: Building Sustainable Cities and Communities”.

The virtual event zeroes in on the agency’s efforts to support the UN’s sustainable development goal.

“We hope that these worthy initiatives would motivate our Higher Education Institutions to do more R&D projects that are aimed at improving the lives of the Filipino people,” said DOST Undersecretary for R&D Rowena Cristina L. Guevara.

“As the future National Innovation Centers for Science and Technology (NICEST), the DOST intends that these NICERs will upgrade the technological capabilities of local government units and industrial sectors, support domestic technology commercialization, and promote a conducive environment for industrial diversification and competitiveness in the regions.”

The three innovation hubs presented during the event were the Center for Astronomy R&D of the Rizal Technological University in Metro Manila, Mountain Engineering R&D Center of the University of the Cordilleras in Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), and the Center for Environmental Informatics (CENVI) of the University of the Philippines Cebu (UP Cebu) in Central Visayas Region.

The Center for Astronomy R&D has already successfully trained more than 500 young scientists in the field of astronomy and space science in Senior High Schools and Colleges, This NICER also developed the Pollution Luminance (Pollux) Device, and produced a Light Pollution Map based on the gathered data by the Pollux Device.

The Center is expected to propose a local policy to LGUs to lessen light pollution and energy consumption, and improve lighting to areas of crime hotspots.

The Mountain Engineering R&D Center, meanwhile, provides science and engineering interventions to mitigate the risks of landslides and extreme flooding events, saving an estimated P200 million per annum in infrastructure damage due to mountain landslides.

This NICER also seeks to increase the agricultural production of rice terraces farmers by 20 percent. Two million Cordillerans are expected to have access to sustainable clean water through collaborative water resource management and governance under the initiative.

On the other hand, the Center for Environmental Informatics or CENVI was initially behind the crafting of the biodiversity atlas of Cebu.

This NICER also monitored mango pests and diseases through microcontroller-based sensor systems, and produced species distribution maps for 103 native species of flora and fauna.

The innovation hub also published biodiversity threat maps to monitor human settlement pressures on biodiversity richness, and generated surface water maps and groundwater potential maps for 46 municipalities in the Cebu province.

It likewise provided the scientific bases for the legal protection of Cebu’s groundwater resources, the island’s various biodiversity-rich areas, and for the improvement of the Central Cebu Protected Landscape’s rehabilitation and reforestation initiatives.

The center also capacitates LGUs, government agencies, and NGOs by providing its technical services. It also forges partnership with and capacitates neighboring universities in undertaking research for the public good.

Guevara said in an effort to sustain the country’s innovation goals, the DOST has been pushing for the passage of the Science for Change Program bill.

“Once approved, the S4CP Bill will promote inclusive, equitable and sustainable development through the optimal use of the R&D budget allocated to different government departments and agencies. It will give rise to more national centers of excellence in R&D which are at par with international counterparts and continue the increase in technology-based and value-adding business investments both foreign and domestic due to a conducive STI-supported economic environment,” she said.

"The S4CP bill also aims to create more self-reliance because of more capable and more confident technology stakeholders. I enjoin everyone to create CHANGE and make innovation work for the people through investing in R&D,” she added.