STII is Anti-Graft Compliant. The Science and Technology Information Institute (STII) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) notched 8th place in the top ten government agencies compliant to the anti-graft measures set by the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission(PAGC) through its Integrity Development Action Plan. Some 177 government agencies in the country were evaluated by PAGC. Receving the award for STII-DOST is Aristotle P. Carandang, Chief Science Research Specialist, STII-DOST, during the awarding ceremonies held February 9 at the Land Bank of the Philippines in Malate. Others in the photo are (L-R) Alberto A. Bernardo, Commissioner, PAGC; Teresita D. Baltazar, Commissioner, PAGC, Constancia P. De Guzman, Secretary, PAGC. [Joy M. Lazcano, S&T Media Service, STII]
Last Updated on Tuesday, 16 February 2010 07:28
Abra’s healthy noodles
Written by Framelia V. Anonas
Tuesday, 16 February 2010 07:11
Abra’s healthy noodles. Arturo Talledo’s delectable vegetable noodles are gaining popularity among Abra folks and nearby provinces. Dolores-based Talledo first trained on how to make squash noodles from the Department of Science and Technology’s Food and Nutrition Research Institute, then applied for DOST’s Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program (SET-UP). Under the grant, he received a noodle machine (in picture), dough mixer, and dryer. The upgraded equipment doubled the income of Talledo’s Noodle House which now churns out 175 kilos of noodles on regular days. His product line-up includes squash, malunggay, and regular flour-based noodles. His next agenda: camote noodles. His customers can’t wait for this new treat. (Framelia V. Anonas, S&T Media Service, STII)
Last Updated on Tuesday, 16 February 2010 07:25
DOST council fetes best thesis, dissertation winners
Written by Framelia Anonas
Thursday, 28 January 2010 03:31
The Philippine Council for Advanced Science and Technology Research and Development (PCASTRD) of the Department of Science and Technology awarded winners in the 2009 PCASTRD Outstanding Thesis and Dissertation Awards in Advanced S&T on Dec. 18, 2009 at the HOtel Intercontinental in Makati City.
Clinching the awards in the dissertation category are Proceso L. Fernandez, Jr. of the Ateneo de Manila University for “On the complexities of the block sorting and Poset cover problems” (Computer Science and IT) and Gay Jane P. Perez of the University of the Philippines Diliman for “Understanding the dynamics of unassisted group egress” (Physics). Advisers are Dr. John Paul C. Vergara and Dr. Caesar A. Saloma, respectively. Fernandez and Perez received a plaque and P75,000 each while their advisers received P25,000 each. Meanwhile, all finalists received P25,000 each.
In the thesis category, winners are the following: Banyuhay P. Serrano of the University of the Philippines Los Baños for “Isolation and Partial Characterization of Prolamin-like Proteins and Molecular Analyses of Its Genes in Storage Roots of Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz)” (Biology and allied fields); Kevin B. Dagbay of the University of the Philippines Diliman for “Polyhydroxylauric acid maleate-co-sebacic anhydride : synthesis, characterization, in vitro degradation and drug release behavior (Chemistry/Biochemistry); Lawrence Phoa Belo of the De La Salle University-Taft for Measurement of the sediment oxygen demand in selected stations of the Pasig River using bench-scale benthic respirometer (Earth Science and Space Technology Applications). Advisers are Drs. Antonio C. Laurena, Florentino C. Sumera, and Pag-asa D. Gaspillo and Jose Marie U. Lim, respectively.
With food security a staple on priority list of the government, the Department of Science and Technology recommends several endemic food crops in the country as alternative to rice and other conventional food sources.
These crops--cassava, sweet potato, taro, potato, tugui, nami, white corn, and saba banana--could be grown even in backyards and are considered cheap but more nutritious than rice.
This was disclosed by Dr. Jocelyn Eusebio, director of the Crops Research Division of the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development based in Los Baños.
Cassava, Eusebio notes, is grown nationwide with production cost per kilo at only P1 and a growing period of 8-10 months. It has an energy value of 145 kcal based on 100 grams raw edible tuber.
Meanwhile, sweet potato has a shorter growing period of 3 ½ - 4 months, and a 125 kcal of energy value based on 100 grams raw edible tuber.
Taro or gabi can be planted both in upland and lowland areas. It is regularly available in the markets of Eastern Visayas, Cagayan Valley, Caraga, and Bicol regions.
On the other hand, tugui is a good source of carbohydrates.
These crops could ease hunger in times of food shortage, Eusebio added.
Last Updated on Thursday, 28 January 2010 03:34
RP-Korea agreement to set up modern disaster preparedness system in MM
Written by Joy Lazcano
Wednesday, 04 November 2009 07:19
South Korea has committed to help the Philippines in disaster preparedness with a $3M grant that will be used to set up modern early warning and monitoring systems to be deployed in flood ravaged Metro Manila and adjacent municipalities.
The disaster preparedness technology package will include seven automatic weather stations, five water level gauging stations with video monitors for rainfall and flood forecasting system, 20 warning posts with emergency radio communication systems, and voice/fax/data communication systems along the Marikina river. The package is facilitated through the Korea International Coordinating Agency, which also tucked in patrol and maintenance vehicles in the project.
KOICA and the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration, an attached agency of the Department of Science and Technology, has recently completed the first phase of a community based early warning and monitoring system project in the province of Aurora, Jalaur river basin in Iloilo, and the Agus-Lake Lanao watershed in Lanao del Sur.
Nanotechnology, loosely described as the science of small, “is not about miniaturization; it’s the exploitation of new phenomena” as Ateneo de Manila University’s Dr. Fabian Dayrit explains.
Nanotechnology enables scientists to look into the molecular or atomic level of matter and its possible uses or applications never previously explored or predicted. Imagine splitting a hair strand vertically into 80,000 pieces- that is the size of a nanometer. At such tiny scale, according to Dayrit, matter has certain properties and functions that can not be found or used in larger dimensions.
With an elbow room of about one to 100 nanometers, scientists can actually design and control things at such a minute size and come up with extraordinary products.
Now nanotechnology has aided the production of lighter tennis rackets with nanotubes, more durable tennis balls with nanoparticles, straight-flying golf balls, water-repelling pants, and nano socks that don’t stink.
There are plenty of nanotechnology products that hardly make conversation pieces. The DVD, for one, stores massive information contained in a film feature – sounds, movements, colors, graphics, etc – in several bumps, each at 320 nanometers wide, still far thinner than a hair strand.
The cellular phone that used to be so humungous has shrunk to just a few millimeters thick. Flash drives, too, used to be fashionable at 256 kilobytes but now can hold 16 gigabytes of data within the same physical size. In just a few seasons, small sized flash drives and mp4 players with terabytes capacity (1,024 gigabytes = 1 terabyte) will be standard accessories.
Thanks to nanotechnology, society now has these conveniences.
