DOST Region I pushes PPA’s and CEST program to LGU Santo Tomas
SANTO TOMAS, La Union – The Provincial Science and Technology Office – La Union (PSTO-LU) of the Department of Science and Technology Regional Office I (DOST-I) conducted an advocacy meeting with LGU Santo Tomas to push for the implementation of the Community Empowerment Thru Science and Technology or CEST program in the area.
The activity was attended by LGU officials headed by Engr. Severino C. Carbonel, Municipal Mayor, and other unit heads of this town to know more about CEST and how it will benefit their communities.
Jonathan M. Viernes, Provincial S&T Director of La Union, presented the DOST Programs, Projects and Activities and discussed the Science and Technology interventions that could be adopted by the communities to help the small and medium enterprises or SME’s as well as the entire municipality.
In addition, Decth 1180 P. Libunao, CEST Program Leader, introduced the CEST program, the brief background, objectives, and implementation processes. Libunao emphasized that the implementation of the CEST program in the Municipality of Santo Tomas will be a collaborative effort with several partners namely the LGU, NGA, NGO and SUC to create a bigger impact for the project.
On behalf of the Municipality of Santo Tomas, Hon. Marietta C. Carbonel, Municipal Administrator, welcomed DOST-I to the municipality and expressed her gratitude to for choosing Santo Tomas as partner LGU for the implementation of this kind of project that will help alleviate poverty incidence and assist the marginalized sector in the municipality. Also, Engr. Severino C. Carbonel, Municipal Mayor, signed the conforme letter accepting the CEST Program in the municipality to start the implementation.
After the presentation, an open forum was conducted for the pre-identified one (1) beneficiary barangay and became the venue to set schedules of activities to kick-off CEST in Santo Tomas. During this session, PD Viernes also discussed the criteria why Santo Tomas was chosen as the partner municipality for the implementation of the CEST program for the year 2023.
Present during the meeting were department heads and representatives from the Municipal Planning and Development Council (MPDC), Municipal Engineering Office (MEO), Municipal Agriculture Office (MAO), Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (MSWDO), Municipal Treasury Office (MTO), Municipal Civil Registrar (MCR), and Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction & Management Office (MDRRMO).
CEST is one of the flagship and gender-responsive programs developed by DOST in support of the government’s national program on poverty alleviation which aims to empower the most economically challenged communities and improve the quality of life through Science and Technology. The program, running for several years now, focuses on five (5) priority entry points such as Health and Nutrition, Water and Sanitation, Basic Education and Literacy, Economic Enterprise and Development and Disaster Risk Reduction Management and Climate Change Adaptation (DRRM/CCA) to help communities improve the quality of life using science, technology, and innovation. (30)
