GOVPH

The Department of Science and Technology-Technology Application and Promotion Institute (DOST-TAPI) is holding an invention contest at the Event Center of the LimKetKai Mall in Cagayan de Oro City with 78 entries vying for six categories.

“We are holding this biennial event in every region to give recognition to talents and inventors,” said Science Secretary Mario G. Montejo of the DOST-sponsored Regional Invention Contest and Exhibits or RICE.

An inventor himself who bagged a creative research award several years ago, Montejo firmly believes that local technology works.

Filipinos are not short for ideas, and the DOST is here to support innovative ideas that work and can help the country, he said.

Meanwhile, Dr. Ricardo E. Rotoras, president of the Mindanao University of Science and Technology, also in Cagayan de Oro, is happy that most of the entries involved students, 10 from college level and 57 from high school level.

“When it comes to innovations, our hope is on our students,” he said. “We are happy that DOST is always guiding us.”

Started as Invent School for students in 1992, the contest soon was expanded to include non-students and held in four regional clusters. With the passing of RA 7459, also known as the Inventors & Invention Incentives Act of the Philippines, the contestsoon was elevate to the national level. Currently, the contest is held in every region, including ARMM, every other year, with first placers in the six categories vying for the national level.

DOST’s robust support to inventors has helped the country climb up at the Global Competitiveness Index which includes innovation as one of the components. “From rank 85 in 2010, we have steadily risen to rank 52 in 2015,” informed Dr. Edgar I. Garcia, director of DOST-TAPI.

“We are currently the fastest growing country in the ASEAN, rising from 6th place to 3rd,” he said.

The NorMinRICE will run up to Aug 23. The event is free and open to the public. For more information on the invention contest, please contact the DOST Regional Office-X at (088) 858-3931/3933.(S&T Media Service)

Written by Administrator   
Friday, 21 August 2015 22:30