Sec. Mario G. Montejo of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) affirms the Department’s commitment in implementing its Five-Point Development Program for the year 2012.

“In the coming year and beyond, the DOST is committed to fully implement its Five-Point DOST Development Program in line with the Aquino Administration’s national development agenda,” Sec. Montejo said.

The five-point agenda of the program focuses on providing breakthroughs and achievements in science and technology that Filipinos, especially local entrepreneurs, can benefit from. As such, the Department’s development program will center around the creation of local technologies that can be commercially used and accessed by ordinary Filipinos and will help with the growth of local industries.

“It is our wish to impress upon our publics the impact of DOST’s mandate in accelerating the pace of knowledge-driven development in accordance with its growth potential in the country,” Sec. Montejo stressed.

The Secretary explained that the first in the DOST’s agenda is to explore the role of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) with the development of new technologies through research and development programs in solving national concerns in health, agriculture, environment and other sectors. The other agenda include finding ways on how to make new technologies accessible to people in the rural areas, helping improve the competitiveness of homegrown industries (such as business process outsourcing, electronics, renewable energy and mining industry), easing the delivery of government and social services to the public (through the use of the initiatives made in Government Broadband Network, National Telehealth Services, and the National 3D Mapping), and providing better opportunities for the country’s advancement in the fields of emerging technologies like biotechnology, nanotechnology, genomics, advanced food production technology, and advanced manufacturing.

The secretary emphasized the importance of the agency’s implementation of the five-point development program in helping the growth of local businesses in Philippines and urged everyone to support the Department in its goals for the year 2012.

“We will always promote local technologies toward the nurturing of a business environment that addresses the special needs of technology-based entrepreneurship,” said the Secretary.