Welcome Message of CHED OIC-RD, Dr. Virginia D. AKiate

3rd CREATE (Caraga Region Engineering, Architecture and Technology Educators) Congress, July 31, 2009


….distinguished guests, fellow government workers, deans, program heads, faculty members, engineers, inventors, architects and technologist, students….Madyaw na buntag! Maganda umaga sa inyong lahat!

40 years ago, Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon and said “That’s a small step of a man, a giant leap for mankind.” Since then man’s quest to improve life in this planet never stopped. Technology has become the engine of development, and technology education has been the greatest equalizer.

Globalization and knowledge revolution driven by technology leveled the playing field. Thomas L. Friedman, foreign correspondent of The New York Times who won the Pulitzer Prize three times, even wrote the bestseller book, “The World is Flat”. Friedman argued that the flattening forces are empowering more and more individuals today to reach farther, faster, deeper and cheaper than even before, and that is equalizing power-and equalizing opportunity, by giving so many more people the tools and ability to connect, complete and collaborate. This flattening in the world is a great window of opportunity for all of us, especially for the would –be engineers, architects, technologist and technopreneurs.

Cognizant of the intense competition in the global arena, our government is very serious in developing the Philippines as preferred global provider in business process outsourcing and knowledge process outsourcing. In order to be more competent, we need to strengthen our research and development (R&D), motivate creativity and innovative measures so we can build our own technology base.

The Commission on Higher Education is very grateful of the support extended by the Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Science and Technology and of the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines, to our engineering, architecture and technology education in the region, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as the Chair of the president Coordinating Council on Research and Development (PCCRD) has recently instructed CHED to strengthen scholarship for engineers and scientist and to double the country’s engineers and scientist involved in research and development. CHED was also tasked to handle and rationalize all domestic and foreign scholarships to maximize R&D linkages. R&D is a great determinant for competitiveness in this area of creativity and innovation; in fact countries at the top of the World Competitiveness Ranking don’t even have natural resources like ours. They are very good at mining the brains of their people.

As for CHED’s commitment, we shall continue to work with other government agencies and the industry in pursuing the needed reforms an intervention for quality higher education that will be responsive to the needs of the region and of opportunities outside of the country. Our presence today must inspire us to collaborate more at even higher levels, in order to improve the quality of life in Caraga Region.

Finally, we congratulate and thank CREATE, the organizers headed by Dr. Levita B. Grana for organizing this forum that bring educators and students, professionals and life-long learners to a regional venue to hear distinguished local, national and international speakers talk on very important matters affecting the development of our region and of our country like this year’s topics: Intellectual Property (IP), quality assurance, and technology commercialization. The presence Caraga’s winning inventor is an added opportunity, especially for the creative geniuses of the younger generation. We are very sure this activity, including tomorrow’s organization and planning of IP industry cluster, will go along way in your individual professional development and of the Caraga Region’s development too.


May this convergence become an integral part of that giant leap towards sustainable development of Caraga Region.


Welcome to the 3rd CREATE Congress!

Speech of DOST Regional Director Lyndo G. Villacorta

CREATE
Caraga Region Engineering, Architecture and Technology Educators
Third Congress
July 31-August 1 2009

Honorable Adrian S. Cristobal, DG-IP Philippines
Represented by Atty. Leny B. Raz – IP Phillipines
Dr, Levita B. Grana Dean CEA, SJIT and President of CREATE
Dr. Virginia D. Akiate, OIC Office of the RD of CHED
The brilliant, rare and I’m sure very much in-demand resource speakers of this congress:

Engr. Rosa Fernandez - IP Philippines Dr. Reynaldo M. Pablo - Indiana University-Purdue University
Engr. Noel M. Ajoc - DOST PSTD for AdN/ BC Engr. Roderico B. Cane, our president of the newly organized Caraga Inventors Association (CIA) and a prominent DOST Partner

HEI Officials, Faculty and staff, technology educators
Members of CREATE,
Representatives from various organizations, Students,
Ladies and gentlemen

Good morning to all of you! Maayong Buntag kaninyong tanan!

First of all, I would like to congratulate CREATE for organizing undertaking this 3rd CREATE Congress with this year’s fitting theme “The Role of Technological Education in Economic Development!

This year’s theme caught my attention and interest, because it is very much aligned and parallel with the mandate of my Department, the Department of Science and Technology….

And that is….. to provide central direction, leadership and coordination of scientific and technological efforts and ensure that the result are geared and utilized for maximum economic and social benefits.

And so…DOST shall formulate and implement policies, plans, programs for the development of science and technology and ensure that the results are properly applied and utilized to accelerate economic and social development.

In short….DOST exists to spearhead the harnessing of science and technology for economic development.

I am very pleased to note that CREATE, puts importance and emphasis to “Science and Technology” as it conducts and celebrates this 3rd Congress.

I am honored and delighted to be invited on this occasion to share with you my little thoughts and insights about technological education and its significance.

At the same time this is a good opportunity for me to promote and propagate my usual advocacy on “scientific and technological strategies” as a springboard of our socio economic progress and advancement.

I would like to mention that in the SONA of PGMA, not the “pussyfoot” version last Monday, but her SONA in 2006, she mentioned and emphasized that “Science and technology should be the foundation of our future economic development!

Let us note that history and statistics would show us that economic progress of countries of the world is directly proportional and highly correlated to the level of investment on science and technology. If your imagination is good, you can probably figure out how fast we are progressing compared to Korea, Taiwan and Japan when they are spending more that 20% of their GRDP for research and development while we are investing barely 0.21% of our GRDP for R&D and S&T.

But ladies and gentlemen, lets us not paint a gloomy picture of our future. Rather, lets us challenge ourselves to make difference. Let’s work together in unity and put all our best to trigger a robust socio-economic development.
“If you really want something, just do it hard, do it well. Don’t pussyfoot don’t pander, and don’t say bad words in public”.

Does it sound very familiar?

Incidentally the DOST at this very moment is celebrating the National Science and Technology Week…. With a theme very similar and with resemblance to the theme of this congress…Responding to the global challenge through Science and Technology.

Seven major areas are given emphasis this year: To mention these are

Food security
Biofuels and alternative energy
Environmental protection and conservation
Climate change
Biotechnology Information and communication technology Health products and pharmaceuticals
We all know that “Food Security” refers to the availability of food and one’s access to it. As defined by FAO, a household is considered food secure when its occupants do not live in hunger or fear of starvation.

It is interesting to note that the world has more than one billion people who are overweight, and an estimated 800 million who are undernourished.

So as you can see, the problem may not be on the world food production but rather on the access to food and their distribution.

Food security is one of our greatest concerns. Unfortunately it is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain food security in a world beset by a confluence of global crisis, financial crisis, pollution and tremendous environmental problems.

The other focus in Biofuels. Why give focus on biofuels?
Obviously, a big challenge to all of us is on finding solution and alternatives to the declining supply and seemingly uncontrollable prices of fossil fuel and petroleum products.

Again, a big challenge is on developing our technologies on biofuels and finding alternative sources of energy, and reducing our dependence on imported petroleum products.

Use of agro-wastes, jatropha, coco-diesel, even moringa oil is now being explored for its potentials as biofuel. For us to survive…we need to explore non-conventional sources of energy… and put to minimum our dependence on imported petroleum products.

Another important focus given is on Environmental protection and conservation and the catch phrase this days…”Climate change”. These are obviously not simple local or national issue but global concerns…as Climate change is already happening and represents one of the greatest environmental, social and economic threats facing the planet.

Global warming is a unequivocal, as it is now evident from observation of increases in global average air and ocean temperatures, widespread melting of snow and ice, and rising global mean sea level.

The Earths average surface temperature has risen by 0.76 degree C since 1850. Most of the warming that has occurred over the last 50 years have been caused largely by human activities.

Projected global warming this century is likely to trigger serious consequences for mankind and other life forms, including a rise in sea levels of between 18 and 59 cm which will endanger coastal areas and small islands, and a greater frequency and severity of extreme weather events.

We also believe that our technological education should give premium to biotechnology, manufacturing and production of health products and development of pharmaceuticals.

These, to be developed fast and significantly, require ample investment and necessitate a mixture of high Science and Technology content.

In a nut shell, food security, biofuels and alternative energy, environmental protection and climate change, biotechnology, ICT, health products and pharmaceuticals, are the pillars of DOST’s advocacy to present and alarming global challenges.

There are so many challenges facing our world today. And there’s no other way but for us to face all these challenges. We need a critical mass of science and technology workers. We need a great deal of quality assurance of technology innovation, transfer and commercialization.

We need to encourage our inventors and innovators to be more creative and innovative. We need to have a better appreciation of intellectual property rights.

We need to do a lot of catching up with our Asian neighbors and other developed countries.

As we go through the activities lined up for this 3rd CREATE Congress, I hope and pray we will be able to realize, appreciate better, and find relevance and deeper meaning on the role of technological education in economic development, not for the few, but to all of us.

Lets all work together in unity to make this world a better place to live in.

It is my great enjoyment to join you in this very important event. I am very sure, we have a very successful conduct of this 3rd CREATE CONGRESS.

Thank you very much and good morning.

3rd CREATE Summary

2nd CREATE Challenge Winners

3rd CREATE Congress held, SJIT won 2nd CREATE Challenge

Over 400 engineering, architecture and information technology educators, students, and inventors from the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Caraga Region gathered at the Almont Hotel and Inland Resort, Butuan City on July 31 – August 1, 2009 to attend the 3rd Congress of the Caraga Region Engineering, Architecture and Technology Educators (CREATE). In coordination with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and the support of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Intellectual Property Office Philippines (IP Phils), and Indiana University- Purdue University in Fort Wayne, Indiana, USA, CREATE organized this two-day event with the theme, “The Role of Technological Education in Economic Development.”

The Logo Exhibit Viewing where spectators were given chance to view the projects of the students and the products of the event’s sponsors, all displayed in the Exhibit Area near the entrance of the Convention Hall. As the participants were all in, the program formally opened through entrance of colors, doxology, and singing of the National Anthem successively performed by selected students of Saint Joseph Institute of Technology (SJIT). Subsequently, Engr. Ramil A. Sanchez, the Supervising Education Program Specialist of CHED Caraga, acknowledged the participants of the Congress. Then, Dr. Levita B. Grana, CREATE President and Dean of the College of Engineering and Architecture in SJIT, explained the rationale and declared the opening of the CREATE Congress. The OIC of the Office of the Regional Director in CHED Caraga, Dr. Virginia D. Akiate, gave her welcome message, afterwards. Dir. Lyndo Villacorta of DOST delivered a message on the role of technology in development.

After the opening program was the keynote speech of Hon. Adrian S. Cristobal Jr., the Director General of Intellectual Property. Then, a series of plenary sessions followed with competent resource speakers from the country and even abroad. The topics discussed and the resource speakers were as follows:

“Intellectual Property”
Ms. Leny B. Raz
OIC, Office of the Deputy Director General Head – IP

“Quality Assurance Practices of Engineering and Technology Education in the US”
Dr. Reynaldo M. Pablo
Assistant Professor, College of Engineering Technology and Computer Science
Indiana University – Purdue University, Fort Wayne, USA

“Technology Innovation and Commercialization”
Engr. Noel M. Ajoc
Provincial Science and Technology Directory, Agusan del Norte

“Opportunities and Challenges of the Filipino Inventor”
Engr. Roderico B. Cane
Inventor / Engineer, 1st Prize Winner Mindanao Inventors’ Summit


Dr. Reynaldo M. Pablo, who spoke about the Quality Assurance Practices of Engineering and Technology Education in the US, was the one who captured much the attention of the audience as he incorporated humor in his topic discussed. In his talk, he explained that an engineer (male) like him must have 5 L’s in life in order to succeed: law, logic, language, luck, and lady.

One event that also highlighted the Congress was the Quiz Show participated by 21 teams (three teams per participating school). From 21 teams, 5 went through the second after the first and elimination round with ten questions. In the end, a team from SJIT composed of Rey Francis Agan (ECE), Junrey Morales (CE), and JP Ernie Estimos (Architecture), emerged champion followed by a team from Surigao State College of Technology (SSCT) composed of Rito D. Ilagan, Bensaurdo C. Eleguir, Jr. and Varry A. Morial and Northern Mindanao State Institute of Science and Technology (NORMISIST)composed of Christian S. Baguio, Jason C. Plaza and Hannah Rose Kamille V. Manigo, respectively as the 1st and 2nd runners-up. Each of the winning teams received cash prize, trophy, and certificate of recognition.

The first day of the Congress ended with evening socials showcasing the presentations from some of the participating HEIs, including SJIT, Surigao Education Center (SEC), and FSUU. Of all the presentations, that of the FSUU was the most funny and entertaining.

During the second and final day of the Congress, the participants were the CREATE members, inventors, and representatives from different sectors and offices of the government. In the morning, they attended the Intellectual Property Council Organizational Meeting and Planning Workshop, and in the afternoon, there was a Technical Tour for Faculty at PSPI, JAKA, and EMCO.

With the stomachs filled with delicious and nutritious foods and the topics successfully injected to the minds of the spectators, the 3rd CREATE Congress brought a total fun and learning to all.


by:

Joe Randy B. Tabungao
ECE V, SJIT