Bioscience highlighted at NAST's 47th Annual Scientific Meeting
During the first day of the event at the Manila Hotel on Wednesday, the NAST-PHL celebrated the culmination of regional scientific meetings held nationwide over the past four months in pursuit of science-based solutions for development.
'We bring attention to the transformative role that science and technology can play in shaping a more inclusive, more sustainable, and more innovation-driven economy. As we face increasingly complex societal and environmental challenges, the need to harness bioscience for practical but impactful outcomes has never been more urgent,' said NAST-PHL president Jaime Montoya in his opening remarks.
Through the ASM, Montoya emphasized the creation of models and innovations to help in advancing human well-being, wealth creation and protection, as well as sustainability.
'Bioscience offers innovative tools to ensure the responsible use of natural resources, supporting agricultural stability, ecosystem protection, and long-term community well-being while balancing economic and environmental goals,' he added.
Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary Renato Solidum welcomed the focus on biosystems research.
'Biosystems are very critical because of food and nutrition, because also the environment and the ecosystem also would cater to various health risks to people, animals, and plants, and this is critical now as we promote human well-being and a longer and better quality of life. As we develop the sciences and products out of the research, we are also able to obtain wealth out of the products and services that we gather,' Solidum said.
The 47th ASM included a display of studies from various disciplines and sectors of the government, academia, industry, and civil society to display the newest innovations in biosystems.
'We want them to at least disseminate at the same time, utilize the technology that we have discovered para sana ma-access or i-apply (to hopefully access or apply this) in the real scenario… We are disseminating so at least somebody will take up the technology and apply it,' said Roselle Mamuad, who was among the team who studied the effects of simultaneous removal of lead and zinc from lead acid battery industry wastewater.
'We absolutely think that one fatality is very fatal, and that is the main reason that [our study] should actually be addressed and for people to actually talk about more…. We are definitely hoping for further studies and research in this area to be funded, because we are talking about lives in this research,' added Jimwell Bernabe, who was part of the team studying deaths linked to venomous cone snails.
Solidum also shared that the DOST is now working on digitizing all information of the agency.
This followed after the DOST launched their Elevate Philippines Initiative in February, which included AI, spatial analytics, quantum computing, Industry 4.0, smart agriculture, smart technologies, circular economy, and biologics in pharmaceuticals.
'My priority is to [digitize] the nutrition survey of the Food and Nutrition Research Institute so that we can peg the information down to the family level and combine this with much other information that we have on availability or accessibility to potable water because it also affects nutrition and health service from DOH because it will affect the health of the youth,' he said.
'The new spatial analytics program will be the fuel of our artificial intelligence platform for DOST. This is also a platform that, when proven very useful for DOST, will also be shared with other departments. Right now we are digitizing all information of DOST,' he added.
Solidum said that their database will consist of information across 18 attached agencies of the DOST, as well as all regional and provincial offices.
'The real focus is creating wealth out of what we do in DOST and our partnership across industry and MSME, because eventually, whether you talk about malnutrition or other challenges, this all goes down to the economic development of every family. We also wanted to scale up, and I'm very glad that the theme for this year is towards that,' Solidum said.
'Whether it is Industry 4.0, we will focus on guiding companies to modernize their instrumentation,' he continued.
The DOST intends to collaborate with scientists from other countries to address problems in the country.
'As we do research, we also want to develop the economy of the country, and that is done through science and technology. Just like what other countries have followed as a pathway for development,' Solidum said.
The ASM is an annual event for evidence-based dialogue and innovation exchange organized by the NAST-PHL, an agency attached to the DOST.
On Thursday, the 47th ASM will present the NAST Awards for achievements in research and development, as well as feature the investiture of new NAST members. —VBL, GMA Integrated News
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