ISSN01126-7766 A publication of the Department of Science and Technology SCIENCE andand TECHNOLOGY VOL. XXIX No. 3 THIRD QUARTER 2011 With PST, Filipino time is Juan time! www.stii.dost.gov.ph EDITORIAL SCIENCEand S&T information on the aggressive TECHNOLOGY VOL. XXIX No. 3 he Philippine media have been abuzz with stories about the Department Tof Science and Technology since it unveiled exciting solutions to various problems plaguing the country for years. Even President Benigno Editorial Board Aquino III, during the National Science and Technology Week (dubbed 2011 ExpoScience), expressed interest in locally developed technologies RAYMUND E. LIBORO that provide immediate and long term solutions to lingering problems such Publication Director as dengue, rice shortage, malnutrition, unsafe drinking water, and natural ARISTOTLE P. CARANDANG calamities. In fact, the President ordered the DOST through Secretary Mario Executive Editor G. Montejo to distribute Ovicidal-Larvicidal (OL) traps to public schools nationwide to help curb dengue cases caused by the dreaded Aedes aegypti FRAMELIA V. ANONAS mosquitoes. Editor-in-Chief JAMES B. INTIA For its part, the Science and Technology Information Institute, the information Layout & Graphics arm of the DOST, silently toils to make the people aware of the good news that the DOST brings. Its workforce has been burning tiny, individual midnight DOST MEDIA CORE oil lamps to collectively produce wonderful tales ̶ science stories that serve Contributing Writers a human purpose ̶ that come from the different islands of the archipelago. JOY M. LAZCANO Editorial Assistant Armed with dedication despite limited resources, DOST-STII reaches out to the greatest number of audiences possible. Through its publications, both AUDIO-VISUAL UNIT print and online, STII brings fresh and positive developments in the Philippine Photography science community. Recently, its small team of science communicators MARIA JUDITH L. SABLAN (read: information officers) have been on the rounds. In this advocacy, it Proofreader has found partners in various audiences such as teachers, students, local media practitioners, and information officers from government offices and VALIANT P. ROSALES local government units. Circulation And DOST-STII has walked the extra mile with its STARBOOKS or S&T Academic and Research-Based Openly Operated Kiosk Station. These kiosks enable researchers, students, and ordinary individuals to access S&T information even without Internet connection. Specifically designed for the far-flung areas, STARBOOKS can provide the most reliable S&T information available online. The S&T Post is published quarterly by the Science and Amid all the serious talks, a much lighter take is Juan Time, an information Technology Information Institute- and education strategy saying that the Filipino time is being on time. Department of Science and Spearheaded by STII, the campaign mobilized groups and individuals, Technology (STII-DOST) with editorial office at DOST Compound, optimizing public-private partnership. This campaign aims to deliver the Gen. Santos Avenue, Bicutan, most basic information on the Philippine Standard Time, including the fact Taguig City. that DOST-PAGASA is the official timekeeper of the country. Telefax: (02) 837-7520 Tel No.: (02) 837-2071 to 80 It should not be mistaken, however, that such efforts are either reactive or local 2148 futile. The energy that drives the DOST-STII as an organization and the Email: [email protected]; DOST as a system is the desire to make science information an important [email protected] tool in nation building. This belief, or faith as the more rooted would call it, is anchored on a very important program dubbed Changing the Mindset in which a common aspiration of the entire DOST system is hoped to be Like us on Facebook articulated, understood, appreciated, and embraced by Filipinos of all ages, religion, political affiliation, and economic standing. Science and Technology Information Institute (DOST) Science and Technology Information Institute-DOST (Library) Aristotle P. Carandang Ignite the Mind Expo Science 2011 DOST Starbooks WHAt’s INSIDE? JUL • AUG • SEP Third Quarter 2011 what’s new? 3 Montejo wants expansion of IT-BPO industry to next-wave cities and towns STII develops DOST STARBOOKS, the first 3 science digital library in PH what’s cool? 06 4 DOST energy audit members now AEMAS certified 5 Benchmarking innovation survey in the Philippines 4 6 Secretary Montejo lauds IAEA’s ‘decisive action’ in Fukushima incident 7 Juan Time syncs time pieces with PST hits update 8 OL Trap sites show decrease in dengue cases OL mosquito traps for all classrooms 9 9 DOST family united in fighting dengue Regional champs for anti-dengue campaign 10 Mass railway transit system breaks ground in UP-Diliman DOST IV-A, DOH roll out 2nd batch of dengue kits 10 S&T POST 1 3QTR.2011 WHAt’sWHAt’s INSIDE?INSIDE? 11 Brown rice shelf-life can now extend to six months features 12 DOST-PTRI’s Philippine textile weaves its way into New York Fashion Week 12 13 PNoy confers Order of the Golden Heart to Del Mundo, National Scientist 14 Valenzuela studes ace S&T quiz bee 15 PNoy bats for local technologies, expertise in the S&T Week launch 16 -17 Expo Science 2011 15 special report 18 Clay binds and kills red tide, study shows 20 The Lantapan Experience: Conserving and managing natural resources through participatory R&D from the regions 20 23 DOST awards best inventions in Region 8 24 Industry, energy R&D focus in EV set 25 NSTW 2011 at its best in “Magandang Gensan” 26 DOST 10 labs expand services, offer shelf-life testing 27 Gusa Regional Sci HS, MSU studes shine at the RICE 10 setup 24 28 28 Suman sa lihiya unwraps sweet success business opportunity 29 Baby foods production: A promising venture for entrepreneurs research funding 31 DOST, int’l copper org offer tech support and 28 funding for copper use R&D nutrition 32 Favorite instant meals for people on the go 29 S&T POST 3QTR.2011 2 WHAt’s NEW? Montejo wants expansion of IT-BPO industry to next-wave cities and towns THE NEW Information and Communica- development and its linkages to the ICT package,” Montejo added. tions Technology Office under the De- industry.” partment of Science and Technology Adjacent towns to next-wave cities plans to do a survey of selected towns “Such linkages are expected to ac- are leading candidates for the planned to complement the next-wave cities that celerate ICT driven growth because EO 47 survey, along with towns that implement the government and industry partners empowers the government to harmonize forward looking and innovative gover- charted for expansion of the highflying ICT policies, plans, programs, and related nance system. business process outsourcing sector. resources,” DOST Secretary Mario G. Mon- tejo explained. “EO 47 enhances DOST’s countryside This developed following President industrial development program that in- Aquino’s signing of Executive Order 47 A rationalization plan to be com- cludes technology transfer and technol- June 23 that transferred the former Com- pleted in three months will also fold the ogy intervention to local industries,” mission on Information and Communica- National Computer Center (NCC) and the DOST spokesman Raymund E. Liboro tion Technology and two attached agen- Telecommunications Office (TelOf) into also said. cies under DOST. the reconfigured ICTO. DOST is working to diffuse tech- Other than internal re-structuring “We want to help diversify the ser- nologies and job opportunities to the of the CICT that is now called ICT Office, vices that the BPO industry currently pro- provinces and towns. “Hopefully, we can the DOST will “prepare a medium-term vides from voice to non-voice services, contribute to reverse migration from ur- development plan for ICT research and which offer attractive compensation ban centers to rural areas,” he added. [S&T Media Services] STII develops DOST STARBOOKS, the first science digital library in PH By: LOUISE IAN T. DE LOS REYES S&T Media Service, STII INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY has strength- the STARBOOKS or the Science & Tech- ened libraries and provided them tools to nology Academic and Research-Based a stand-alone information kiosk, hence, adapt to the changing times. In this age Openly-Operated Kiosks. information access is possible even with- where information has evolved from print out internet connection. Information to digital format, information reposito- STARBOOKS is STII’s answer to the available are on read-only mode which ries, through IT, have likewise evolved clamor of researchers to easier access to can be printed but not downloaded. into what is known as a digital library. information, especially science and tech- Moreover, it is a compendium of S&T nology information. information gathered from all over the Although the concept of digital li- world --- a one-stop S&T information STARBOOKS intend to serve as in- braries is not new, not all countries have source, and it features videos dubbed formation access portals in key areas in completely transformed their libraries “Tamang DOSTkarte Livelihood Videos” to the Philippines. People in the community from traditional libraries, filled with end- stimulate every Filipino’s entrepreneurial can have digital access to the scientific less rows of shelves of books and other capacity. materials, to digital libraries with endless information physically available at the rows of tables of computer units. Tradi- DOST-STII, the DOST Science and Tech- STARBOOKS is available for free to tional libraries may make students or re- nology Information Network of the Phil- interested stakeholders from private com- searchers feel bored, but digital libraries, ippines (SciNeT), Philippine eLib project panies, educational institutions, local because of their dynamic features, can sources, freely-available online resourc- government units and non-government easily make them feel awed. es, and subscribed databases. organizations who wish to have a fully- operational STARBOOKS in their area.