BANGSAMORO, Philippines – Hundreds of participants from the academe, local government units, religious groups, cooperatives, small-medium enterprise groups, professionals, and law enforcers (BIAF) participated in MOST’s region-wide stakeholders’ consultation.

Amidst the pandemic, the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) continues to fulfill its mission to determine the needs and challenges of the mainland and island communities in the Bangsamoro region.

“It is a series of consultation sa lahat ng province. The objective is to know their needs, challenges (of the stakeholders). Ipaalam at iparating sa kanila ang mga projects and programs ng MOST. Alamin ang mga suggestions nila, ano ang gusto nila mangyari at alin sa mga programa ng MOST gusto nilang salihan,” Minister Engr. Aida Silongan said.

(It is a series of consultations in all provinces. The objective is to know their needs [and] challenges. Inform and deliver to them the projects and programs of MOST. Find out their suggestions, what they want to happen, and which of the MOST programs they are willing to join.)

The stakeholders’ consultation gave the ministry a vantage point to understand the trends and issues of the community. The result will help in identifying appropriate intervention and assistance to the stakeholders. It also tracks the needs and expectations of the people from the five provinces and communities of North Cotabato.

“Sa ngayon gusto namin iparating sa Bangsamoro na andito ang MOST, gusto natin mapakinabangan ng Bangsamoro yung mga programs na meron ang MOST. Kailangan rin natin marinig ang mga gusto pa nilang mangyari related sa mandate ng MOST,” Minister Silongan said.

(Right now, we want to convey to the Bangsamoro [people] that MOST is here, we want the Bangsamoro to take advantage of the programs that MOST has. We also need to hear what they still want to happen related to the MOST mandate.)

On July 17, Lanao del Sur and Tawi-Tawi simultaneously conducted the first S&T Stakeholders’ Consultation. The Lanao del Sur group raised the absence of science high school in the region.

According to their findings, it leads to the low performance of students in science and mathematics national tests. Thus, they recommended the ministry to construct a science high school in the province with full facilities that will cater to the needs and capacity training of teachers and students.

Meanwhile, in Tawi-Tawi, they highlighted the importance of providing science and technology scholarships for underprivileged and orphan students, the upgrading of school laboratories and libraries, and the establishment of research centers in the region.

On July 23, Maguindanao, Basilan, and Sulu held their provincial consultation.

Maguindanao province stakeholders’ consultation was divided into two clusters. The first was held on July 23 in Cotabato City, while its second cluster was on July 28 in Datu Paglas Municipality.

Maguindanao farmers shared their hopes to have modernized equipment and pieces of machinery for their agricultural products, particularly on developing virgin coconut oil- which is rich in the province. They also raised the importance of establishing a weather monitoring device in each municipality. According to them, it will help farmers have proper rice cropping and harvesting.

Basilan stakeholders addressed the importance of renewing the Halal Food Innovation Center (HFIC) contract that ended two years ago. HFIC members asked MOST to have a designated regional officer who will manage the HFIC and revitalize the connection between the national and regional operators. According to them, it will assist the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to patent their products as halal.

HFIC aimed at strengthening the halal ecosystem in the region for the global market.

Sulu researchers and members of the academe, on the other hand, expressed the lack of support and unavailability of scientific research on alternative medicine and socio-economic solutions. They recommended that the parliament should craft policies that will aid the Ministry of Science and Technology to fulfill its mandate and function.

Minister Silongan recognized and taken into consideration the concerns and recommendations of the stakeholders.

“Ang intervention ng MOST ay more on technology transfer. If kailangan ng community halimbawa, gumagawa na sila ng product at para mapabilis ang production at kailangan ng technology, doon ang intervvention ng MOST. Doon sa pagprovide ng machinery or equipment para mapabilis ang production ng product,” she said.

(MOST intervention is more on technology transfer. If the community needs, for example, they are already making a product and to speed up production and [they] need technology, there is the MOST intervention. [MOST] is there to provide machinery or equipment to speed up product production.)

She ensures the public that they will study the result and integrate the recommendations in 2021 projects that are pertinent to the ministry’s mandate.

Currently, MOST included in 2021 proposal the improvement of the science and development research laboratory taken from the stakeholders’ consultation.

It (MOST) also opened the application for the Bangsamoro Assistance for Science Education (BASE) for the incoming first-year college students in the academic year 2020-2021, aiming to help 200 students from the BARMM territories who will take science-related priority courses.