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By Allan Mauro V. Marfal, DOST-STII, DOST Media Service

Department of Science and Technology Secretary Renato U. Solidum Jr. stresses the importance of preparedness through proper information to prevent natural hazards from becoming disasters, during the opening ceremonies of the 2023 Handa Pilipinas Exposition-Mindanao Leg held in Cagayan de Oro City on 04 October 2023.  

Several major disasters have struck Mindanao, including Tropical Storm Sendong in 2011, severe El Niño effects from 2015 to 2016, earthquakes in 2019, and heavy rainfall-related incidents in 2022. All these disasters resulted in a significant number of casualties and property damage. While these events were caused by natural hazards, does that mean a disaster will automatically occur?

The answer is no, according to Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary Renato U. Solidum Jr. as he shared his insights and keynote message at the opening of the 2023 Handa Pilipinas: Innovations in Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Exposition for the Mindanao Leg with the theme, “Enhancing Resilience and Sustainability for Mindanao” held on October 04, 2023 at the Limkektai Luxe Hotel in Cagayan de Oro City.

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Cagayan de Oro City, October 5, 2023 – The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) brings Handa Pilipinas: Innovations in Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) exposition in Cagayan de Oro City for the Mindanao Leg, marking another significant milestone for the region.

With the theme "Enhancing Resilience and Sustainability for Mindanao," the DOST aims to educate and empower various stakeholders and the public with over a hundred innovations and technologies that have the potential to boost the region’s economy and improve the lives of its over 26 million people.

“As we aspire to grow our economy here in Mindanao, we need to protect our resources and our wealth by reducing climate and disaster risks,” said DOST Secretary Renato U. Solidum Jr. He stressed that disaster resilience is not only crucial for economic development but also for human rights and well-being. “Nothing undermines development like disasters do. It can destroy years of progress in local communities in an instant, even the aspirations of the Filipino people who want a safe and resilient community.”

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Aiming to promote an inclusive workplace, sign language interpreter Jordan S. Madronio and deaf assist and trainer Aileen G. Santos introduce the use of Filipino Sign Language to the DOST-STII employees in a training workshop held at the DOST-STII building.

In a bid to create an inclusive community for the deaf and hard of hearing persons, the Department of Science and Technology - Science and Technology Information Institute (DOST-STII) conducted a two-day training workshop on Filipino Sign Language (FSL) as a way to promote effective and inclusive communication.

Held recently at the DOST-STII Mini Theater, the workshop aimed to equip the institute’s employees with knowledge of the deaf culture, basic sign terminologies and communication, and the application of FSL to address communication gaps among persons with disabilities (PWD). This initiative is envisioned to provide better service to the public by addressing their special needs.

"Language is a very powerful tool that bridges gaps and connects people from all walks of life. And in our pursuit of creating an inclusive working environment, it is important that we recognize and embrace the languages used by all members of our community," DOST-STII Director Richard P. Burgos said in his opening remarks.

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Dr. Alexander Co Abad (left) and Dr. Anuradha Ranasinghe (right)—photo from Liverpool Hope University’s official website.

A Filipino professor and international postgraduate student in England bagged second place for the Queen Mary UK Best PhD in Robotics Award for inventing a novel sensor that could measure force, vibration, and temperature that could be used in telemedicine and telerobotics.

Dr. Alexander Co Abad, who completed his doctoral degree in Computer Science and Informatics at Liverpool Hope University and an assistant professor in the Electronics and Computer Engineering Department at De La Salle University, made history as the first Filipino to place in the top three of the competition.

The 43-year-old innovator was recognized for his study titled “Fine-grained Haptics: Sensing and Actuating Haptic Primary Colours (force, vibration, and temperature),” which he presented during the 2023 TAROS (Towards Autonomous Robotic Systems) Conference, the longest-running international conference on robotics and autonomous systems hosted by the United Kingdom, held on 14 September 2023.