RDC starts boondock, water dev’t programs

BAGUIO CITY — The regional research, development, and innovation committee under the Regional Development Council recently launched two research and development programs: Program  boondock: A mountain engineering center towards sustainable infrastructure and upland water security and, Ensuring water security and climate resilience for mountain indigenous communities of the Cordillera through technology-enhanced decision support tools.”
    Both are funded by the Department of Science Technology through the Niche Centers in the Regions for R&D (NICER) and National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP) respectively.
    Program Boondock is a mountain engineering program for community needs considering challenges of mountainous terrain unique to the Cordillera. 
    It has two major components interconnected with each other,  subcomponents of which are to be implemented by the Saint Louis University, University of the Cordilleras, Kalinga State University and the Watershed and Water Resources Research Development and Extension Center. 

    Project duration is three years.
    Program Danum aims to ensure water security for mountain communities in the Cordillera through technology-enhanced decision support tools for the management of safe water supplies, watershed, and river water quality.
Project duration is two years.
    The Mountain Province State Polytechnic College (MPSPC) and UC are collaborating to implement this program, with the latter as project leader. 

    Both programs are expected to increase agricultural productivity, enhance physical mobility and access to infrastructure services, promote ecotourism, and improve human development owing to food and water security.  

    These outcomes are consistent with the priorities set in the updated Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022 and updated Cordillera Regional Development Plan 2017-2022. 

    They also respond to key development issues and concerns that are unique to the region especially on appropriateness of planning and design standards for infrastructure facilities, disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation.      

    During the launching program, RRDIC chairperson and DOST regional sirector Nancy A. Bantog thanked national and regional line agencies, local government units, public and private institutions, and research consortia for supporting said DOST-CAR’s R and D programs. 

    She cited importance of science, technology, and innovation as solutions to some challenges for regional development, particularly when stakeholders work together.

    She said the two R&D programs emanated from the RRDIC which the Regional Development Council favorably endorsed to DOST central office to avail of research funds from NICER and NRCP with the combined amount of P77.1 million grants. 

    The DOST Cordillera serves as chair of RRDIC while NEDA is vice-chair.