The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and the selected faculty members of Pangasinan State University conducted the 2-days planning sessions for the activities and interventions to be implemented as part of the Community Empowerment through Science and Technology (CEST) program of DOST for the towns of Umingan and Mapandan, Pangasinan.
The said 2-days planning sessions were conducted after the Rural Rapid Appraisal in Umingan, Pangasinan, last March 24-25, 2022, and in Mapandan, Pangasinan, last April 7-8, 2022, which was held to determine the needs of the community. The planning session is the next phase of the event before going back to the towns mentioned above for the MOA signing and before the actual conduct of the identified interventions.
It was May 23-24, 2022, at exactly 8:30 am; the registration started spearheaded by the staff of the Center for Business, Economics, and Tourism (CBET) and DOST CEST. After the registration of the participants, a short program was held, which started with invocation and acknowledgments of the attendees from the PSU planning team, Extension Unit Campus and College coordinators and REIGn heads, DOST staff, and representatives from LGU Mapandan.
A welcome remark was delivered by Engr. Arnold C. Santos, the DOST Provincial Director from Pangasinan. After which, messages from PSU and LGU Representatives were given. On behalf of PSU, Dr. Nova Flordeliz E.Arquillano, College Dean of CBPA and consultant of Lingayen Campus REIGn Units, delivered a message expressing appreciation to DOST for trusting PSU as a partner to its program Community Empowerment through Science and Technology (CEST) and looking forward to a fruitful planning session on worthy interventions for the people of the above-mentioned communities. Likewise, on the first day, a message was delivered by Ar. Melchor N. Serapion, from MPDO Office of LGU Mapandan and on the second day, Atty. Vi Marie N. Mugas- Vengua, from MPDO Office of LGU, Umingan expressed their words of gratitude to PSU and DOST for identifying their community from among the several towns in Pangasinan.
After the messages were delivered by equally significant officials from PSU, DOST, and LGU Mapandan, Decth-1180 P. Libunao, the CEST Project Leader presented an overview of the said project. Afterward, the presentation of the consolidated result of the Community Needs Assessment or CNA was presented to the body and immediately followed by the planning session.
The DOST staff presented the consolidated results and the planned interventions. Likewise, PSU planning participants also gave their recommended interventions based on the CNA results considering the expertise the University can provide.
The proposed interventions and activities were presented by the DOST staff. It was reiterated that the identified specific interventions and activities are still subject to further considerations based on the recommendations of other concerned officials and staff from DOST and LGU, Mapandan, and the officials and core planning team from PSU.
