TACLOBAN CITY — A newly-formed committee of the Eastern Visayas Regional Development Council (RDC) is eyeing to draft the 2018-2022 Regional Research Development Research Agenda (RDRA) by June in a bid to identify necessary researches to support the attainment of the region’s development plan.
Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Regional Director Edgardo Esperancilla, RDRA chairperson said the existing consortium for agriculture, aquatic resources, health research and development, industry and energy, and emerging technology recently met to tackle drafting the new roadmap.
“The plan includes research topics, which the respective institutions plan to fund and undertake, as well as priority research areas that may be conducted by other agencies or research institutions,” Esperancilla said on Monday.
The RDRA will serve as a reference for state universities and colleges, but also for regional line agencies, local government units, and other research institutions.
The research roadmap is anchored on three strategies: increase agricultural and fishery production, intensify agribusiness, develop of tourism development areas, and establish information and communication technology industry.
“Effective implementation of these strategies will ultimately result to increase in productivity, employment and family income,” Esperancilla added.
The RDC formed the new research committee that will ensure the alignment of research and development activities with regional development thrusts.
Members of the new committee are regional directors of the Departments of Agriculture, of Environment and Natural Resources, and of Health; Commission on Higher Education; presidents of state universities and colleges and higher education institutions; and chairs of various consortia in the region.
Also included as members are presidents of industry groups with science and technology-related advocacies, private sector representatives, officials from the local government units.
The proposal to create a RDRA was pushed in December 2016. RDC members reviewed the proposal in three quarterly meetings until it was finally approved on December 13, 2017. (PNA)
