SAN CARLOS CITY, Pangasinan — The Science and Technology (S&T) Caravan 2018, which will offer free technology training courses for livelihood, will be held in this city on August 14-16.
“The priority technology trainings of the local government unit include bamboo weaving and bag-making since bamboo is an abundant material in the city, and also the T-shirt making or printing. These trainings will be helpful in providing livelihood for the people, wherein we could help them acquire facilities and equipment later on from concern government agencies,” said Director Felicidad Gan of the Department of Science and Technology’s (DOST) office in Pangasinan in an interview on Friday.
Meat processing and mushroom production are also part of the technology training courses to be conducted at San Carlos Training Center and City Agriculture Training Center, Gan added.
“The trainings are for free, with 30 participants coming from the host city, while we will also accept sit-ins from other municipalities. The caravan is free admission, so everyone is welcome,” she said.
Other services offered during the caravan are medical assessment, scholarship campaign, free calibration, technology for a, and interactive science exhibits.
Real Life Experience in a Box (RxBox) Medical Assessment, calibration of weighing scale of market vendors and health care centers, which can be availed of for free, will be held at the Arenas Resuello Sports Complex.
“Students will also enjoy the exhibits at the San Carlos City Gymnasium since these are interactive,” Gan said.
She added that six schools from the 3rd district of Pangasinan will receive a Science and Technology Academic and Research-Based Openly Operated Kiosks (STARBOOKS) digital library on August 16.
“Students can do their research through the STARBOOKS, where they could also access the technologies DOST is developing among other helpful materials and information,” Gan said.
The three-day caravan, she said, aims to raise awareness and appreciation of the department’s programs and projects in the countryside and remote areas; create potential investment opportunities on matured technologies towards establishment of technology; come up with agreement and undertakings that will result in S&T project implementation; determine and provide possible technical assistance needed by the city and motivate the youth to appreciate science and technology in a fun and interactive way.
Gan added that they are targeting a total of 3,000 participants from the farmers and fisherfolk sector, women’s groups, senior citizens’ associations, teachers and students, government and non-government employees from the city, and its neighboring municipalities in the 3rd District of Pangasinan.
Mayor Joseres Resuello of this city thanked the DOST for bringing the caravan to their city as he deemed it necessary to encourage his constituents, especially the young people, to know more and develop more technology.
“There are children here who are not that exposed to technology, especially those from far- flung barangays, so this is very useful for them to experience it for themselves,” Rusuello said.
City police chief, Supt. Ferdinand de Asis, assured the security in the venues and the orderly conduct of the training courses and exhibits.
“We will deploy 30 policemen and other security groups to provide assistance during the three-day caravan,” de Asis said.
The caravan is the project of DOST-Pangasinan, in partnership with the city government of San Carlos.
The S&T Caravan 2018 will also be held in Aguilar town on Aug. 28-30, while the Regional S&T Caravan will be in Alaminos City on September 18-21. (Hilda Austri/PNA)
