DOST launches "Makibayan" program

The Department of Science and Technology recently launched "Makibayan" or Makina at Teknolohiya Para sa Bayan, a program that is expected to propel the metalworks, machinery and electronics industries toward newer heights of competitiveness both in the local and global markets.

In a news release, DOST Secretary Mario Montejo said that the country should have a strong, vibrant metalworking and electronic sector for it industrialize and modernize.

The DOST along with industry giants and the academe will work together to help the industries into addressing local demand and global competition.

To formalize the partnership, Montejo signed a memorandum of understanding with leaders of the metal and electronics sectors, with collaboration coming from a consortium of top-notch engineering schools.

The Makibayan program unites the government, the private sector, and the academe to advance a more enabling environment for the metalworks, machinery and electronics industries by the sharing of technology, expertise, skills, manpower and facilities among the partners.

Through a collaborative research and development roadmap, MakiBayan serves as an avenue for the government-private-academe triumvirate to frame all its plans, projects, and milestones from 2012 to year 2016.

Transportation, robotics, and machine building for manufacturing processes, disaster mitigation, and food processing for small and big enterprises are the identified beneficiaries of the program according to Montejo.

Montejo added that once realized, Makibayan will result in earnings and wealth for Filipinos through jobs generated, efficient production, and quality outputs.

Industry associations involved in the tie-up include the Electronics Industry Association of the Philippines, Inc. , the Metalworking Industry Association of the Philippines, and the Philippine Die and Mold Association.

The academic consortium, meanwhile, is the Engineering Research and Development for Technology (ERDT), which is currently led by the University of the Philippines in Diliman. The ERDT consortium consists of eight engineering schools from Ateneo de Manila University, Central Luzon State University, De La Salle University, Mapua Institute of Technology, Mindanao State University-Iligan, UP Diliman, UP Los Baños, and University of San Carlos. - PIA — ARA