DoST’s new business plan to introduce beneficiaries, livelihood opportunities
The Department of Science and Technology (DoST) launched NegoSiyensiya on Tuesday to highlight its successful beneficiaries across various industries and encourage more Filipinos to explore business opportunities.
“Based on our research, our audience is interested in making a living,” DoST Supervising Science Research Specialist Ma. Lotuslei P. Dimagiba told BusinessWorld in an interview on Tuesday.
“It will discuss how to manage money and how DoST services and programs can help our entrepreneurs,” he added.
Ms. Dimagiba noted that financial constraints remain a major obstacle for Filipinos to start their own businesses.
Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) represent 99.6% of all businesses in the country. However, data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed that total MSME loans accounted for only 4.59% of the country’s banking sector’s portfolio, well below the 10% threshold.
To address the financial crisis, the program examines businesses that have been enabled with DoST financial assistance.
“Apart from R&D (research and design), we have many programs that we really want people to help because not everyone knows about them,” said Ms. Dimagiba.
“We want to show that our beneficiaries started with little money and later prospered, that’s what we want to say to our viewers,” he added.
The Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program (SETUP) is among the funding programs that will be showcased at the exhibition.
SETUP is a national strategy launched by DoST to assist MSMEs in embracing technological innovation and meeting demand.
“Many people save money for their business, but if you don’t have money, you will borrow from a bank with interest,” he said.
“If you use the programs that DoST has when it comes to financial assistance, 0% interest,” he added.
Apart from business opportunities, NegoSiyensiya also aims to make discussions about science and technology more accessible to the public.
“What we mean is the promotion and dissemination of information about success stories because it is difficult to avoid the idea that science is difficult,” he said.
“We want to share and produce S&T (science and technology) content that is not far-fetched or difficult to understand,” he added. “The stories we will present are scientific, but at the same time, they have a human element.”
In line with the initiative to make science discussions more accessible and less formal, DoST has launched its own vodcast platform, Sci.Say, which will explore emerging trends in science, technology, and innovation.
NegoSiyensiya will air on GTV and DZBB every Saturday from June 13, while Sci.Say will release its first episode online on June 11. — Almira Louise S. Martinez
