GENERAL SANTOS CITY, June 5 (PNA) — In a bid to rationalize the region’s research and development activities, the Regional Development Council (RDC) of Region 12 has established a clearing house for research proposals from various government agencies and institutions in the area.
Arturo Valero, acting RDC-12 chairperson, said Thursday they have designated a regional research and development consortium led by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) to specifically serve as a repository of research proposals produced by regional line agencies (RLA) as well as state colleges and universities (SUC).
Also known as Soccsksargen, Region 12 comprises the provinces of South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, North Cotabato and the cities of General Santos, Koronadal, Tacurong, Kidapawan and Cotabato.
He said such move was based on a recommendation from the RDC-12’s Regional Social Development Committee (RSDC).
The RSDC was earlier tasked by the council’s executive committee to identify measures that would rationalize the research and development activities being proposed by the RLAs and SUCs, Valero said.
He said the council directed the RSDC to create a special technical working group (TWG) for such purpose.
“A significant number of research proposals included by the RLAs and SUCs in their proposed 2015 budgets could not be evaluated immediately due to concerns of duplication with other proposed, ongoing or past research proposals and we to address that,” Valero said in a statement.
The official said the clearing house is composed of six research bodies or groups in the region that were earlier organized by the DOST to form a regional mega research and development consortium.
These are the Cotabato Region Industry and Energy Research and Development Consortium, Health Research and Development Consortium, Region 12 Information and Technology E-commerce Committee, Laboratory Consortium, Nutrition and Communication Network and Halal Research Consortium.
DOST-12 is currently processing the inclusion of the Cotabato Agricultural Regional Research Development Consortium to become a part of the mega research and development consortium.
The agency facilitated the creation of the six research bodies in compliance with the provisions of Executive Order 604, series of 2007, which mandated the formation of the Presidential Coordinating Council on Research and Development.
Zenaida Hadji-Raof Laidan, DOST Region 12 director, said the agency acts as chair of all six bodies, which have separate research agenda based on the Philippine Development Plan.
Citing the RSDC’s recommendation, Valero said the mega consortium was identified as an ideal clearing house for the research proposals due to its comprehensive coverage.
He said the committee opted for the designation of the mega consortium to become a clearing house to avoid duplication with the functions of other regional bodies.
“It was agreed that DOST-12 will initially come up with an inventory of researches and provide the council, through its secretariat, a list of completed, on-going and proposed researches within the region,” he said.
Valero said the inventory will be used as a basis in determining research proposals that would be packaged into a regional research agenda.(PNA)