The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) is eyeing the deployment of more technologies related to farming, fishing, and forestry to help address poverty in Eastern Samar province.

In an interview Tuesday night, DOST Undersecretary for Regional Operations Sancho Mabborang said three sectors had been initially identified during his two-day visit to the province this week.

“The department can help in three Fs: farming, fishing, and forestry in Eastern Samar. We can easily deploy available technologies for application in the province,” Mabborang told the Philippine News Agency.

Mabborang initially listed cold storage facilities for fishery products, greenhouses, and Sarai technology to provide farming solutions.

Project Sarai (Smarter Approaches to Reinvigorate Agriculture as an Industry in the Philippines) is an action-research program funded by the DOST (Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Research and Development), working to reducing climate risks by providing agricultural stakeholders with site-specific crop advisories.

Mabborang said the project aims to craft crop advisories for rice, corn, bananas, coconuts, coffee, cacao, sugarcane, soybeans, and tomatoes.

The crop advisories focus on integrating local weather data and drought forecasts with farm management activities, specifically nutrient and water management and proactive pest and disease monitoring.

A predominantly farming province, Eastern Samar is one of the poorest in the country, with a poverty incidence of 35.6 percent among families.

Meanwhile, Mabborang led the inauguration of the Smart Technologies Research, Development, and Innovation Center at Eastern Samar State University (ESSU) on Tuesday.

The facility will function as a space for faculties and student researchers to conduct studies that will benefit the public, showcasing a dedicated commitment to innovation.

“It will serve as a hub promoting creativity and collaboration where ideas will be nurtured and developed,” Mabborang added.

The DOST has allocated PHP1.5 million for the establishment of the center. The facility is the first in Eastern Visayas and the second in the country. The first was in Isabela province.

“This establishment will serve as a hub for groundbreaking research collaboration and the nurturing of future pioneers, equipped with advanced resources. I hope that the center will be able to empower researchers to conduct cutting-edge research addressing real-world challenges,” Mabborang said.

ESSU received PHP1 million from DOST to buy necessary equipment to be used in the design and implementation of Smart City programs. (PNA)