DOST plans regional food innovation centers

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) is targeting to set up and launch Food Innovation Centers (FICs) this year in seven of the country’s 17 regions.

Dr. Carol Yorobe, DOST undersecretary for regional operations, said the department has a P66-million budget this year for the construction and provision of equipment for the seven FICs.

She said the DOST eventually hopes to have FICs in all regions by 2016.

Yorobe said the establishment of FICs is one of their projects under the DOST’s High Impact Technology Solutions (HITS) program.

The DOST requires an FIC to be located in a state university and college or a private higher educational institution so as to give college students access to a facility with modern equipment and where they can study and pursue research and development (R&D) on food processing.

The FIC will also allow food processing firms to use the modern equipment and facilities to process their food products and also undertake food processing R&D.

The DOST last week commissioned the first FIC in Davao City, with the opening of the Food Processing Innovations Center (FPIC) in the Philippine Women’s College-Davao.

Yorobe, along with DOST-Region 11 director Anthony Sales, attended the opening of the FIPC, which will be operated in partnership with the Davao city government led by Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, the Department of Trade and Industry, and the Food Processors Association of Davao.