DOST aims to get youth interest in S&T

CEBU, Philippines - The Department of Science and Technology wants to create a “culture of Science and Technology” to attract the interest of the youth.

DOST Secretary Ramon Montejo, who was in Cebu yesterday for the kick-off of the national S&T Week celebrations, said that the increasing number of students who took the DOST scholarship examination  is a strong sign that the youth of today are into Science and Technology.

Montejo and the regional directors of DOST offices in the Visayas were in Cebu yesterday to grace one of the highlights of the national S&T Week celebration, the opening of the Science Nation exhibit at the

JCentre Mall along A.S. Fortuna Street in Banilad, Mandaue City.

“In 2012, we had 25,000 examinees and it grew to 35,000 last year and this year we had around 44,000 examinees. We can see that their interest is growing,” he said.

“Kung naa tay culture sa kanta, sa sayaw ug uban pa, kami naninguha nga makahimo gyud mi og culture of Science and Technology,” said DOST-7 regional director Edilberto Paradela.

To further encourage the youth’s interest in Science and Technology, Montejo added that the agency is also aiming to make the Philippine Science High Schools in the country as the leading science schools in the ASEAN region by 2015.

It is also the target of the agency for each town in the country to have at least one DOST scholar by 2016.

“DOST scholars belong to the top five of their class. So, they are cream of the crop and they are highly employable,” the secretary added.  (FREEMAN)