TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) regional office here together with its regional counterpart in Region IX and the United Nations Development Program(UNNDP)– Philippines Accelerator Labs recently conducted the ‘SalikLakbay’ trainers training and immersion.
SalikLakbay is a component under Grassroots Innovation for Inclusive Development (GRIND), a program designed to “empower marginalized communities” by encouraging them to develop and improve existing grassroots innovations.
GRIND was launched in 2020 by the DOST IX (Zamboanga del Norte).
SalikLakbay is a short term for “saliksik” and “lakbay” or research and travel created by the UNDP – Philippines Accelerator Labs with a goal that the “lakbayers” will identify the needs, issues, and opportunities by looking for solutions developed by the people.
Participated by members and experts from the academe sector, national government agencies and media, the two-day training was aimed to capacitate partner agencies and institutions on the SalikLakbay Solutions Mapping Methodology, and identify grassroots innovations.
It also aimed to assess the needs of possible science and technology interventions on the specific challenges in the community.
The trainers training program focuses on grassroots innovations from the towns of Basey, Samar and Carigara, Leyte.
Focus areas in these two towns were the mat weaving and fishing in Basiao village and heirloom recipe in Magallanes village in Basey, and the blacksmith industry, and roscas and pastillas making in Carigara town.
The two day-day training that ended on March 28 was also graced by social media influencer and personality Kyle Douglas Jennerman or “Kulas” of #BecomingFilipino who is the GRIND program ambassador.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
