MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur (PIA)--The Bangsamoro Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) welcomed another development, particularly in science and technology, with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) through its Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (PCIEERD) alongside the Mindanao State University (MSU)-Main Campus inaugurating the first-ever optoelectronics laboratory in the region.

This facility, which costs a total of P10.07 million, is thought to handle the film deposition of metals like copper, palladium, gold, tin, silicon, zinc, germanium, and silver.This will also be used to fabricate devices like solar cells, semiconductors, diodes, lasers, and transistors while producing films and coatings that are heat resistant, anti-rust, anti-wear, and stronger than normal materials.

Leading the establishment of the laboratory was DOST-PCIEERD Vice President for Planning and Development, Engr. Rodrigo Baid, who conveyed his positivity that with the capability of this project, there will already be a research facility that shall be beneficial for graduate and undergraduate students of physics and more science-related programs at MSU-Main Campus, other academic institutions in the Bangsamoro region and Region 10, and business entities in the cities of Iligan and Cagayan de Oro.

"This research project was a dream come true because I said I would set up a research laboratory. We are making our dream slowly unfold in this great institution, the Mindanao State University," he said.

DOST-PCIEERD Executive Director Enrico Paringit shared that as they slowly realized development in all regions of the country, they chose the MSU- Main Campus as the home of the first optoelectronics laboratory in BARMM, witnessing how its graduates returned to this university despite the advanced degrees they achieved in other academic institutions.

He saw that if they helped the campus try to make science and technology better, it would have a positive effect on more than just one group. In other words, it would be good for the university as a whole.

"We recognize the dedication of our researchers to come back to their host institutions. Our expectation is that ito ang magiging (this will be the) building blocks ng (of) development of innovation in this part of the country," said Paringit. 

MSU System President Lawyer Basari Mapupuno, on the other hand, hoped that with the optoelectronics laboratory within their vicinity, the society where they belong would also enjoy the gains the facility would cause.

"This reflects our steadfast commitment to achieving excellence in instruction, research, and extension. We are grateful for the support of DOST in our pursuit of science and technological advancement. We look forward to the accomplishments that will come out of this laboratory and its impact on our society," he said. (CRG/PIA-10/Lanao del Sur)