NAVAL, Biliran -- The Department of Science and Technology, Regional Office No. 8 (DOST-8) has turned over a project fund amounting to P500,000 to the Local Government Unit of Naval during the 2nd Livelihood Summit held on February 9 at the BIPSU Gym, this town.

The fund is intended to support the livelihood development, food sufficiency, and nutrition projects of the town under the Community Empowerment through Science and Technology (CEST) Program of DOST.

Regional Director Ernesto M. Granada personally handed the check to Mayor Gerard Roger M. Espina of Naval.

Dr. Victor C. Canezo Jr., president of the the Biliran Province State University; Dr. Romeo L. Dignos, DOST-Biliran provincial S&T director; and the members of the San Pablo Farmers Association members, the project's target beneficiaries, witnessed the turnover ceremony.

The project entitled "Science and Technology Based Intervention to the Marginalized Communities of Biliran Province" is generally aimed to capacitate the marginalized sectors involving men and women. It has three components: the utilization of STARBOOKS as science and technology-based information resources for the LGU livelihood and training center; provision of technology support for enterprise development on mushroom production; and product development on mushroom preservation for food sufficiency and nutrition.

Indeed, throughout the years, the DOST has been continuously moving technologies to the countryside aiming to build progressive, empowered and resilient rural communities. (DOST-8)