GLAN, Sarangani Province โ Demonstrating that science, compassion, and collaboration are essential in disaster response, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) XII and the Career Executive Service Board (CESB)formally merged their humanitarian initiatives โ Agapay ng Agham and the Compassion Project โ to deliver science-based relief assistance and essential services to communities affected by the recent destructive earthquake and succeeding typhoon-induced calamities in the SOCCSKSARGEN Region.
Originally intended for the families of Barangay Pangyan, Glan, the humanitarian assistance was symbolically turned over to the Provincial Government of Sarangani to ensure its timely and coordinated distribution to Barangay Pangyan and other families affected by the earthquake and weather-related disasters across the province.
Leading the turnover on behalf of DOST SOCCSKSARGEN was Regional Director Engr. Sammy P. Malawan, PhD, who emphasized that science extends beyond research laboratories and becomes most meaningful when it directly responds to the needs of communities.
“๐๐ข ๐๐๐๐, ๐ฏ๐ข๐ฏ๐ช๐ฏ๐ช๐ธ๐ข๐ญ๐ข ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฎ๐ช ๐ฏ๐ข ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ ๐ข๐จ๐ฉ๐ข๐ฎ ๐ข๐ต ๐ต๐ฆ๐ฌ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ญ๐ฐ๐ฉ๐ช๐บ๐ข ๐ข๐บ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฑ๐ข๐ต ๐ฎ๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐ณ๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ด๐ข ๐ต๐ข๐ฐ, ๐ญ๐ข๐ญ๐ฐ ๐ฏ๐ข ๐ด๐ข ๐ฑ๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ฎ๐ช๐ฅ๐ข๐ฅ. ๐๐ฉ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ถ๐จ๐ฉ ๐๐จ๐ข๐ฑ๐ข๐บ ๐ฏ๐จ ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ข๐ฎ, ๐ธ๐ฆ ๐ค๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ต๐ช๐ฏ๐ถ๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ด๐ต๐ณ๐ข๐ต๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ข๐ต ๐ด๐ค๐ช๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ค๐ฆ ๐ค๐ข๐ฏ ๐ด๐ฆ๐ณ๐ท๐ฆ ๐ข๐ด ๐ข ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ง๐ถ๐ญ ๐ช๐ฏ๐ด๐ต๐ณ๐ถ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ฉ๐ถ๐ฎ๐ข๐ฏ๐ช๐ต๐ข๐ณ๐ช๐ข๐ฏ ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ด๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ด๐ฆ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ค๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ช๐ต๐บ ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ค๐ฐ๐ท๐ฆ๐ณ๐บ,” RD Malawan shared.
As part of DOST’s science-driven humanitarian response, the assistance included Iron-Fortified Rice developed by the DOSTโFood and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI), Ready-to-Eat (RTE) food packs, and Ceramic Water Filters developed by the DOSTโIndustrial Technology Development Institute (DOST-ITDI). These science-based technologies were provided to help ensure access to nutritious food and safe drinking water โ two of the most critical needs during emergencies โ while complementing the government’s ongoing disaster relief and recovery efforts.
The activity brought together national and regional government leaders, headed by Career Executive Service Board (CESB) Chairperson Dr. Urdujah G. Alvarado, CESO II; SOCCSKSARGEN Association of Regional Directors and Executives (ARDE) President and Department of Budget and Management (DBM) XII Regional Director Akmad J. Usman, CESO III; and Sarangani Governor Rogelio D. Pacquiao. They were joined by officials from various national government agencies, such as DepDev, DILG, DepEd, and OCD, local government units, and development partners in a unified show of support for the affected communities.๏ฟฝ๏ฟฝ
In her message, Dr. Alvarado emphasized that the Compassion Project reflects the very essence of the Career Executive Service โ leaders working beyond institutional boundaries and coming together to put people first. She noted that true public service is measured not by position, but by the willingness to respond with compassion, collaboration, and purpose, especially in times of crisis.
The convergence of Agapay ng Agham and the Compassion Project reflects a shared commitment among government institutions to strengthen disaster response through collaboration. While CESB mobilized government leaders, partner agencies and further humanitarian assistance under the Compassion Project, DOST contributed science and technology-based interventions that support the health, nutrition, and resilience of affected communities.
Governor Pacquiao expressed his appreciation to the participating agencies for their collective efforts, emphasizing that partnerships such as these enable local governments to immediately reach families in need, especially in geographically challenged and disaster-stricken areas.
Through Agapay ng Agham, DOST SOCCSKSARGEN continues to demonstrate that science is not only an engine for innovation and development but also a practical tool for humanitarian assistance. By working alongside CESB, the Provincial Government of Sarangani, and other partner agencies, DOST reaffirms its commitment to bringing science closer to the people โ especially those who need it most during times of crisis.
