DOST Food Safety Teams cap off HRD Project

FILE: Deptartment Of Science And Technology (DOST) compound at Gen. Santos Ave., Bicutan, Taguig (Photo By Patrick Roque/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0)

DOST Food Safety Focal persons from different regions in the Philippines convene for the last time this year to report about their accomplishments and to cap off the Human Resource Development Project (HRDP) on Food Safety.

The project implementation review was held at Bayview Park Hotel Manila from December 16-17, 2019. USec. Brenda L. Nazareth-Manzano, Undersecretary for Regional Operations, Dr. Alexander R. Madrigal, Regional Director of DOST-CALABARZON, Dr.

Mario Capanzana, Director of FNRI, Engr. Ninaliza Escorial, Chief of Industrial Technology Development Division -PCIEERD, and Ms. Emelita P. Bagsit, OIC Office of the Regional Director of DOST Region V, were present in the event to listen to the updates on the accomplishments of the different regional offices’ focal persons.

The two-day program was kick started by Dr. Madrigal’s opening remarks in which he congratulated everyone for a job well done and for completing the HRDP efficiently.  In his remarks, he emphasized that the project is dedicated to the Filipino people. “This project is not for us. It is for our country- so that we can protect our people, the children, and ensure safe food for every Filipino”, he said.

Dr. Lydia S. Manguiat, Assistant Regional Director for Technical Operations of DOST-CALABARZON and the project coordinator, then explained the rationale of the project implementation review. She also discussed about FSHRDP’s accomplishments vis a vis the set targets.

As of December 2019, the DOST hosted and participated in the meetings and write shops of the Food Safety Regulation Coordinating Board (FSRCB)’s Technical Working Group (TWG) on Food Safety Training. The FSTs also drafted the training guidelines. Moreover, they conducted five trainings on Human Resource Development. The FSTs also created linkages with agencies such as Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Health (DOH), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). They also assisted a total of 546 MSMEs/firms to comply with Food Safety Standards and trained more that 100 Food Safety team members and Laboratory Analysts.

Usec. Nazareth-Manzano delivered her inspirational message highlighting her amusement as she witnessed how all the regions gave their best shot in the tasks assigned to them. She congratulated the whole DOST Food Safety Team for finishing strong and impactful.

Dr. Mario V. Capanzana, Project Leader of the DOST Integrated Food Safety Programs (IFSP) then gave his updates on the IFSP.

For two days, the HRDP focal persons of the regional offices, RDIs (ITDI and FNRI), and councils (PCAARRD, PCHRD, and PCIEERD) shared their HRDP accomplishments. They also got to collaborate by sharing and reacting to each other’s presentations. As a culminating activity, a workshop was held to brainstorm on the future plans for the sustenance of the project. The program was closed by Engr. Niñaliza Escorial, Chief, DOST-PCIEERD.

HRDP is a project that ran from October 2018 to December 2019. It is pursued to develop competent service providers (trainers, consultants, and laboratory analysts) who shall serve as experts in providing food safety-related trainings, consultancy, technical services, and laboratory analyses, and to accelerate the effective implementation of Republic Act 10611 or the Food Safety Act of 2013.