When technology graces one’s newsfeed in various social media pages and platforms, it’s not easy to understand nor comprehend everything about every complex science ideas and concepts. For some, another technology is just another invention they would most likely forget within hours.
Accompanied by more than 7,000 islands in the country, with communities separated by mountains and rivers, every technology made deemed for the people can easily be undermined. Through various barriers and factors, one’s technology made for the masses can sometimes be overlooked.
So to showcase how efforts, technology and innovation can be combined for the greater good–GTV will air Department of Science and Technology’s (DOST) “Siyensikat: Pinoy Popular Science para sa Lahat” for its ninth season. Premiering this September 19, the show produced by DOSTv: Science for the People aims to showcase science-driven community interventions for the Filipinos.
Science-driven community building
Siyensikat isn’t meant to make science complex–it’s meant to show how science, in the hands of the right people, can help communities. Communities in the farther places of the country where resources are scarce, indigenous tribes and groups of people that have limited access to the urban city, marginalized sectors and calamity-affected groups of people.
In a press release, DOST emphasized the role of Siyensikat in nurturing a science-driven campaign that aims to benefit the people. Through technologies, missions and innovations, the project aims to reach marginalized and underserved communities in the country.
One of the notable missions is the integration of a gravity-type water system in one of the communities of the Subanen Indigenous People in Sitio Makinaryas, Zamboanga del Norte. Through the involvement of DOST and other partners, the installation of the water system helped ease the burden of citizens living in the community and their struggles in finding a safe and efficient water source.
Beyond technology and education
Beyond just innovation, Siyensikat also features stories of resilience and education. One of the key episodes is the story of students in Rizal who, in order to go to school, has to cross nine rivers barefoot. Through DOST-CALABARZON’s STARBOOKS, the students were given an offline digital library containing science materials they can access even without a consistent internet connection.
Another episode features the recent 7.8 magnitude earthquake in Sarangani. By taking viewers on the ground, the episode showcases what really happened beneath the ground before, during and after the earthquake.
Sometimes, the technology we overlook can be the key in initiating a science-driven step towards community-building. Beyond technologies and innovation, Siyensikat showcases that science is for the people.
Written by King Razon, Insight PH
King Razon, Insight PH is a dedicated campus journalist and contributor. Their insightful writing sparks meaningful conversations and keeps the community informed.
