BSU soil, water, and plant laboratory inaugurated

August 5, 2019 Provincial

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – Department of Science and Technology-Cordillera (DOST-CAR) regional director Nancy Bantog led the launching of the new facilities and equipment to be used as soil, water and plant laboratory along with DOST secretary Fortunato dela Pena at the Benguet State University on Friday, July 26, 2019.
The project was entitled “Upgrading of the DOST-BSU Cordillera Soil, Plant, and Water Laboratory” and aimed to provide quality services for soil, water and plant analyses and science and technology interventions to support agricultural productivity in relation to improvement of soil health and water availability in the Cordillera Administrative Region.
DOST Secretary Fortunanto dela Peña emphasized these equipment will benefit students and teachers of BSU. “And this is the reason why we celebrate the opening, it is really the wide range of services that can be made available here at BSU, kaya nga sinasabi natin na hindi lang para sa faculty, students at researchers ng BSU.
The challenge really is to serve as many clients and different clients as possible to have strong influence in the industry, who will benefit from the facilities and services and I am also challenging Dr. Calora to really have more graduates and more scholarship slots particularly to those areas that will utilize the current facilities that we already have,” dela Peña said.
The beneficiaries of these include State University and College Faculty Researchers of Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga, Mt. Province, Farmers of vegetables, strawberry, fruits, coffee, cut flowers, the farmer cooperatives and also the line agencies DA, DENR, DOST, LGUs and CHED.
A total budget of P43,325,967.00 was provided by DOST-Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD) to BSU to finance the costs, facilities and equipment based on data obtained from BSU VP for Research and Extension Carlito Laurean.
“We are very lucky today because when we coordinated with this activity, our secretary, we were able to get schedule and therefore we have this activity this morning and also I would like to congratulate of course BSU not only with these new facilities it has established but also being our partner in science and technology innovation for the betterment of the people in Cordillera, sa amin na ang taglay namin is science for the people,” Bantog said.
She added the challenge now is how to operationalize, how to develop and how to sustain the facilities for the benefits to be truly felt by consumers especially in the industry sector. BSU President Feliciano Calora said they will provide more scholars in BSU to man these laboratories PCAARRD has granted them.
 
Charisse Anne Miranda, UC Intern/ABN