UNIVERSITY OF STO. TOMAS — On January 10, 2023, DTI Quezon Provincial Director Ms. Julieta L. Tadiosa and Mr. Lawrence Joseph L. Velasco (CFIDP Project Coordinator) visited the University of Santo Tomas for a joint meeting with Dr. Louie B. Dasas (Assistant Dean), Mr. Alvin Ringgo C. Reyes (College Secretary), and Ms. Essence Jeanne L. Del Castillo (Chairperson, Food Technology Department in connection with Research COCO-laboration Program Empowering the Coconut Industry in the Micro-, Small-, and Medium-Enterprise Sector Through Research and Development.

The COCO-laboration Program aims to strengthen MSMEs in the coconut industry in Quezon Province. This will entail either replacing the current process or developing a new product to compete in the local or foreign market. Students are tasked with assisting MSMEs with food product development, food safety, and operational difficulties in the processing industry. This activity addresses coconut organizations’ food product-related needs and constraints.

Furthermore, Provincial Director Tadiosa and Assistant Dean Dasas discussed the program’s upcoming Phases IV and V activities. The fourth part (Research Defense) requires an oral defense of the completed research. Before transferring the technology to their respective partner enterprises, the 11 groups will present their research findings to the panelists for final assessment and comments. In contrast, Phase V (Technology Transfer) will involve training on how to apply the methods and create the new product that resulted from the experiments. The researchers were instructed to visit the facilities of their respective partner MSMEs and train them on the modifications and improvements developed for their current coconut products.

Through the strong partnership between DTI-Quezon and UST, the Research COCO-laboration Program was expected to allow MSMEs to improve the quality of their coconut products and expand their market. ♦

Date of release: 26 January 2023