Manila, Philippines – The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and startup company Shoppable Business collaborates to develop a secure e-procurement solution for government agencies and businesses in the country. Shoppable Business will develop Quotable, a free Software-as-a-Service platform that will allow buyers to source branded business equipment, OEM goods, and supplies from verified suppliers nationwide, ensuring better pricing, product authenticity, and efficiency. DOST Secretary Dr. Renato U. Solidum, Jr. anticipates that the web-based application from Shoppable Business will soon be rolled out and fully utilized by government and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). “This is promising as it will accelerate our procurement process and contribute to our efforts to fully digitalize governance. This is our way to provide solutions and open opportunities for our partners in government and in the private sector,” he said.

As the Philippines commemorates Buwan ng Wika, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) is leading the way in coming up with a research and development roadmap that can help strengthen natural language research in the country. This was highlighted during the multi-sectoral meeting between DOST, Ateneo Social Computing Science Laboratory, Ateneo Center for Computing Competency and Research (ACCCRe), AI Singapore (AISG), and Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF) to discuss efforts in the Philippines on Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Large Language Model (LLM) in the Philippines.

To reduce problems resulting from the Philippines’ dependence on plastic, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) unveiled three technologies that aim to solve plastic related concerns. The DOST through the DOST Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST-PCIEERD) Startup Grant Fund (SGF) Program, supported the research and development conducted by three (3) startup companies which generated these technologies with a total funding of P13 million.

Bongao, Tawi-Tawi -- The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and the Philippine Foundation for Science and Technology (PFST) promoted S&T education to underserved areas in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao as they launched the project titled STEM on the Go!: A Philippine Science Centrum Educational Resource for Learners in Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDA) in BARMM in Tawi-Tawi on August 5, 2024.