Three UP ISSI staff presented their current activities at the recently concluded Asian Society for Innovation and Policy (ASIP) International Conference, held at UP ISSI last October 3-5, 2019.
Consistent with the conference theme “Technology and Innovation for SMEs“, ISSI staff Glennis S. Uyanguren, Marvin M. Manlapas and Reynold Ferdinand G. Manegdeg presented ISSI’s ongoing programs aimed at widening the reach of the Institute and adding value to its existing services.
Reaching the farthest: Entrepreneurship education for the marginalized
Uyanguren and Manlapas of the Training and Entrepreneurship Education Division (TEED) shared their experiences on the Communities of Practice for Entrepreneurship (COPE) Program, which brings entrepreneurship education to communities with lesser access to such service in a formal school.
The presentation focused on what TEED is doing in the community of Sapang Munti in Brgy. San Mateo, Norzagaray, Bulacan. Instead of the usual classroom setting, TEED staff goes to the community and teaches the basic concepts of entrepreneurship through various methods – discussions, sharing of experiences, group exercises, and simulation games. The community immersion allows the TEED staff to develop a training design that best fits the community, taking into consideration their specific realities and experiences.
Sapang Munti is composed mostly of indigenous people under the Dumagat tribe. Four people’s organizations were identified in Sapang Munti; namely, Bantay Gubat, Sining Ipo, Kabataan/youth organization, and Samahan ng mga Kababaihan para sa Kaunlaran at Kinabukasan ng Sapang Munti – the last being the main partner in the COPE program. The COPE Program is being implemented in coordination with the Field Work Program of the UP College of Social Work and Community Development.
Last August, the Training Division conducted a Business Game – a simulation of the business process – in the community. This activity aimed to pique the interest of the participants to learn more and commit to the learning process. Succeeding activities are discussion-workshop modules on the four functional areas of business: marketing; operations; human resource; and finance.
Anchored on the Adult Learning in Entrepreneurship Education framework, the COPE Program examines the interplay of various elements in knowledge and skills generation: fundamentals (basic concepts of entrepreneurship); practical learning (praxis on the ground); and innovations (creative ways of producing/adding value). As knowledge can come from different sources – academics, institutional partners, practitioners, and learners themselves, this Program also aims to articulate the learnings and insights of both the educators and learners.
Innovating Agri-tech Promotion: Development of Farms as Tourism Sites
Manegdeg of the Business Enterprise Development Division (BEDD) discussed its current program with the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), which explores creative ways of sharing information about farm technologies through the tourism sector.
Funded and initiated by PCAARRD, the “Science for the Convergence of Agriculture and Tourism” (SciCAT) Program transforms Magsasaka Siyentista Farms (farms of farmers who have been successful in their use of science and technology-based indigenous technologies) into farm tourism sites that will serve as their communities’ main tourist farm attraction, generating employment and entrepreneurship opportunities. Under this program, these farms will offer tours, exhibits, and hands-on activities for tourists, while showcasing the latest farm technologies provided and funded by DOST-PCAARRD to the farmers.
Through continuous research and development, capacity building, technical capability enhancement, and social marketing, SciCAT transfers information on technology to different market segments with the hope of inspiring people to also go into farming, or for existing farmers to replicate these technologies to improve productivity.
SciCAT is a collaboration between PCAARRD and partner institutions – ISSI, Department of Agriculture, Department of Tourism, and selected State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) – that have the mandate and the capacity to help farms incorporate tourism elements and adopt new farm technologies that will be showcased to visitors.
For its part, ISSI assists in the capacity building of farmers and other partners in the areas of enterprise planning and management.
Report from ASIP documentation team
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Recap of 2019 ASIP Manila Conference on “Technology and Innovation for SMEs”
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