Rizalie Anding Calibo
SIQUIJOR, May 7 (PIA) --Two additional Science and Technology
Academic Research-based Openly Operated Kiosk Station (STARBOOKS)
were turned over recently to Siquijor Provincial Science High School
(SPSHS) and Local Government Unit of Maria by the Department of Science
and Technology in two separate events.
The turnover was held at the Office of the Municipal Mayor in
Maria and witnessed by DOST Siquijor personnel and LGU Maria employees.
It is expected to benefit the students from Maria Central
Elementary School and Candaping National High School.
Mayor Meynard AsoK together with First Lady Roslyn Asok and
Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management Officer (MDRRMO) Joel Tingcang
received the equipment from DOST Siquijor.
Another turnover was made at the SPHS received by its School
Principal Anita Dinolan and one of the instructors, Roland Tuangco
from Provincial S&T Dir. Engr. Mario de la Peña and Engr. Reinhold Jek
Abing of DOST Siquijor.
With STARBOOKS, it is expected that their S&T resources will
be enhanced and more students will be inclined to take S&T related courses.
STARBOOKs is a stand-alone, onsite research kiosk that provides
free access to S&T information for academic and livelihood use.
It contains hundreds of thousands of digitized science and
technology resources in various formats (text and audio/video) placed in
specialty design “pods” set in a user-friendly interface where students get
easy access to a compendium of Science and Technology (S&T) information
gathered from all over the world, said DOST-Siquijor provincial director
Engr. Mario de la Pena.
STARBOOKS, he said, aims to create interest in the field of
science and technology which may increase the number of Filipinos enrolling in
S&T courses.
It encourages great and curious minds to develop
newideas-inventions and innovations and inspire one’s capacity for
entrepreneurship and research, he added.
The new academic and livelihood resource differs from other
library portals as it does not require Internet connectivity to deliver
information to its users. The kiosk has a built-in server that provides instant
access to S&T information, he also explained.
Siquijor province now has a total number of eight units.
One unit each is installed at DOST Siquijor PSTC, LGU Siquijor,
LGU San Juan and LGU Enrique Villanueva while SSC has two units installed at
its library.
De la Pena hoped that every municipality in the province will
adopt STARBOOKS kiosk to make S& T information available to every
Siquijodnon.
The Department also encourages public and private
libraries/information centers to adopt STARBOOKS.
DOST-STII is willing to provide STARBOOKS content free-of-charge
for educational and research purposes, he added.
The equipment is a component of the S&T Social and
Environmental Concerns which aims to promote and operate STARBOOKS in the
municipality. (rmn/rac/PIA7-Siquijor w/ reports from Engr. Reinhold Jek Abing)