The Department of Science and Technology yesterday turned over P1,478,800 in technical assistance to Margie’s Cake and Pastries through the DOST Small Enterprises Technology Upgrading Program at its office at Cottage Road, Bacolod City.

DOST provincial director Allan Francis Dara-ug said that the SETUP serves as a support fund assistance system for upgrading of production facilities of micro, small, and medium enterprises to improve product quality and production for them to be more competitive in the market, he also said.

Dara-ug said the company will use the amount to purchase a bread stick machine, multi-function bread forming machine with cutter function, and two deck gas ovens, the budget released to the firm is payable in three years without interest, he also said.

Margie’s is the third beneficiary if SETUP ISSF this year.

The two others are Negros Prawn Producer Corporation of Bacolod City and JoCynth’s Coco Foods of Pulupandan town, Dara-ug said.

Meanwhile, the DOST is calling all graduating high school students to apply for scholarships at the agency.

Two scholarships are offered including one under the Republic Act 7687 or the Science and Technology Scholarship Act of 1994, and the DOST-Science Education Institute Merit Scholarship.

Scholars under RA 7687 will receive subsidized tuition, school fees, book allowance, and monthly stipend; while the DOST-SEI Merit scholars will have the same benefits, but their monthly allowance will depend on the socio-economic status of their families, Dara-ug said.

In Bacolod City DOST accredited universities are the University of St. La Salle-Bacolod and the University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos.

Scholars under RA 7687 can take up computer engineering or chemical engineering at USLS and information technology or electrical engineering courses are offered at UNO-R, Dara-ug said.

DOST-SEI Merit scholars can take up electronics communications engineering, computer engineering, and chemical engineering at USLS while mechanical engineering is offered at UNO-R, he added.

The DOST also has two additional testing centers for Negros Occidental – the Esteban R. Abada Memorial Schools in Kabankalan City that will cater to applicants from districts 5 and 6 and the Jose B. Puey Elementary School in Sagay City that will service districts 1 and 2.

Applicants from Central Negros will take their examinations at Technological University of the Philippines-Visayas in Talisay City, Dara-ug said.

The deadline for the filing of applications is Friday and the examination will be on November 18, with the first batch at 7 a.m. to noon, and the second batch 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., he added. *LTG

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