Community Empowerment thru Science & Technology

CEST is a package of S&T interventions which aims to build progressive, empowered and resilient rural communities.

The program is targeting to empower the poorest and most depressed communities in the country, via S&T interventions in health and nutrition, water and sanitation, basic education and literacy, livelihood/economic enterprise development, and disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation.

Meaning of the CEST Logo

The CEST— a program continually pursuing growth by community empowerment through science and technology–proudly presents its official logo.

From the plant’s roots to its leaves up to its apical meristem, the logo embodies how CEST enables communities to be empowered until it is capable to be independent and is able to pass on its legacy to other communities.

The ROOTS are represented as an atom symbolizing Science and Technology. Roots are the plant’s anchor and channel of nutrition, just like CEST is anchored to scientific interventions and nurtured by the continuing research and development for new scientific interventions.

The FIVE LEAVES represent the Five Entry Points of CEST namely Health & Nutrition, Environmental Protection & Conservation, Economic Development / Livelihood Opportunities, Human Resource Development, and Disaster Risk and Management & Climate Change Adaptation. Like the leaves of a plant that serve as the entry points of Oxygen and Sunlight, two primary necessities for plant growth, Five Entry Points of CEST are necessary interventions to make communities grow.

The STEM represents DOST. Like the stem that channels and transports nutrients throughout the plant, it is DOST that delivers roots’ science and technology and the leaves’ interventions to the community which ultimately catalyzes growth.

Lastly, the uppermost portion is the APICAL MERISTEM of a plant which composed of many dividing cells working together to ensure vertical growth for the plant. Here, the Apical Meristem represents the CEST Community. Like the Apical Meristem that leads the vertical growth of the plant, it is the CEST Community’s Dedication and Teamwork that spearheads its own growth towards genuine empowerment.

Ultimately, this is a representation of our commitment, our VISION: Empowered, Progressive, and Resilient Communities.

Once again, the Community Empowerment thru Science and Technology: Revolutionizing Empowerment through Commitment and Innovation.

CEST Components

Economic Development
INTERVENTIONS	PROGRESS INDICATORS	SUCCESS INDICATORS
Provide livelihood opportunities – Innovation Support System – Fund – TechnologyTrainings – Consultancy – Testing/Calibration – Packaging and Labelling Design	No. of S&T Interventions provided No. of startups/firms assisted No. of new jobs generated	% increase in number of alternative source of income/livelihood % increase in average annual income (gross sales) Increase in the number of persons employed

Health & Nutrition
INTERVENTIONS	PROGRESS INDICATORS	SUCCESS INDICATORS
Provide S&T interventions related to health and nutrition such as: – Complementary feeding program – Food safety trainings – Conduct meal planning training for mother and guardians – Provide safe and potable water using S&T (CWF and Tubig Talino) – Deploy RxBox – Install OL traps	No. of malnourished children served No. of health-related trainings conducted No. of household provided with health-related trainings No. of technologies provided No. of household/individuals provided with health-related technologies/ intervention	% increase/improved nutritional status (as measured by gain in weight) among children 6-36 months old % increase in the number of households that follow proper meal planning and practice food safety % decrease in incidence of foodborne/water-borne illnesses % increase in awareness on proper meal planning

Human Resource Development
INTERVENTIONS	PROGRESS INDICATORS	SUCCESS INDICATORS
Conduct of various S&T trainings on education Conduct of S&T Scholarship Review Classes Provision of S&T learning systems and technologies Provision of STARBOOKS	No. of S&T trainings conducted No. of individuals/students provided with S&T trainings No. of individuals provided with S&T learning tools/ technologies	% increase in the number of trained people in the community in relevant field Increase in the number of S&T scholarship passers % increase in the number of individuals with access to S&T information Increase in the number of students enrolled in STEM courses

Environmental Protection & Conservation
INTERVENTIONS	PROGRESS INDICATORS	SUCCESS INDICATORS
Promotion and/or provision of technologies that are environment friendly/green technologies – EcoSep, Bio reactor Conduct of S&T trainings and fora that help in the preservation and conservation of natural resources	No. of environment-friendly technologies promoted/provided No. of promotional activities conducted No. of technology adoptors No. of households/individuals provided with trainings and green technologies	% increase in the number of households that practice waste segregation and proper waste disposal % increase in the number of local industries/enterprises that utilize green technologies % increase in the number of households that are aware of the importance of preserving and conserving the environment % increase in the number of environment restoration programs (coral restoration, healthy forests) implemented and sustained

Disaster Risk Reduction & Management and Climate Change Adaptation
INTERVENTIONS	PROGRESS INDICATORS	SUCCESS INDICATORS
Promote and provision of science-based information & technologies for disaster prevention & mitigation – ARGs, WLMS, LGU IDS, TWS, etc.	No. of technologies promoted No. of technologies adopted/utilized No. of sensors and warning stations installed/maintained No. of measures on disaster risk reduction and mitigation implemented – activities – IEC material No. of DRRM-related collaborations with stakeholders	% reduction of casualties from natural or manmade calamities % increase in EWS adopter Increase in the number of sensors and warning stations installed/maintained