DOST golden anniversary starts with stamp, book launch

By Alex Villafania INQUIRER.net AS it celebrates 50 years of history, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) has started the ball rolling with the launch of two commemorative stamps and the first comic book based on the agency's mascot, Tron. The agency is also lining up several related activities that are part of the upcoming National Science and Technology Week (NSTW) on July 7. Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD) executive director Jaime Montoya unveiled the commemorative stamp of the DOST as well as the sub-agency Philippine Nuclear Research Institute. He also unveiled the coffee table book, which contains photos of past administrators and projects of the DOST. The book is called "SinAg," from the Filipino words "sining" (arts) and "agham" (science). Montoya also presented the first copy of the Tron comics, an eight-page paperback that introduces Tron. The book is aimed at promoting science education to children and encouraging more students to take up science and engineering courses. The Tron comic book is set to be distributed through bookstores nationwide, with plans to have it localized in certain provinces. The DOST will also honor the 50 most influential people in the field of science, which includes Silliman University Research professor Angel Alcala, radio commentator Angelo Palmones, Philippine Daily Inquirer columnist Queena Lee-Chua, Mapua Institute of Technology president Reynaldo Vea, former Science Secretary William Padolina, and former University of the Philippines president Emil Javier, among others.