WEB-BASED SEMINARS. Department of Science and Technology (DOST)-Calabarzon Regional Office stages four web-based seminars or webinars beginning July 5 at its S&T complex in Los Baños, Laguna as part of the 2018 National Science and Technology Week (NSTW) celebration slated July 17 to 21. (Photo courtesy of DOST4A-PARCU)
LOS BAŇOS, Laguna – The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Calabarzon Regional Office has hosted four web-based seminars or webinars as part of its opening salvo for the 2018 National Science and Technology Week (NSTW) celebration slated July 17 to 21.
Rochelle L. Cruz, Science Research Specialist I and head of the Public Affairs, Relations and Communications Unit (PARCU) of the DOST Calabarzon, told Philippine News Agency on Monday that the 48th to 51st webinar series on food safety were aired beginning July 5.
Cruz said that the webinars have generated around 200 online participants to date, who watched the DOST-Calabarzon’s Webinar and Technology Channel (WATCH) portal in partnership with Glenwood Technologies.
“The technology on using the Webinar and Technology Channel (WATCH) portal simply uses video camera, laptops, TV screen and fast internet as basic requirements to facilitate a webinar episode,” Cruz said.
She added that the online participants can also post comments and queries on the webinar episodes on food safety, pest control, accreditation and ISO overview on food safety management system, enabling an interactive engagement and feedback mechanism.
Cruz said the participants represented various sectors from the food micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) sector, academe, DOST Regional Offices and research and development (R&D) institutes and laboratories.
An episode hosted by Angela Kristel Dalao of Glenwood Technologies International Inc. discussed the “Advancement in Sanitation Verification System,” highlighting the importance of improving cleanliness practices and sanitation protocols which could promote and enhance food safety.
“Monitoring tools should be sensitive, rapid, and reliable to ensure product safety,” Dalao said.
Another episode in the webinar series delved on “Effective Pest Control for Food Processors,” hosted by April Musa-Marinay of Boaz Pest Control, where she summed up seven steps to effectively control pests in the MSME business.
Marinay urged participants to “remember the 4 K’s - know what you want; know your facility; know your pests; know Integrated Pest Management (IPM).
She added that there are 3 M’s to be observed to increase business confidence towards safe food which include: make your program; make it work; monitor, evaluate, improve.
Webinar speakers are Amor Lahoz and Juanita Carpio from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)-Philippine Accreditation Bureau (PAB), as the office responsible for the accreditation of conformity assessment bodies in the country.
As representatives of the PAB, the two speakers underscored their office’s mandate to implement accreditation based on the ISO/IEC 17011 as they highlighted the “Importance of Accreditation in the Delivery of Safe Food and Clean Drinking Water.”
In an “Overview of the ISO 22000 on Food Safety Management System (FSMS) and the Accreditation of FSMS Certification Based on ISO/TS 22003, the speakers expounded the significance of getting the accreditation as this lends credence and trust in business establishment and builds confidence not only among businesses but also from their clients and customers.
The participants in the DOST-Calabarzon webinar series also received electronic copies of their Certificates of Participation, which will be sent to the participants after completing the evaluation. (PNA)
