SCI-TECH IN TIKTOK. TikTok and the DOST-Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development will be partnering to promote science and technology in the country. The two parties will also train researchers and science communicators, and will launch contests that will test the creativity of Filipinos. (Screengrabbed from Pinoy Science TikTok account)
MANILA – Video-sharing platform TikTok will help promote science and technology in the country via a partnership with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), an official of the Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (PCIEERD) said on Wednesday.
PCIEERD executive director Enrico Paringit told the Philippine News Agency that the two will collaborate to popularize research and development through series of training and launching contests.
TikTok will also help PCIEERD to promote its Tiktok page, "Pinoy Science", he said.
"TikTok looks at this partnership as its contribution in creating a platform for people to learn. The partnership provides them with educational content that can be viewed by their users," Paringit said.
He said that TikTok Philippines reached out to the PCIEERD last year, and invited the DOST-attached agency to create a TikTok account for its Pinoy Science Facebook page.
The Pinoy Science TikTok account showcases PCIEERD technologies, and the videos were created by in-house staff and researchers.
In December 2020, TikTok Global reached out to the PCIEERD for a longer and deeper partnership, wherein researchers and the public are trained on how to use the platform in communicating science will be provided, Paringit said.
"The new partnership will provide capacity building for researchers and science communicators. Trainings will be done via Zoom meetings and will be facilitated by TikTok content creators," he added.
He said he expects a wider reach for PCIEERD through this partnership since TikTok will help the agency promote the page to their followers across different social media platforms.
"We hope that through this partnership, our citizens will be aware of our technologies, and appreciate them," he said.
Meanwhile, PCIEERD and TikTok will be launching two contests -- the #PinoyInnovator challenge, and #PinoyScience challenge.
#PinoyInnovator would test the ingenuity of Filipinos, as they would have to develop a gadget using household items. This contest will run from February to March, and the winner will be awarded in April.
#PinoyScience, on the other hand, is a science communication contest that will require users to explain the science behind PCIEERD technologies or projects. This will run from April to July, and a winner will be announced monthly.
More details about these contests will be announced next week. (PNA)
