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
Components
| Economic Development | ||
|---|---|---|
| INTERVENTIONS | PROGRESS INDICATORS | SUCCESS INDICATORS |
|
Provide livelihood opportunities
|
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:
|
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 environmentfriendly/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 sciencebased information & technologies for disaster prevention & mitigation
|
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:
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 |
DRRM Links
Featured Post
As part of the 2020 National Science and Technology Celebration, the Department of Science and Technology will be conducting a CEST Forum on November 25, 2020 at 9:00AM - 11:00AM.
Community Empowerment Thru Science and Technology (CEST) is one of the banner programs of DOST which aims to deliver sustainable development to various communities nationwide through the provision of S&T interventions along the five CEST entry points, i.e. Livelihood, Health and Nutrition, Environmental Protection and conservation, Education, and Disaster Risk Reduction Management.
Part of this activity is the awarding of the 2020 BEST Community. An Award given to the CEST Community beneficiary who has excelled in the implementation of the program which will be selected from several entries nationwide.
Registration link: http://bit.ly/2020NSTW_CESTforum