CABANATUAN CITY – The Central Luzon Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and Development Consortium (CLIEERDEC) cemented its partnerships with higher education institutions (HEIs) and different government agencies through the signing of a memorandum of agreement (MOA) at Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology (NEUST), Cabanatuan City on July 26, 2023.

In his inspirational message, Dr. Enrico C. Paringit, Executive Director of the Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and Development (PCIEERD), highlighted the importance of working together to achieve a shared vision among the 16 members of the consortium.

“Mas marami tayong magagawa kapag magkakasama tayo,” Dr. Paringit said. “We recognize that there is no other way than to do it together. Your presence here today really marks your strong commitment to make innovation work in this part of the country.”

“The field is far and wide; we can do many things together. We do not have to see ourselves as competing for attention, competing for resources, or competing for glory. But rather, we’re looking at ourselves as cooperators, as collaborators, as partners. We should rally towards a common goal, common objectives, and a common vision for the region,” said the PCIEERD director.

Director Paringit also expressed PCIEERD’s ‘firm commitment to support’ CLIEERDEC ‘to make all the wonderful plans and ideas come into fruition.’

“We are a consortium for doing R&D in the industry, in energy, and in emerging technologies. It’s always good that we as individual institutions are making our mark, putting up our strongest points when we do something,” he added.

Meanwhile, CLIEERDEC Chair and NEUST President Engr. Feliciana P. Jacoba stated that the engagement of the HEIs and government agencies plays an important role in providing the pipelines that are needed to nourish the seed of innovation toward achieving sustainable growth.

“We will realize that our aim of providing quality service to our clientele and our beneficiaries through knowledge creation and dissemination through research, transfer of technology, and outreach programs in different places in Central Luzon can be achieved,” President Jacoba added.

However, Engr. Jacoba acknowledged that there is so much work to do, but with the commitment and support of everyone, CLIEERDEC can do it, saying: “We can put again on the map of PCIEERD the different activities and projects of the Central Luzon Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Consortium.

The CLIEERDEC Chair also zoomed in on the role of collaboration in achieving the goals of the consortium.

“With the different capacities of our institutions, we will do what we can to strengthen our collaboration and produce more projects. We aim to make CLIEERDEC known not only in the Philippines but also globally,” Engr. Jacoba said.

“There is no monopoly of ideas. We will share our strengths and try to address our weaknesses so that we can come up with very good, effective, and efficient projects,” she said. “The challenge to us never changes, never ceases. We must make ourselves adept at all complex but interesting ways of improving not only our lives but the lives of our kababayans, particularly the beneficiaries of the different projects that we might be conceptualizing.”

To signify their support, a statement of commitment was expressed by Mr. Leopoldo Jaime N. Valdes, Jr., Holy Angel University (HAU) President; Dr. Arnold E. Velasco, Tarlac State University (TSU) President; and Dir. Rosalie C. Abesamis, Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Acting Director IV.

The MOA signing was followed by the meeting of the governing council, where they discussed the following agenda: Committee reports, evaluation instruments for research proposals to be endorsed to PCIEERD, CLIEERDEC Manual of Operations and SEC Registration, and the presentation of HRDP programs.

The event was attended by six (6) HEIs composed of NEUST as the host school, HAU, TSU, Bataan Peninsula State University (BPSU), Bulacan State University (BulSU), President Ramon Magsaysay State University (PRMSU), Don Honorio Ventura State University (DHVSU), and nine (9) government agencies, including DBM, PCIEERD, Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), National Economic Development Authority (NEDA), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

On the sidelines, Dr. Paringit and other DOST officials visited the PCIEERD-funded Metals Engineering Innovation Center (MEIC) and the Technology and Bus Incubation (TBI) projects of NEUST.