📋 Tender Overview
CEBU CITY, Cebu (PIA) -- The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) in Central Visayas has launched two technology hubs in Cebu to strengthen the regions innovation ecosystem: the Central Visayas Smart AgriTech Hub, known as the SARAi Regional Hub, and the Innovation Hub Central Visayas (iHub CV). Sancho A. Mabborang, DOST undersecretary for regional operations, led the launch and said the initiative reflects the departments commitment to bringing science, technology and innovation beyond laboratories and into farms, startups, factories, and communities. Smart agriculture hub The SARAi Regional Hub is the local counterpart of Project SARAi-Smarter Approaches to Reinvigorate Agriculture as an Industry in the Philippines, a DOST-funded program led by the University of the Philippines Los Banos that promotes smart farming through science-based tools and technologies. The hub equips farmers with data-driven tools to improve productivity, enhance farm efficiency and strengthen climate resilience. Program leader Dr. Decibel Eslava of the SARAi Centralized National Hub for Regional Hubs said the program generates regular data on crop growth, planting areas and potential yields, using satellite imagery. It also installs automatic weather stations that provide real-time weather information and localized advisories and at the same time coordinating with local government units, academia and farmer organizations. The hub covers nine priority crops - rice, corn, banana, coconut, coffee, cacao, sugarcane, soybean, and tomato - though Eslava noted the system can be adapted to crops prioritized in each region. Available technologies include the Water Balance-Assisted Irrigation Decision Support System, Fertigation Irrigation Scheduling, Community-Level SARAi Enhanced Monitoring System, Smarter Pest Identification Technology, and digital platforms for crop advisories and weather forecasting. In a time of climate uncertainty, informed decisions mean reduced risk, higher yields and stronger food security. Para sa ating mga magsasaka, ito ay nangangahulugan ng mas masaganang ani, mas mataas na kita, at mas panatag na hanapbuhay, Mabborang said. (For our farmers, this means more bountiful harvests, higher income and a more stable livelihood.) Innovation hub The iHub CV aims to strengthen the regions startup and innovation ecosystem, with a focus on smart systems, artificial intelligence, and emerging industries. It complements the Cebu Provincial Innovation Hub, which supports early-stage startup development - where ideas are refined, validated, and prepared for formal incubation - while the regional hub takes those concepts further into smart technologies and future industries. Guided by a four-pronged strategy - Inspire, Interact, Ideate, and Initiate - the hub will support innovators, entrepreneurs, researchers, and micro, small, and medium enterprises, helping advance ideas from concept to startup formation and linking them with technology business incubators and industry partners. DOST has allocated P140 million this year to support 82 innovation hubs nationwide. These initiatives are part of DOSTs mission to ensure that science and technology translate into real benefits for our communities, said Tristan L. Abando, DOST-7 regional director. (JJT/PIA7)
