Cristeta Gapuz and Francisco Gapuz Jr provides the seed fund for Sericulture R & D and assistance for establishment of model farms/farmers thru the loan collections and income from the project. To date, the total number of farmers assisted is thirteen, coming from Balaoan, Bacnotan & San Gabriel, La Union.
2. Objectives This paper aims to:
Share the RDE management experiences, best practices, strategies and innovations developed and/or adopted in the CHED-DMMMSU silk technology commercialization project as it relates to social responsibility of R & D Managers and present some project accomplishments;
To present the policy implications and recommendations for future RDE planning, socio-economic, sustainable development and climate change programs development .
3. Methodology 3.1 Project background This Management Experience is based on the implementation of the CHED funded project entitled, “Silk Technology Promotion and Commercialization:CHED-DMMMSU Strategy for Employment Generation of Young Graduates and Others as Agribusiness Entrepreneurs and in Support to RA 9242” by the Project Director, Dr. Cristeta F. Gapuz. The project was envisioned by then Proponent and Project Director to institutionalize the CHEDSUCs/DMMMSU-Private Entrepreneur Partnership Scheme with integrated conduct of R & D while assisting DMMMSU graduates and others as Agribusiness Entrepreneurs using sericulture as a tool in support to RA 9242. It also further aimed to demonstrate the viability of sericulture as an industry for commercial cocoon production providing additional income to farmers as cocoon producers within a two-year period then continuing integrating R & D following the R & D continuum. With the provision of funds, this was also envisioned to enhance the productivity of R & D Managers by enhancing their commitment and social responsibility empowering them with the availability of additional resources. This paper aims to present the RDE management best practices and strategies adapted for Sericulture as a new commodity in order to create further awareness among R & D Managers, Administrators, Researchers and Extensionists and international partners in R & D that amidst internal and external constraints and challenges, outputs can still be realized contributing to attainment of institutional objectives. This emphasizes that R & D Managers can respond to such with increased resiliency nurturing them to become more socially responsible as generators of knowledge and technologies and as frontline agents of change for socio-economic development for the benefit of clients providing a positive image to every country’s bureaucracy.
3.2 Pre-implementation Environmental scanning, assessment of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the silk industry and prevailing problems at the local, national and international levels was done out of which a project proposal was drafted and which was later adjusted based on the available fund provision.
3.3 Implementation phase The work and financial plan as approved by the Commission on Higher Education was followed during the project implementation anchored on the various project components as specified in the project proposal. Appropriate actions were undertaken as a result of monitoring and evaluation and as problems arise.
3.4 Post-project duration phase Post project duration activities are being implemented as specified in the approved project proposal which is a built in strategy for sustainability of R & D activities.
4. Results and discussion The implementation of the different project components from Silkworm breeding, egg and silkworm larvae production, cocoon production, capability building and technical as well as financial assistance to farmer
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