Two local innovators received assistance under the Department of Science and Technology’s (DOST) Grassroots Innovation for Inclusive Development (GRIND) Program during a turnover ceremony held Monday, July 13, at the CDRRMO Covered Court.
The assistance was formally turned over by DOST Regional Director Rommel R. Serrano, CESO III, and DOST Camarines Sur Provincial Director Patrocinio N. Felizmenio, together with Mayor Rex C. Oliva, Vice Mayor Edsel S. Dimaiwat, and members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod. The activity was facilitated through the Public Employment Service Office (PESO), headed by Engr. Cynthia D. Audal.
Mr. Victorio Oronan, who runs a midribs handicraft business, received a Table Top Midribs Stripper from DOST to support his enterprise.
Meanwhile, Ms. Merly I. Praxides received a grant from DOST consisting of a dehydrator machine, a stainless steel table with bottom shelf, and a dough sheeter noodle machine. The Local Government Unit (LGU) of Iriga supplemented this with a set of double-burner gas stove, a double-tank electric fryer, a weighing scale, a strainer, and two units of electric heater.
According to DOST, the GRIND Program aims to discover and support innovative ideas developed by ordinary Filipinos that provide practical solutions to community needs.
Praxides’ innovation, “Linangta Pili Pulp Chips,” was identified during DOST Region V’s 2025 Saliklakbay community research initiative, where it emerged as one of only two qualifiers from Camarines Sur. Her product transforms discarded pili pulp into a nutritious snack, promoting sustainable food production, reducing agricultural waste, and creating additional livelihood opportunities for the local community.
The innovation later represented Bicol Region during the 2025 National Science and Technology Week in Ilocos Norte, where it earned Third Place in the National Grassroots Innovation Competition.
City officials said the assistance reflects the continuing collaboration between DOST and the City Government of Iriga in empowering grassroots innovators, strengthening community-based enterprises, and promoting science, technology, and innovation as drivers of local economic development.
Source: Lungsod Ng Iriga