By: Rochelle L. Cruz
Did you know that you can attend seminars though you are kilometres away from the venue? No more long and inconvenient travel– all you need is a computer and good internet connection.This is made possible through webinar, or online seminar, which enables people to participate and learn at the comfort of their own homes or work places.
The Department of Science and Technology Region IV-A developed in 2011 the Food Safety Webinar Site to assist the Food Safety Inter-Agency Program (FSIAP) in promoting food safety in the region. The webinar site is a tool to enhance awareness of the CALABARZON community on the significance of food safety, including the problems and issues affecting it. Some of the webinars conducted include the Philippine Good Agricultural Practices Certification, Food Safety and Trade Issues, and Chemical Migration in Food Packaging Materials.
In 2015, the Food Safety Webinar Site was rebranded into the Webinar and Technology Channel or WATCH. Its coverage was broadened to include other S&T related topics such as biogas technology, metrology, and packaging and labeling.
So far, there were 27 webinars conducted, and most of these were related to food safety. Over 1,100 participants from the academe, private sector, and government agencies have attended the webinars.
To participate in webinars, one should register first on the indicated registration page of the webinar. Registered users receive notifications of upcoming webinar either through text or email. Moreover, users can view previous webinars in the system.
The webinars also include participants’ evaluation to generate feedback and suggestions on how to improve the webinar service. An electronic copy of Certificate of Participation is then sent to participants afterwards.
The MIS targets to conduct eight webinars about various S&T fields for 2016. WATCH website is accessible at http://region4a.dost.gov.ph/watch/public/.
