Operation and Best Practices of the Department of Science and Technology Food Innovation Centers in the Philippines: Basis for Policy Enhancement

This study aimed to determine the status of the Department of Science and Technology Food Innovation Centers in the Philippines vis-a-vis the implementation of the program and services. Moreover, this shall be a basis for operational procedure enhancement. The respondents involved 13 functional food innovation centers and 55 staff from the different centers all over the Philippines. The study employed descriptive research design with the survey questionnaires as the main instrument in gathering the data. To determine the profile of the respondents, the frequency count and percentage were used. For variables that generated interval data such as those responses using the Likert Scale mean and standard deviation were used. To answer the research problem and testing the hypothesis, the multiple regressive analysis was used. The following findings were obtained according to the problems presented. Majority of the respondents are within the ages 21 to 25 years old (20%), female (64%), with designation of Senior Science Research Specialist (SSRS) (27%), and Operation/Maintenance (27%), with Food Technology related courses (64%), no eligibility (47%), bachelor’s degree holders (49%), contractual status of employment (53%), 3-4 years in the service (53%), most of them attended 1-10 local seminars (73%), and 1-10 international seminars (92%). The level of awareness of the DOST-FIC staff on their VMGO obtained an overall mean of 4.60. The level of acceptability obtained an overall mean of 4.44. The degree of relevance obtained an overall mean of 4.60 which means that the respondents are very much aware of the VMGO. They much accepted the VMGO, and they perceived that the DOST-FIC VMGO is very much relevant. The DOST-FICs have adequate supply for the other support services such as tools/utensils/materials, equipment, other facilities, building and staff, which obtained an overall mean of 3.64 interpreted as moderately adequate that would support on the performance of the services offered by DOST-FICs in the different functional centers in the Philippines. The mean perception of the respondents on the Operational Procedures of DOST – FIC obtained an overall mean of 4.04 interpreted that the staff respondents moderately agree that the DOST-FIC oftentimes perform the operational procedures. In the light of the findings, it is concluded that DOST-FIC was rated higher in performance by the respondents which are younger; respondents with Food Technology courses, and Food Technology related courses; non-eligible respondents; respondents with higher educational attainment; and respondents with lesser number of years in service with the Center. Furthermore it is concluded that the strong significant predictors of the performance of DOST-FIC are the proper and always execution of the operational procedures; length of service of the staff, and related trainings. The hypothesis posited in the study that the respondents’ demographic profile; DOST-FIC’s profile, and the operational procedures and best practices, singly or in combination predict significantly its (DOST-FIC) performance is partially sustained.