Students urged to avail gov't services for start -up businesses


To empower students of Ifugao State University (IFSU) in reducing poverty through self-employment, select government agencies spearheaded by the Technological Consortium for Awareness, Readiness, and Advancement of Knowledge in Innovation (TARAKI) of the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) convened here at Lamut Campus today as part of their Regional Startup Caravan (RSV) and Information Drive in four State Universities and Colleges in the region.

Dubbed, "Traveling towards an innovative Cordillera," representatives from the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) of CAR raised awareness on innovation and startups, helped students identify their interests, conducted an open forum, and promoted their agencies’ programs and services.

To aid students and business enthusiasts in mapping out their interests, Maria Corazon D. Ocampo, TARAKI-CAR Project Staff & SLU, Tech Hub Lead, introduced Design Thinking which is a process that brings together what is desirable from a human point of view with what is technologically feasible and economically viable.

“One should consider products or ideas that make sense to people, what is technically possible within the foreseeable future, and what is likely to become part of a sustainable business model,” she added.

Dr. Eva Marie Codamon-Dugyon, University President, expressed delight and support for the activity as she has always encouraged students to target being employers by putting up businesses to help spur economic development in the local communities.

TARAKI-CAR and IFSU vowed to strengthen collaboration programs and projects in the establishment of the start-up ecosystem in CAR as the two agencies’ top officials sealed a Memorandum of Understanding.

Dr. Marissa P. Bulong, Vice President for Research Development, Extension and Training, lauded the organizers for choosing IFSU as one of the only four host venues for the RSV