By Jessica M. Bacud
The Bicol Science and Technology Centrum (BSTC), which had been closed since April 2021, was formally reopened by the Department of Science and Technology and the Local Government Unit-Naga City on March 16, 2023.
With a budget of P6.9 million, the BSTC is now prepared to serve local viewers once more, particularly children, teachers, and even researchers and innovators who can experience science by going to the center.
Department of Science and Technology Secretary Dr. Renato U. Solidum Jr. said such facilities would also be the ideal way to promote science literacy and enthusiasm, particularly among younger students.
“We planned to take advantage of it by leveraging science in the area in line with the inclusive, innovative, and integrated approaches we aimed for the department. Since BSTC was established in 1995, the Bicol Region has benefited from the services it has provided,” the secretary said.
Meanwhile, Naga Mayor Nelson S. Legacion also remarked how excited he was for the facility to open. As a component of Bicol’s cultural tourism, the BSTC has always been something to look forward to, he said. “By launching it, we hoped to inspire local youth to pursue careers in research and science,” he said.
DOST-V Regional Director Rommel R. Serrano expressed his satisfaction that it will now reopen with an expected twofold increase in visits.
“With the center, we hoped to inspire not only the town but also the surrounding areas to establish their own science centers. With the center, we anticipate a very positive response from our students, teachers, and the local community, particularly from the people of Naga who have observed the impact on students’ appreciation of science over time,” Serrano said.
In five galleries, the refurbished BSTC will now feature 50 interactive exhibitions, including the following:
Gallery 1: Marvels of Physics: Electricity, Magnetism, and Robotics included a robot exhibit, a plasma ball, a buzz wire, a drone exhibit, a van de Graff floating ball exhibit, an interactive screen, virtual reality, and interactive robotics.
The Solar System and Space Exploration in Gallery 2: Mysteries of the Universe Explained: This part enables visitors to see the planet’s position within the solar system and beyond as humanity continues to explore the cosmos. The exhibits include the human gyro exhibit, the astronaut cutout, the astronaut display, the constellation light tracing, the weight on other planets, and the voyager distance display.
The volcano cross-section exhibit, sound domes, and interactive display, coal mining, the sand exhibit, the rock display, the interactive screen, the facts about volcanoes in the flip book, and stalactites and stalagmites are among the featured exhibits in Gallery 3: What Lies Beneath: Uncovering Earth’s Secret.
The exhibits in Gallery 4 are as follows: an interactive submarine, interactive fishes, marine life, ecosystem rotating panels, coral displays, a whale shark, a tsunami wave tank, an ocean pollution mural, a jellyfish exhibit, an octopus exhibit, a turtle, and tortoise.
Gallery 5: Land Ecosystem Unfold: Discovering Mother Nature. A fake tree or rafflesia replica, a nature texture exhibit, a windmill exhibit, a sandbox, agricultural implements, the Mt. Mayon and Mt. Isarog Lenticular Wall, a barnyard exhibit, and “creepy crawlies.”
Group tours and walk-ins are also welcome at the center, which is available to the public and open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, phone 0919-914-8858, send an email at to [email protected], or visit the Naga website at www.naga.gov.ph.