An analysis of DOST Caraga's innovation investments across the five sectors of the Innovation-integrated Fishery, Agroforestry, Mining, and Ecotourism (i2FAME) framework — Caraga's primary regional development model for STI-driven economic transformation.
The i2FAME (Innovation-integrated Fishery, Agroforestry, Mining, and Ecotourism) framework is Caraga Region's distinctive approach to development — one that roots STI investments in the region's comparative advantages in natural resource sectors while applying innovation to add value, improve sustainability, and create inclusive economic opportunities.
The i2FAME framework is premised on the recognition that Caraga's natural resource endowments — its fishery-rich coastlines, agricultural interior, mineral deposits, and ecotourism assets — are the most durable basis for regional comparative advantage. The framework's innovation dimension (the "i2" prefix) signals a deliberate shift from extractive to knowledge-intensive modes of resource utilization: processing over raw export, high-value specialty products over commodity production, and sustainable resource management over depletion-driven growth.
The Cross-Cutting sector in the FAME taxonomy captures programs and interventions that serve multiple sectors simultaneously or operate in enabling functions (ICT, governance, education, energy) that benefit all FAME sectors. The majority of SETUP projects — which serve enterprises across diverse industries — are appropriately classified as Cross-Cutting.
The Fishery sector receives targeted attention through food innovation programs at NEMSU and SNSU, the Caulerpa seaweed farming program in Bislig, the SMART Tandag coastal water management project, and RDI centers at CSU and NEMSU focused on aquamarine life sustainability. Caraga's extensive coastline and inland fishery resources — spanning the Agusan River system and the waters of Surigao del Norte's island municipalities — represent significant untapped value-addition opportunities.
Agroforestry is the most extensively served natural-resource sector in the DOST Caraga portfolio, spanning palm oil, bamboo, cacao, coffee, rice, cassava, sago, and native chicken production systems. Key programs include the SARAI Plus Project for precision agriculture, the Food Innovation Centers network, the Integrated Futures for Sustainable Key Commodity Sectors (I-FASST), and multiple rice mill and agricultural processing upgrades under SETUP. The Mulberry Demonstration Farm for Mined-Out Lands bridges agroforestry and mining rehabilitation — exemplifying the i2FAME framework's integrative logic.
The Mining sector, while represented by a relatively small number of projects (four), carries significant strategic weight given Caraga's position as one of the Philippines' premier mineral production regions. The flagship MinERAL Hub (Mineral Processing Innovation Hub) at Cabadbaran City, supported by the Caraga Integrated Gold Copper Mineral Processing Plant and two specialized RDI centers at CSU (SuMMO and MinRES), positions Caraga to capture higher-value mineral processing activities rather than exporting raw ores. The Mulberry Demonstration Farm for Mined-Out Lands additionally addresses the environmental rehabilitation obligations associated with mining operations.
Ecotourism receives targeted attention through the Fostering Artisan Empowerment through Innovative Timber-based Handicraft Processing program (which serves Agusan del Sur's cultural tourism economy) and the Tourism and SMEs Innovation Research Center at NEMSU. While the number of directly tagged projects is modest, the sector's importance is growing with the emergence of Siargao Island in Surigao del Norte as an international tourism destination and the increasing linkage between community-based ecotourism and indigenous peoples' economic development.