MALAYBALAY CITY (MindaNews / 22 Oct) Mindanao should have its own astronomical observatory because astronomy is an effective way of boosting interest in science and technology, Rodion Herrera, program director and head lecturer of Voyager Adventures said.

Herrera told MindaNewsSundaythat existing astronomical observatories like the Manila Observatory are inaccessible to Mindanaos students and instructors.

He said the group hopes to build an astronomical observatory in Mindanao either in Davao or in Zamboanga City to help raise the quality of science and technology education.

He acknowledged that this requires a huge investment and might take a long time to be realized so in the meantime, his group goes around Mindanao to bring the universe closer to the students.

Voyager Adventures, a Davao-based private group promoting the study of astronomy, ended its nine-day tour in BukidnonTuesday.

The group visited schools in Bukidnon from October 14 to October 22 as a follow up to their August 2013 run.

On October 14, the 12-member Voyager team went to Lantapan for an exhibit with elementary and high schools students and teachers. They proceeded to Valencia City Central School on October 16, to the Valencia City National High School on October 18 and in Malaybalay City on October 21 and 22, at the Bukidnon National High School, Bukidnons biggest high school.

The group first toured Bukidnon in August 2013, spending two weeks in the towns of Quezon, Maramag, Pangantucan, and Manolo Fortich.

The group has toured more than 200 schools around Mindanao, except in the cities of Surigao, Cotabato, Pagadian, Gingoog, and Cagayan de Oro, said Herrera.

The group uses educational events program with a state of the art Voyager Planetarium, mobile digital educational podium, as a visual and entertaining tool in teaching astronomy and other sciences.

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Astronomy group eyes Mindanao observatory