Science and Technology in

the Philippines
What’s the situation?
The local scenario:
• Economy driven largely by services sector (OFW)
• Rapid population growth and uncontrolled urbanization
• Depletion of resources and environmental degradation
• Narrow range of export products
 A look at local transportation technologies…

• Fill a real transportation need

• Contributes to economy, albeit the underground economy
• Demonstrates Filipino creativity and ingenuity, but highly
polluting and unsafe
 Where can these technologies go?

• Can we adapt them to help

alleviate current
problems?
Agriculture has always been a strong driver of
the Philippine S & T . . .
“It is the declared policy of the state to accelerate agricultural
development and enhance the production of agricultural crop by
optimizing the use of resources and applying modern farming systems
and technology to attain food security for domestic use and to expand
and diversify agricultural production for export.”

Department of Agriculture
Administrative Order No. 8 S, 2002
Farming technologies locally
What are the gaps in
Philippine S & T?
Visions for Philippine S & T
The DOST envisions a science nation, a country whose economic
growth and development is driven and pulled by science, technology
and innovation.
8 DOST Outcomes:
1. AFMech 5. government connectivity
2. Enterprise development 6. health
3. Industry 7. education
4. IT-BPM 8. disaster preparedness

STRATEGIC FOCUS: building technological self-reliance

Research priority Areas
Industry Emerging Technologies Special Concerns
• Electronics and semi- • Biotechnology/Genomics • Climate change
conductor Industries
• Food processing • Information and adaptation and
• Metals and communication tech. Mitigation
Engineering • Materials • Disaster risk reduction
• Mining and Minerals Science/Nanotechnology and management
Energy • Photonics
• Alternative Energy
• Space Technology
• Energy Efficiency Applications
• Transportation
Strategies to help national development thru
Science and Technology:

1. Help adapt technology to local circumstances. Even when

technologies are imported from abroad, research is necessary to make
them work.
2. Incorporate new science into education. Development requires a
well-trained workforce.
3. Be involved in government. Science and scientists are an important
element of choices and decisions made by governments and can make
a difference.
GROUP ACTIVITY: Reflection Points
1. What are the strengths and weaknesses of Philippine Science and
Technology research and development?
2. Do you think the government and private sector support relevant science
and technology priority areas?
3. Is the support of the government for science and technology research
adequate (in terms of its prioritization compared to other expenditures)?
4. If you were to draw up 3 top research priorities for the country, what do
you think they should be?
5. How would you “popularize” or drum up support for science and
technology research in the country for different target groups (i.e.
students, politicians, investors, local scientists, etc.)?