SCIENCE,

TECHNOLOGY AND
NATION-BUILDING
 GOVERNMENT POLICIES ON
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Padilla-Concepcion (2015) reported that in 2015, in
response to the ASEAN 2015 Agenda, the government,
particularly the Department of Science and Technology
(DOST), has sought the expertise of the National
Research Council of the Philippines to consult various
sectors in the society to study how the Philippines can
prepare itself in meeting the ASEAN 2015 Goals. As a
result of the consultation, the NRCP is expected to
recommend policies and programs that will improve the
competitiveness of the Philippines in the ASEAN Region.
The NRCP clustered these policies
into four, namely:
1. Social Sciences, Humanities, Education,
International Policies, and Governance
• Integrating ASEAN awareness in basic
education without adding to the curriculum
• Emphasizing teaching in the mother tongue
• Developing school infrastructure and providing
for ICT broadband
• Local food security
2. Physics, Engineering and Industrial
Research, Earth and Space Sciences, and
Mathematics
• Emphasizing degrees, licenses, and
employment opportunities
• Outrights grants for RA 9184
• Harnessing science and technology as
an independent mover of development

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3. Medical, Chemical, and Pharmaceutical
Sciences
• Ensuring compliance of drug-manufacturing firms with
ASEAN-harmonized standards by full implementation
of the Food and Drug Administration
• Creating and education council dedicated to
standardization of pharmaceutical services and care
• Empowering food and drug agencies to conduct
evidence-based research as pool of information
• Allocating two percent of the GDP to research
• Legislating a law supporting human genome projects
4. Biological Sciences, Agriculture, and
Forestry
• Protecting and conserving biodiversity by full
implementation of existing law
• Use of biosafety and standard model by
ASEAN countries
• Promoting indigenous knowledge systems and
indigenous people’s conservation
• Formulation of common food and safety
standards
There are also other existing programs supported by
the Philippine government through DOST.

1. Providing funds for basic research and patents

related to S&T. The government funds basic and
applied researches. Funding of these research and
projects are also from the Overseas Development
Aid (ODA) from different countries.
2. Providing scholarships for undergraduate and
graduate studies of students in the field of S&T.
Saloma (2015) pointed out that the country needs to
produce more doctoral graduates in the field of S&T,
and produce more research in these fields, including
engineering
3. Establishing more branches of the
Philippine Science High School System for
training young Filipinos in the field of S&T.
4. Creating S&T parks to encourage academe
and industry partenrships
5. Balik Scientist Program to encourage
Filipino scientists abroad to come home and
work in the Philippines or conduct research
and projects in collaboration with Philippine-
based scientists
The Philippine-American Academy of Science and
Engineering (PAASE, 2008) identified several capacity-
building programs such as

1.Establishment of national centers for

excellence
2. Manpower and institutional development
programs, such as the Engineering and
Science Education Program (ESEP) to
produce more PhD graduates in S&T
3. Establishment of regional centers to
support specific industries that will lead the
country in different research and
development areas 3-9
 In the field of education, several
science-related programs and projects were
created to develop the scientific literacy of
the country.
Special science classes were organized
and special science elementary schools
were established in different regions. Aside
from these, science, and mathematics in
basic education were continuously improved.
 The current K to 12 education
program included Science, Technology,
Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) as
one of its major tracks in the senior high
school program to encourage more
students to enroll in science-related fields
in college.

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• The commission on Higher Education
launched its Philippine-California Advanced
Research Institutes (PICARI) project to allow
several higher education institutions in the
Philippines and some US-based laboratories,
research institutes, and universities to work on
research and projects related to science,
agriculture, engineering, health and
technology.

3-12
Other areas and fields that the country is looking
forward to embark various research projects.

• Use of alternative and safe energy

• Harnessing mineral resources
• Finding cure for various diseases and illness
• Increasing food production
• Preservation of natural resources
• Coping with natural disaster and calamities
• Infrastructure development

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 National
Goals

International
Treaty Science and Technology
Policies
Programs
Legal Projects
Frameworks

Social Needs,
Issues and
Problems
• As shown in the diagram in previous slide, the
development of policies in science and
technology is shaped or influenced by several
variables: policies need to be aligned to national
goals, consider international commitments based
on legal frameworks, and respond to various
social needs, issues and problems. Science and
technology policies ensure that the whole country
and all people will experience the progress that
science can bring. Policies are guides to direct all
efforts to a goal of developing a scientifically
advanced country. 3-15