Challenges in implementation
Statistics show that the Philippine government is under-investing in research and development. In the ASEAN region, the country ranks lowly in education and research investment, at 0.3 percent of its total GDP. Science and technology manpower—technical personnel and researchers—is also at a staggering low of 81 researchers per million, which equals low productivity, meager output of knowledge products and overall inefficiency.
Among the challenges that the government faces in funding research and development lie in its own procurement system. Ideally, the government procurement system promotes transparency and streamlines the process to avoid delays. But ask any researcher working on a government-funded project: he or she would confess about delays in pay and release of grant money—the tedious paperwork is ironically aimed at making fund disbursement more transparent. Some, for lack of financial security, have even decided to drop the project altogether.
An analysis of audit reports on scientific institutions under the government shows that increasing the budget for research and development alone could turn into spending and operational problems due to lack of absorptive capacity, among others. Even if there was enough manpower, there aren’t enough local investments to absorb them. UNESCO reported that a huge chunk of research and development investment in the country comes from the private sector, thanks to the existence of multinational corporations.
At the local level, the situation is completely different. Programs of local government units are geared toward the provision of social services rather than investment into local research. Albay province is an exception, however. Academic institutions and local administration work hand-in-hand, sharing evidence-based decision-making particularly in disaster risk reduction.
Science, politics and communication
Three forces are at play here: science, politics and communication. Scientists and researchers are a rarity in elected government posts. It is also rare to find lawmakers—district representatives and senators—advocating science and technology head on during campaign season, and even more so during their congress term.
The disconnect between the science and the policies are glaring. For one, among the mandates of the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) is to advise the President and the Cabinet on matters related to science and technology. But even members of the Academy themselves feel that they are being ignored by the current leaders.
On December 2015, the Philippine Supreme Court banned the field testing of Bt eggplant and nullified existing government biosafety guidelines. They were in favor of activist groups—including non-government organizations, environmentalist groups, and a coalition of farmers and scientists—who lobbied for a ban on the grounds that it will violate the right to health and balanced ecology. NAST subsequently issued a statement condemning this decision, which seemed to have been ignored.
Science issues, until disaster strikes, are given limited time and attention by the Philippine press. Unless there’s a cyclone hitting the country, or unless hundreds, if not thousands, of lives have already been lost, a weather phenomenon will not be explained for the good of the public.
The appreciation of evidence and research in decision-making and policy agenda in the Philippines need to be strengthened. Scientists should be more open, the media more receptive to science, and policy-makers more appreciative of the value of research in coming up with policies and decisions.
Philippines president-elect Duterte’s challenge is not just how to keep up with our neighbors in ASEAN (or in Asia-Pacific, for that matter) in terms of R&D investments, number of technical personnel and research productivity. His main challenge is to build a sufficiently solid infrastructure and research environment that will sustain efforts to solve the country’s most pressing problems. These include environmental degradation in disputed territories in the South China Sea (West Philippine Sea), protecting the newly acquired territory Benham Rise, the Philippine climate change commitment to the United Nations, upcoming La Niña weather phenomenon, and the terrible internet speed.
Radical change is difficult to achieve within the next six years. But the Philippines could only hope, with the new administration, that science will finally take the limelight in the policy agenda.
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Copyright: Asian Scientist Magazine; Photo: ken wilson lee/Flickr/CC.
Disclaimer: This article does not necessarily reflect the views of AsianScientist or its staff.
