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In the past three months, The Manila Times has exalted science and
technology by coming out with at least two special report series on
the sector, and by starting a new column, entitled Prometheus Bound,
which has a group of scientists as guest columnists writing in
round-robin manner.
These reports recognize this sector that the
Department of Science and Technology (DOST) manages. Led by
committed Filipinos who have decided to stick it out in the country
rather than join the long-term exodus of Filipino professionals,
DOST has long been laboring to help meet our needs and keep our
country afloat in the realm of science. That DOST is celebrating its
golden anniversary this year is proof that both the sector and the
bureaucracy that drives it have succeeded in bridging many
challenges that besiege this very important component of
development.
More can be done, however. The Philippine
government, for the moment the single biggest source of funds for
this sector, has to strengthen scientific and technical education
and initiate other forms of human capital development, provide
direct public support through funding for public sector and
university research, or fiscal incentives; and hurdle serious
governance problems if it were to adopt innovation or new scientific
breakthroughs or technologies for growth.
These were actually the main points on the
country’s scientific and technological development raised during
the 2008 Philippine Development Forum that met in Angeles City in
March.
Participants included people in government, the
development community, funders, business and civil society.
Ironically, they did not include the DOST.
The climate for innovation in the Philippines
was part of the Draft Report on Philippine Development prepared by
the World Bank for the meeting. We hope that their discussions will
result in implementing a proactive development agenda that will also
spur innovation.
Innovation is the generation, diffusion,
absorption and application of new technologies, knowledge or ideas
now widely regarded as crucial drivers of long-term economic growth
and development. It requires the introduction of new or improved
goods, services, production processes and marketing methods, as well
as better modes of business organization in general.
The World Bank report noted that the Philippines
is second lowest among the larger economies in East Asia in the
extent of penetration of some “old” technologies already
available for more than a century and present in virtually all
countries. These technologies indexed are electricity consumption
per capita, agricultural machinery (tractors per 100 hectares),
outgoing international phone traffic and international air carrier
departures.
The UNESCO Statistics on Research and
Development had reported that in the Philippines, research and
development (R&D) in 2002-03 was only 0.15 percent of Purchasing
Power Parity (PPP) relative to its gross domestic product (GDP).
This is substantially lower than an estimated average of around 0.4
percent of GDP for all countries with income levels similar to its
own.
Recent R&D intensity is also lower than
estimates of around 0.25 percent of GDP for the early 1990s. Around
60 to 70 percent of R&D in the Philippines is undertaken by
business enterprises, with 15 to 20 percent by public sector
institutes and the rest from higher education institutions. There is
underspending or low investment for R&D in the Philippines
across the board: by businesses, the public sector and higher
education institutions.
It was, however, also noted that there is a
small but growing volume of international patenting by
Philippines-based inventors, representing additions to the frontier
of global knowledge. The volume of patenting, mostly by those
connected to multinational companies, has increased in the 21st
century, reaching a record 35 patents in 2006. The average number of
Philippines patents increased from 5 per year in 1990-1996 to 21 per
year in 2000-2006.
The Philippines is relatively weak in absorbing
innovation due to weak investment climate, and wrong policy
approaches to innovation. They are aggravated by chronic political
and economic crises: macroeconomic volatility, policy uncertainty,
poor governance and weak infrastructure.
It is also hard to do business in the
Philippines, where it is very difficult to start and close a
business and little protection for investors and intellectual
property rights (IPRs).
Despite the high number of college graduates,
there is an extremely small number of researchers in the country—a
mere 8,866 in 2003 as reported by UNESCO, or only 111 per million
population. The Philippines is also poor in the perceived quality of
its research institutions and the interactions between business and
research institutions.
If the country is to absorb new knowledge and
innovate, we need significant improvements in investment climate,
macroeconomic stability, governance and more logistical support and
infrastructure to assist innovation.
Some of our outstanding scientists have shared
two ever indispensable extras: belief in the country and people, and
commitment to forging a better collective future.
opinion@manilatimes.net
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