Press Release
November 7, 2008

ANGARA CITES KEY FACTORS TO ACHIEVE VIABILITY OF RP'S R&D

Senator Edgardo J. Angara today sees two major factors in achieving long-term viability of Philippine research and development (R&D), enumerating among others: tapping of private sector to help fund R&D projects and to improve the balik scientist program of the country.

Speaking before the Consultative Forum of the National Research Council of the Philippines, Angara said that the country should be able to develop technology locally as the worldwide economy slowly recovers.

"We need to tap the private sector for R&D funding. Take for example companies like Texas Instruments, Hitachi and Intel, companies that have given expensive equipment to our universities. This type of academe-industry cooperation needs to be expanded further, where both government and the private sector can coordinate on donations and grants," said Angara, who also chairs Senate Committee on Science and Technology.

He added, "We also need to improve our balik scientist program. Instead of expecting our scientists abroad to return home permanently, we can adjust to their availability to visit us periodically and mentor students, or even simply to tap them as resources remotely through information technology."

Recently, Angara met with the members of the Philippine American Academy of Scientists and Engineers (PAASE) at the Maryland home of Dr. Josefino Comiso, where discussions zeroed in on how to help enhance the public's awareness of science and technology as well as to make it attractive to students of the new generation.

Angara also said that in order to intensify R&D efforts, the compensation of scientists must be carefully considered.

"One possible answer is the proposal of the COMSTE Electronics panel to setup a semi-government, semi-private Applied R&D Institute which would operate as a contract R&D Institute. By vying for R&D contracts from government and the private sector, this R&D institute should be able to pay its researchers at private sector rates," he said.

In the end, Angara called for more private-public partnerships in R&D, saying that while academe may have the theoretical expertise, sometimes it is industry that has the practical knowledge and even the expensive equipment.

"We have never had a Manhattan Project or a Man on the Moon project, a scientific project which catalyzed all sectors of society to rally together. To do that, the vision should be something that solves a problem that affects everyone. It might be the eradication of tuberculosis, or the computerization of elections, or others that people can relate with," Angara said.

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