President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will go down in history as the only Malacanang tenant to seriously consider the importance of investing in big scale science infrastructure. While previous presidents have paid lip service to the importance of science, their words did not match the budget appropriations, until Gloria came around.
Gloria has issued an executive order creating a national science complex at University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman. While the idea of a science complex/campus had been floated as early as the 1970s it became a distinct possibility in 1983, when the UP’s science college was established, But it was only during the latter half of the Aquino and Ramos presidency when buildings were constructed. However the complex was left unfinished as budget allocations were small. During the Erap presidency science took a backseat. In the Arroyo presidency, the complex was allocated 3 B PhP.
The money has been spent in completing the physics and math buildings, erect the chemistry, biology, molecular biology, environmental science and science administration buildings. The money also allowed for the completion of the road network to service these buildings. These buildings form the important core of basic science disciplines that hopefully can let the country play catch up with Asian countries with respect to science. The only thing missing in this complex is a medical sciences institute. Medicine if it ever can contribute to and benefit from Philippine science should be integrated with the NSC as the case in top universities overseas. Unfortunately the organizational structure of UP leaves the medical sciences in UP Manila.
However, once more former UP Visayas chancellor and Professor of Marine Sciences Flor Lacanilao sheds light on another problem that has hardly little to do with science infrastructure but more on science manpower. But before we go into the negatives, let us dwell on the positives first. UP and the top universities in the country has largely realized that real academic reform lies with promoting research and publication. The benefits of these will filter down to state of the art teaching thereby improving the main function of a university. But as Lacanilao writes, there are counter-productive processes in universities that may make the multi-billion peso investment in science infrastructure redundant. This I believe is largely cultural. For instance, the doctoral degree is still seen as the culmination of a research career whilst in reality, this is the basic qualification. Research performance is best measured in the number of papers published and citation indexes. But in many Philippine universities these measures are not often used.
Another problem that hampers science development in the Philippines is the lack of good research mentors. This has been often raised by UP science dean Prof. Caesar Saloma. The only cure for this problem is to promote and give incentive to research and research faculty members as based on merit and not on seniority.
However a science or in more general terms academic, meritocracy will require a paradigm shift Philippine universities. In the Philippines we hear of people WANTING to be chair, but in overseas universities, people AVOID the Chairmanship like the plague. Administrative duties take time from research and research is the way that promotions are measured. But unfortunately someone has to be the chair!
I hate the misuse of the term ‘ecology” in deciding faculty appointments. The appointments in this system are designed not to disturb the “ecology” of positions in a department. In this culture, seniority is the main criterion in promotions and tenure. In a meritocracy, there are measurable indices for assessing academic performance.
Lacanilao suggests that UP focuses more on graduate training rather than undergraduate training. But this is not good politics and won’t be bought by Congress (or the Parliament after 2010!). What UP can do is to develop certain campuses as graduate campuses (presumbably the NSC will become this) while other campuses can be developed as centers of undergraduate training. But it has to be considered that excellent graduate training is synergistic with excellent undergraduate training. It is obvious that good talent comes from the undergraduate sector. The promising talents need to be identified at the undergrad level and be encouraged to go into graduate school.
The idea that UP focuses on graduate teaching and research and let other universities focus on undergraduate teaching isn’t new. In 1947, Professor Bartlett of Michigan gave a speech to convocation at UP precisely suggesting this path. On a lighter note, Bartlett predicted we would have too many lawyers and the country would be a basket case.
On a related note, some scientists many of them alums of the Philippine Science High School (PSHS) have suggested to DOST that it should get out of the basic education business and phase out PSHS and spend the millions for undergrad scholarships or graduate scholarships. Their reason is that many Pisay grads don’t go into the sciences. But again that proposal is bad politics for DOST and for local politicians. Congresspeople want a Pisay campus in their district in the same way that some Senators want a UP campus or a state U in their home region. Thus we have a PSHS system with campuses in the major regions of the country. On a visit to one of them, while the PSHS does train gifted kids, I was shocked that many of the lab equipment weren’t up to date. Perhaps the Pisay alum-scientists do have a point.
However their proposal of putting the money into undergrad and grad scholarships is questionable. DOST has heaps of cash for scholarships and practically on its knees to beg students to apply. There are few takers. I kick the butt of my students just to make them lodge an application! Science is an unttractive career since students perceive it as “hard”. Is it because our educational system rewards the easy way out with the usual honors?
The Philippines still lacks scientists. While we have more PhDs now than 30 years ago, we still have not developed critical mass in many of the disciplines. This hinders development of more scientists. Most of the PhDs are lone experts.
Bartlett’s fears have come to pass. This country has produced and continues to produce too many lawyers and too few scientists and technologists. This is a disaster of great proportions!
Popularity: 1% [?]
The result of Gloria Arroyo’s investments will only be judged by
their results. Most of the developed countries rely on private
funded research facilities. For researches in Sciences and Arts.
Their government is only a recipient of these researches.
Research and Development are very important for any company to survive in the competetive world of business. General Dynamics, Microsoft Corp., Ford Motor Company, General Motor Corporation, McDonnel Douglas Corporation, etc…those Fortune one hundred corporations have their own Reaserch and Development Facilities. Rarely any government facilitity…except the UFO Research Center called Area 47 in the desert in the State of Nevada, U.S.A. Government researching for UFO Advance Technology.
We dont know if the Philippine government program will work. It remains to be seen.
We have a lot of filipinos who worked in applied sciences abroad who are retiring. Can they be harnessed in volunteering as visiting instructors in these schools? They can be a great source of knowledge as well as their contacts abroad could be utilized.
the DOST has a Balik-Scientist program- check it out.
Thanks Bong I will check it out. I have met similar people who has expressed the same interest in going home to tour but also to have some meaningful contribution to our society and this could be one of them.
We would like to. However, we earn more U.S. Dollahs here as Consultants.
Philippine government, whoever in power can be helped by us
thru the Web Blog Posts. If they care to listen. We are not selfish
to share our opinions and viewpoints.
Hello, I agree with many of your points here and made some more comments that might be of interest, based on my experience as a scientific researcher in the Philippines, here: http://allistersanchez.blogspot.com/2009/07/comments-on-future-of-philippine.html
this is one kind of post that runs against the usual grain of this blog. rare, indeed, is recognition of the president’s positive achievements and initiatives to ever see the light of day in philippine blogs such as this. it seems that if one wants to get fiendish accolades from the sidelines, one has to throw invectives at the president, or hurl unfair criticisms at her, no matter how ludicrous and imbecilic.
the initiatives and projects of the government under gma’s watch may not have resulted in instant results and gratification. it was a season for planting. what she sowed will bear fruit in the future and there will be time for harvest. only then will her true worth be recognized by those who will come after us.
Sometimes you plant on the wrong soil and spot. What you get are
stunted growths, or worse weeds. Planting does not assure a good
harvest always…
so you are never gonna plant, toro, because you cannot be sure of a good harvest? think, man, think!
We dont think…We meditate for answers…our subconcious minds are
a good problem solvers. We will give the answer, when Gloria
Arroyo is gone. If the new President will care to listen. This
is our condition. Gone first, then we help. we dont help if she is
still there terrorizing our people.
who are “we”? and who appointed you spokesman for them?
What UP can do is to develop certain campuses as graduate campuses (presumbably the NSC will become this) while other campuses can be developed as centers of undergraduate training.
I am a junior faculty member of the Institute of Mathematics in UP Diliman. I want to mention the fact that our Institute caters to ALL the students of UP Diliman (even the humanities and the social-science courses need an RGEP course in the Math, Science and Technology cluster, and usually they take Math 2). Most of us get around 12 units of teaching load (4 classes of 3-unit courses), sometimes reaching 15 units (3 classes of 5-unit courses). You can just imagine the number of bluebooks we have to correct (and these are not multiple-choice exams!), and yet we are also enrolled in graduate courses. Some of us are even given administrative load (chair for the midterm or final exam, course coordinators, program advisers, etc.) We do what we can, but sometimes we can’t help but sacrifice our graduate studies to do well in our teaching, or vice-versa.
The way I see it, the proposal to develop UP Diliman as a “graduate campus” would mean that the junior faculty should concentrate on obtaining graduate degrees. But with our current teaching load, it would be difficult to achieve this. If the teaching load is reduced, who else would take the teaching load? And don’t forget the students who take their math courses at least N times (where N is a sufficiently large integer), further stretching the teaching resources of our Institute.
totoo tina, mahirap nga. i’m sure sa math, mas mahirap pa
At least this is one thing the current government does right, though more has to be done.
Too many lawyers… makes me laugh… haha… though it’s really no laughing matter. I guess the lack of scientists is more like a symptom of the lack of intellectuality the Philippines has.
The able Filipino Scientists are all lured to work in foreign
companies. Good pay, good benefits, good future of their children.
All left in the country are Lawyers debating among themselves:
What in the Hell has happened? Give these people a good kick in
their asses…it is what they deserve!
scientists are not the only “intellectuals”.
We have brains that move civilizations.
It appears that the Philippine approach to research is fueled mainly by government.
I think this needs a lot of rethinking.
The Philippine academe seems to have a hesitation to partner with private corporations which have the deep pockets needed to conduct R&D.
imho, most of the Philippine universities have swallowed the line that education and the business sector don’t mix – as if academe-business linkages were taboo. thus we end up producing unemployable graduates for the reason that their degrees are out-of-sync with the needs of industry.
.
we need investor-capitalists in businesses that would utilize the services and knowhow of our homegrown scientists. too much reliance on government is not the way to go.
The Phil. government can give attractive tax breaks to alumni and private corporations who donate. Other sources of funds could be the United Nation, trading-partners etc.
but who are you, blackshama, to address your president by her first name? if you are a teacher, is this the kind of decorum and civility you teach your students? does it make you feel big by cutting down our chief executive, the symbol of our country, to your level. i bet, you wouldn’t like being addressed by your student by your fist name (whatever that is) in or out of the classroom. i can understand an ignorant tricycle driver doing that but you – a self-confessed professor from u.p.? oh, i see. you’re just doing what every run-of-the-mill political adversary of the president does, right?
If you want to know who I am. First of all I am a taxpayer.
The President may be called by her first name and taxpayers like you and I have the right to do so since the tax BIR withholds from our pay and the 12% VAT I pay each time I buy almost anything, pays for her salary, foreign trips, her Palace etc.
The bottom line is that the taxpayer is the president’s boss and employer.The taxpayer can address her anyway he/she wants unless that is insulting to her office and person. I do believe that calling her by her first name is hardly insulting given the context I used it.
In science progressive countries like Australia, Canada and the USA, professors may indeed be called by their first name if so desired by the professors unless this would not be respecting professional courtesy. Let us say the student and I are in a sinking boat, would I expect him/her to address me by my full title when handing me a pail to bail out water? This has happened to us in Batangas.
As Thomas More once quipped, “We cannot stand on our office.” By this Saint Thomas More, patron of lawyers and politicians like Mrs Arroyo, means that people like him ARE ON A TEMPORARY APPOINTMENT. This is something Gloria should reflect on as she enters her final year in office.
BTW Her Excellency is an academic. And I am also. Academic culture is that we are equal and if she were in my department, I would call her Gloria, except in convocation, where academics are supposed to be formal. And if I were to cut her down, I would cut her down in the realm of ideas and performance. While she has indeed have questionable decisions as President, I have to laud her on her clear decision to advance the sciences in this country.
we’re in a sinking boat, literally? perhaps you mean figuratively, in which case i don’t know if what u said follows.
i believe the President is also a tax payer.
@ Bencard
Is it illegal to address the president by her first name?
@ Liam
Please explain.
The vision of a National Science Complex based in UP Diliman even if the medical sciences component is found in UP Manila is, by and large, deemed already met infrastructure-wise, or why the P3 billion infusion from GMA that now houses the various colleges or institutes dealing with the core of basic science disciplines?
Are you saying blackshama that more than just the infrastructure, what completes the menu is development in terms of science manpower? This means you are proposing a ‘package of incentives” for faculty development, promotion, indices of academic performance and the like?
Or should we rather make the House of Representatives your prototypical “National Law Complex”, based in Batasan Pambansa since we produce more lawyers than scientists?
@Liam,
Who’s saying that? LOL
oops, sorry, i clicked on the wrong link LOL
it is teachers like you who promote this kind of thinking on the youth. shame. and i wouldn’t be surprised if your own children call you by your first name.
btw, you, as an individual taxpayer, is not the president’s “employer”. i bet your entire salary is not enough to compensate her. the people, as a whole, is the employer, and you are not the “people”. the president represents the entire people, and if you respect the people you ought to respect the president. and don’t give me that “illegitimate” crap.
This kind of thinking is what’s shameful. What’s wrong with calling the President by her first name? The act alone humanizes her, reminding us that she’s not perfect, just as we are not perfect. It also reminds us that she has feelings too. “Gloria” is therefore more humane than “Madame President”.
This country has too much emphasis on titles — Honorable Mayor, Congressman, and what not. We forgot what those designations are for. But then again, titles are not the issue. accountability is what this country lacks. And Gloria swore to be accountable to every single Filipino citizen.
i suppose you are either a “teacher” or a student of a teacher like the author of this blogpost. i’ve said my piece. case closed, unless somebody else wants to weigh in on this subject.
@allister
its about respect for the office. so we call the holder/official, Mr/Mrs President. the holder is, of course, human. but the position, is in a sense, not.
@ben
we should discuss these things further coz i think this is something we can all agree with after we’ve explained what our positions are. agree?
but of course, gabbyd. it seems to me that the writer of this post would likely be careful addressing his immediate boss “dean so and so” (in or out of the school). whether one likes it or not, this is the president of our country we are talking about – not some subordinate or peer. in more polite and civil societies, officeholders are accorded the respect and deference that their office deserves, regardless of the unpopularity of the person holding it. and teachers are the least we expect to be irreverent and impolite. what kind of citizens can we expect to have when they are mentored in school by teachers who don’t believe in common courtesies? no wonder we have a lot of uncivil “civil societies”.
@bencard,
well, i was a teacher. but now i’m not. when i was a teacher i’ve realized that this excessive amount of “respect” is acceptable in the classroom but is not good for a research environment. i can’t count the number of times a student withholds a good idea just because “sir” said it was bad. this deferential behavior can seriously hinder an free exchange of ideas between students and mentors.
again, this issue of how to address the president is not really worth discussing much. of course when in her presence i will gladly call her madame president. but when writing on a blog, it is well within my (and anybody’s) right to call her by her first name.
@gabbyd,
the position of president is NOT human? excuse me. since when is a president not human?
allister, i’m glad you said you’re a former teacher. now i see where you’re coming from.
how can you say a student would withhold a good idea just because “sir” said it’s bad, even before the latter is told about it? btw, if you think this “issue” is not worth discussing about, how come you’re in it?
@allister
yes, the presidency is an institution. its bigger than being a private person. same for being a professor, justice, etc…
the holder of the office is a person of course.
@bencard,
let me illustrate. a research student has the beginnings of a good idea, but still needs a bit more of exploration. so he asks “sir” what if he tries this idea? the lab having meager resources and the idea being unconventional, “sir” said “no, it won’t work. you better work on something else”. student says ok, and drops the idea. a few years later, the idea turns out to be rather promising.
this is not a big issue in the case where the student is more adamant and is willing to defend his idea. but often in a pinoy setting, the student kind of self-censors himself just to avoid conflict with his superior. the excessive deference to an authoritative figure therefore impeded the exchange of good ideas, and i’ve seen this played out many times.
a good day to everyone in this blog, btw :-)
Isn’t it a bit presumptuous to posit that someone is giving someone excessive deference if they call them by their title?
a good day to you as well ^_^
@Liam,
I’m not saying that referring to someone by his/her title is excessive deference. I’m just saying that anyone (including blackshama) is entitled to use that person’s real name.
Let me share an American perspective. Back in the late 1950′s and early 1960′s, the US and Russia were at the peak of a cold war competition that led both into space, for the technology it would bring – spy satellites, war rockets, advanced tech thinking and applications. The Russians forged ahead, with their accomplishments shocking America. A very popular and competitive President by the name of Kennedy said, effectively, “Enough of this horseshit. We will go to the moon.”
He then focused the best of American technology on that single-minded goal, and funded it.
The rest now stands as history, and the US is a tech giant.
It seems to me, overlaying my admittedly American bias and naivete, that the Philippines lacks not only good academic and applied scientists — though it sounds like there is an embryonic start — it lacks business and government managers. People who are disciplined and “world class” at what they do: Get results.
I dunno, I think all that is lacking is commitment.
Certainly, investments in these areas would return more “value” to the Philippines than concrete strips through the rice paddies that mainly keep carabao feet dry, judging from the heaping piles of dung I must dodge whilst riding my bike down beautiful empty concrete paths.
Joe
Joe:
The Philippines has lots of good academic and applied scientists. The catch is – they are overseas :lol:
And speaking of “world-class” Pinoy talent – they have been hired by overseas companies who recognize top
They can’t live off on the dirt cheap wages being paid to applied scientists. Case in point, I remember my genetics teacher who also happened to be the dean of the Natural Sciences department in a school down south. She left for a professorial post in Cali – in genetics.
Then there’s the IPR clime, Pinoy scientist’s inventions wind up being raided and copyrighted by someone else other than the scientist.
Science, health, and education – the things that matter most – are relegated to the backburner in favor of big-ticket infrastructure spending because the kickbacks are bigger.
BongV,
Thanks for the perspective on this. It’s the economy, economy, economy. Sooooo thin. And lack of law-discipline, re copyrights. Not the capabilities. I have always been impressed with the breadth and dedication to education here. And have always wondered about the depth. So the talent emerges, and then goes to find the opportunities . . . globally . . .
Joe
Joe:
Absolutely – there’s a lot of top-notch Pinoy talent out there – in FL alone (on top of the nurses) you have animators in Disney; scientists in NASA; free way planners and designers; Solid Waste Planners and Managers; Airport engineers; Primary Care Physicians; Health Informatics professionals; Supply Chain Management Professionals; Geneticists. I can go on and on.
The common theme is their talents were unrewarded in the Philippines – and they were headhunted. Today, they are helping America maintain its technological superiority while the Philippines eats dust.
Can you imagine what these people can do for the Philippines? But, as the truism goes, prophets are never respected in their hometowns – to the delight of countries overseas. Patriotism is cool, but the stomach comes first :lol:
I dunno if the name Frank Reyes rings a bell – he was the lead artist who drew Tarzan, Arik Khan , and Conan comics among others. His work is also in Mulan and Lion King. A very unassuming Pinoy in Orlando, FL. Makes me wonder what his career would be like if he stayed in the PI – he’ll be stuck drawing still-life charcoal portraits and selling it for a measly amount in Recto or Divisoria.
Yes, Bong, I know of Frank Reyes, for sure.
The economy is the reason for the brain drain, and lack of opportunity, I suppose, as the oligarchy you refer to sits at all the plum desks that the ambitious productive people would normally aspire to.
It is hard to remove inertia from a large mass . . .
Need UP n’s elephant gun . . .
Joe
Another thing this reminds me of is that there is a strong attitude of anti-intellectualism in our country. You may be tired of my saying it’s in the culture again, but it sure looks that way. Anti-intellectualism for me has never done any good, and it is a serious problem that needs to be attacked.
there is? who is being anti-intellectual?
I’m not thinking of anyone in particular. It’s just that, I’ve seen people who say that when someone is matalino (intelligent), he should have much money in his pockets or should be rich. Or those who say, “sa sobrang talino, magiging baliw yan,” (with so much intelligence, he can go crazy.” Or people who laugh when they hear you talk about rocket science or philosophy. Or when they hear you talking like that, “mga mayayamang walang pakialam” (rich people who don’t care). I’m sure you may have experienced such things yourself. This seems to be a sign of our country’s masses’ attitude toward intellectuality and science.
How did it emerge though?