The discussion thread in the Philippine Association of Marine Science Yahoo group has become interesting and has got the attention of the larger Filipino science community, at home and in diaspora. It first started when Professor Flor Lacanilao started about a few years back on what ails Philippine Science. While we may think that it is largely the lack of resources, Prof Lacanilao says it’s more than that. It is political. The politics is from the university committee level (like the one the decides who gets academic tenure or not), to the department level (which allocates scarce resources and recommends promotions), the college (which confirms the recommendations), the university administration (which approves the promotion), to the Department of Science and Technology (which gives the grants), the National Academy of Science and Technology or NAST (which advises the President in conferring national awards) and ultimately ends with the President (who approves the awards).
Professor Lacanilao contends that “non-scientists” get recognized in this he means the science academics who don’t publish (which implies they hardly do research) get appointed to the national academy and get the awards. This according to Lacanilao is contrary to universal acceptance of science meritocracy that characterizes developed economies . Scientists are promoted on the basis of their research productivity. The more productive get the grants and then get the awards.
We have read or heard the clear fact that science investments correlate to how advanced the national economy is. This has been the subject of numerous presentations by UP Science Dean Caesar Saloma to various fora, including congressional and Senate hearings. Investments have to be made to science education (especially at university and postgraduate levels), science infrastructure and science policy. Our science investment in terms of percent GDP has declined from 0.15 (when GMA began her presidency) to 0.12 in 2008. President Macapagal-Arroyo may be lauded for setting the right priorities for that 0.12-0.15%. We have 1 scientist for 7978 Filipinos compared to 1 in 2248 Indonesians. Since Indonesia has a much larger population than we have, we can only conclude that the Philippines is producing not enough S&T professionals or are losing them at an alarming rate.
In contrast Japan has 1 in 180, Singapore, 1 in 183, USA 1 in 216, Taiwan 1 in 223 and China at 1 in 180.
Germany has the highest science PhD to population ratio 1 PhD to 3316 Germans. If the Philippines has to play catch up then it needs 26,508 practicing science PhDs. DOST says we just have 1374 in the country.
The key to economic advancement with respect to S&T development, according to Saloma is in four points
1. Mature venture-capital industry, 2. Close relations between universities and industry 3. Willingness of consumers to try new products 4. Open immigration policy
This requires that we have a science policy which the politicians understand and this is so tied up with a lack of meritocracy that Lacanilao bewails.
We cannot expect the President of the Philippines to be a scientist. But we should expect the him/her to be adequately advised on S&T and he/she should be aware that S&T is needed in advancing the economy. We have had lawyers,general officers, an engineer, a PhD in Economics, a homemaker and an actor in the job. While the educational preparation of these men and women were not lacking in basic science literacy, some of the presidents were quite informed and some were not. An example of the President that had a keen interest in the nascent Philippine science effort is Manuel Quezon, who supported the American-founded Bureau of Science. Now under Filipino hands, Quezon directed the bureau to develop local technologies for health and agricultural development. The 1930s Philippine Journal of Science documents how this Quezon directed science policy went. Were it not for the Japanese invasion, Philippine science would have developed at par with Japan’s and a nationalist industrialization program may have really taken off. The Japanese occupation derailed this effort but even then the Laurel occupation presidency’s science policy also proceeded along the same lines as Quezon’s but with obvious war dictated priorities.
The Philippines emerged from the war with its science infrastructure totally destroyed. While these can be replaced, what was irreplaceable were Filipino scientists who were killed. Eminent physician Dr Candido Africa is an example. He developed a range of diagnostic tests in medicine. Another example is Dr Fe del Mundo’s chemist-brother Salvador, who was a pioneer in materials science, having fabricated locally sourced ceramic prosthetics in line with Quezon’s policy. He was massacred by the Japanese. Dr Fe del Mundo, a National Scientist, who at 98 is still with us is the last living example of Quezon’s investment in science. After the war, our science effort went hand in hand with America’s Cold War effort. The 1950s Philippine Journal of Science documents our interest in things nuclear.
The Philippines was never a science lagging country. But the policies of the post 1946 Philippines contributed to its decline.
Lacanilao’s peeve is that the people that advise the President are not doing research themselves and thus have little to contribute. He zeroes in on the NAST, which is mandated by law to advise the President on S&T matters and policy.
Now he brings up the issue that a scientist partylist group AGHAM is running in the 2010 elections but is headed by a non-scientist.
The question is whether AGHAM can bring up to Congress concerns on science. The main constraint is that the science community is so small and hardly makes a political ripple. Scientists will have to work with non-scientists who they hope can articulate their concerns. The irony of it all is that Science is not a peripheral issue in the national life, but one of those in the center. If we value economic advancement, then we should value the importance of science and technology. In order to boost S&T’s role in reducing poverty, a science policy can be designed with programs that can result in high value and high edge technologies that can be produced locally. This is what Brazil, Mexico and China did.
The first dean of the UP College of Science, Dr Roger Posadas compares the government investment driven “science push” approach and the private investment driven “market pull” approach. Posadas contends that this technoliberal approach has retarded S&T development in the Philippines. Our local companies are comfortable in importing technologies and reduced competitiveness. This policy started with the Cory Aquino administration. The Aquino administration fell in with the technoliberal paradigm as a likely reaction to the technonationalist policies of the Marcos administration, despite how ridiculously low tech that was. (It was during the Marcos administration that NSDB then NSTA focused on low technology science. During the Aquino presidency the NSTA became DOST but wags called it still “Department of Suka and Toyo”)
These are some of the issues that NONE OF THE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES have ever said anything about. The closest candidate which has said something near these is Gibo piloting his CGI jetplane. Now he should fly a Pinoy made jetplane to prove we have really taken off and caught up with Brazil.
The Philippines cannot be saved without Science. Without science our graduates will find only work imitating all sorts of foreign accents in the wee hours of the morning!
I don’t see much of a future at all. Almost all our politicians hail that as “progress”!
Popularity: 6% [?]
“We cannot expect the President of the Philippines to be a scientist”
Hopefully in the near future we can. Angela Merkel of germany has a PhD in quantum chemistry. The Japanese PM has an Industrial Engineering PhD.
…but then again, it shouldn’t really matter as long as the president takes scientific advice seriously and appoints scientists to the technology portfolios like DENR, DOE, DepEd rather than to retired Generals.
We have a Dismal Science PhD and look where we are now! :-)
As a start, maybe the big 3 (UP, Ateneo, La Salle) should stop offering “part time” and ‘non thesis’ MSc and PhD courses.
Other countries value their Scientists very much. They are the ones who
innovate new products, new technoligies and new trends. Industries
and companies are created and sustained because of them. Jobs are
created because of them.
We Filipinos value too much our Politicians and our Politics. Politics have stagnated us. Politicians stole our tax money. Politicians deceived us. Politicians brought us to the conditions, where we are almost all OFWs. The more the technical brains are migrating to other countries. The more stagnant we become.
Ang puwedeng gawin — to dumb-down the educational system of Pilipinas. Dumb-down is probably not the correct word, but the thought is to only teach the skills that are needed by Filipinos in Pilipinas. Like who needs to teach nuclear physics to Pilipinos when what is needed more will be truck drivers and Tagalog teachers?
Filipino survey scientists/ Filipino statisticians/social research scientists are held in the highest regards by Filipinos in Pilipinas.
True or false?
Filipinos in Pilipinas consider any scientist working for the Philippine government to be exemplary and worthy to be emulated.
True or false?
Just a question, is it necessary for the Philippines to have a more advanced level of industrialization and an agricultural revolution of sorts for a market for technological innovations?
Agree, pre-WWII was also the great age of Filpino historical and literary research. The awits and coridas, poetry (including colleciton of ancient Tagalog poetry), the dictionaries in the vernacular, Spanish and English, the balarilas, the bible translations, the novels and biographies, historical events and political discourse, etc., just to name some. I was atounded to read from Eufronio Alip’s Philippine history that Filipinos are descendants of a people from an ancient Peruvian civilization. A similar claim was made by an early Spanish writer, Martinez de Zuniga. The deformed skulls, a product of binding practiced in ancient Peru, that were later excavated in several sites in the islands and were similarly found in the Easter, Hibredes, Hawaii, micronesian group, polynesian islands and all the way down to Celebes, seem to indicate that the ancient travellers sailed from South America westward, following the direction of the prevailing winds, the same route Magellan took in coming to the Philippines. Well… still too many questions to ask from science and too few answers to have.
maybe gibo should just float in the air…just like this man…
I remember quantitative analysis chemistry as an undergraduate in college, the rigorous discipline of breaking down a substance to discover what it consists of. Science is a marvelous road to discovery, and from that, application. We blog because the US and Russia got into a space race.
Is the Philippines behind in science because science does not fit Filipinos or Filipinos don’t fit science, where science is the discipline of discovery and application? It is a question that tugs at my mind.
Joe
I believe we have the knack for Science, its just not being pursued nor it has a strong foundation. I guess the priority these days is either to have a decent food on the table or acquire wealth as much as possible..the country is f**k really…
Joe: The question is easier to deal with when approached from the “to hire or not to hire” angle. To me, Filipinos are behind in science (are less attractive for hiring purposes) because the schools are underfunded. Whenever faced with a choice between hiring a Univ-Philippines or Ateneo or any Philippine university graduate (even if he is the son of a Nestle executive or an American embassy staff member) and a graduate of a USA college or university (even if he is from Bangladesh or Tanganyika), then I will go for the USA graduate (or a UK or Australia graduate). Reason is simple — I like graduates from colleges and universities with better facilities — better laboratories, better computers, better test equipment. To me, Philippine university graduates will need at least 2 months to bring up to USA-level their skills with equipment and work procedures and protocol.
Science fits Filipinos: Examples : Jose Rizal, Antonio Luna, Anacleto del Rosario, Amador Muriel!
Ravi, blackshama,
I rather suspected that. The “system” suppresses more active development, same as in general business, methinks.
Up n with an extra n,
Yes, I don’t understand why the goal is not set to be globally competitive in education. Even primary schools lag behind. I suppose money has a lot to do with it. Maybe “magnet” schools for the best of the best would be a start.
Joe
Pilipinas science public education dreams of, but does not have a goal to be globally competitive in education. Pilipinas science education is underfunded because the public education sector is underfunded. The “puwede na” mentality comes into play — the students will get by with one desktop computer for every 8 students, they should be thankful that the ratio is not one desktop for every 50 students.
Money and budget. Flow Galindez blogpost mentions that in the Estrada administration, education was 18.70% of the budget. Now education’s share has decreased to 15.05%.
By the way, there is a “cultural issue” with magnet schools, namely that magnet schools are elitist.
Joe,
The role of Philippine universities is for passing exams and getting one qualified for employment).
This is the case because we are overpopulated.So the universities merely exist for social mobility.
Nash,
Interesting. That makes sense from what I see, in general. Although I suppose there are exceptions among the student body, those who want to be smarter, wiser, and deeper, as well as productive.
And the key question is, how to motivate more young people to aspire to more.
Joe
I’m sure there are lots Joe rather than being the exception.
Sadly, Economics takes precedence. There aren’t a lot of schemes in the Philippines for full time graduate study for example.
You can’t be smarter, wiser, and deeper on an empty stomach. One could of course be a poet. :D
Joe,
have you heard of the recent Filipino scientist who can make fish sleep? During sleep the fish can breathe without water. It is now being used to transfer fish without using heavy aquatic tanks.
I had a friend who was finishing a PhD in electrical engineering. He was a very smart fellow so I expected him to settle here in Canada or in the States since he was collaborating with an American university. He replied to me that he will be going back to India to teach and upgrade the education of Indian youth especially in Math. I thought he had a very laudable goal which he fulfilled when he went back to his homeland two years ago. I wonder if we who have benefitted from first world education and with western experience can follow that example once we are able to.
You should go where-ever you are HAPPIEST and wherever you CAN BE a productive member of society. The net effect will positive.
It’s not a question of staying here, going there, or patriotism. What point is a jobless patriotic man with a PhD for example?
I am sure he is happy with his choice and that there is room for his PhD in India. In the Phil. one can volunteer or even work as a math or science teacher. I admire his giving back and doing what he thinks is best for his country.
Nice thought, nice article – but Jesus is coming to save us, so why the need for science?
Instead, we should focus on call-centering or shooting balls on hoops or creating more loveteams.
We don’t need science since we have Apollo Quiboloy, Mike Velarde and his inverted umbrellas, the CBCP, INC etc!
…don’t forget Chiz “Boy Laway” Escudero. Maybe he will be DepEd secretary one day and implement his ‘brilliat’ ideas on education reform.
well, some of these people are involve in the science of biblical interpretation(s).
Call centers are dream destroyers, GMA shouldn’t have supported the BPO sector or anything that just settles the short-term needs of the people.
Making science work for national development is, at bottom, not merely increasing our per capita Phd holders. While it could be a useful index of our level of scientific development, the real work lies in building a scientific culture.
Teaching Science in the hinterlands, for instance, can be quite challenging when there is a seeming mismatch between bookish knowledge and local practices. It is futile to tell a child that germs make him sick when the local albularyo tells him otherwise (and then goes on to treats him with mumbojumbo that might work psychosomatically or with herbs that actually do the trick). It might be better if our basic science education is more attuned to the learners’ environs.
In basketball, you first teach the fundamentals. Nothing different with science.
i have a humble suggestion about science education…
you know what turned me off about science? i didnt know what scientists did! on the otherhand, being an “executive” or a doctor or lawyer — every kid knows how that works…
what about talks from real scientists/mathematicians/engineers for young kids around the country, where they explain what scientists do, and why its cool, exciting and fun!
We are trying to do exactly just that. Our science colleges should have a prof who has a “public face of science” appointment. These profs should have teaching credits on just doing that, explaining to the public especially the young, what scientists do.
One option for Pinas scientists is to ultimately be President of Pilipinas. One may have to spend several years working abroad, though. Egypt’s Mohammed ElBaradei is showing how to do it.
CAIRO – Respected worldwide, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize and for 12 years the leader of the U.N. nuclear watchdog, Mohammed ElBaradei is positioning himself as a force for change in his homeland.
He has already said he might run for president of Egypt, and now he’s forming a coalition to press for free and fair elections in a land ruled for nearly 30 years by President Hosni Mubarak.
Habang higit pa sa kalahati ng badyet ang nilalaan pambayad sa utang ng Pilipinas, saka na muna isipin ang agham. Hanggang maari, maki-ambos na lang muna tayo sa mga nagawa na ng ibang nasyon. Pagukulan natin ng higit na pansin ang kalunos-lunos na katayuan “elementary” at “high school”.
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