Saturday, September 29, 2007 DOST hopes for higher R&D budget by 2008 By Grace L. Plata
THE meager funding for science and technology research and development in the country is expected to increase come 2008.
From the current .14 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP), which is the current allocation for scientific research, the allocation would increase to about .30 percent, said Science and Technology Secretary Estrella Alabastro.
"We are aiming for budget increase that is commensurate to the economic growth of the country," Alabastro said in a press conference at the Royal Mandaya Hotel Friday.
Budget has always been one of the main concerns of the department as there is not enough support for the development of the scientific community.
In an earlier interview, former UP-Los Baños chancellor Ruben Villareal said the Philippines is second only to Indonesia in terms of having the lowest budget for science and technology in the Asean region.
Villareal said the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) recommends that the allocation for science and technology should be one percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
In the Philippines, however, there is only a .14 percent allocation while Indonesia has .05 percent allocation.
Villareal said this is a far cry from other nations that allocate about two to three percent of their GDP to fund researches and help local scientists get patents for their inventions.
During the Marcos time, there was .35 percent allocation but Villareal said it has decreased through time since technology pursuits are now viewed to be the concern of the private sector.
Hence, the government only has a 30 percent share in science and technology expenditures while the private sector shoulders 70 percent.
He added that the increase in the allocation will not only mean funding for research but a part of it will be poured in the education sector, specifically in high school, to provide venues for budding scientists to develop their ideas.
