A UNIVERSITY of the Philippines (UP) scientist and professor said that by allocating additional budget for research and research facilities in the country will pave the way for more competitive science and technology industries.
UP Mindanao Associate Professor and former College of Science and Mathematics (CSM) dean Annabelle U. Novero said more research facilities can help store and conduct more laboratory tests that could improve the country’s agriculture sector and other sectors.
During a roundtable discussion, Novero said her research on coconuts has already helped Dabawenyo coconut farmers in Davao Oriental, but other provinces can also benefit the study if more research facilities were available.
Novero added procurement processes in acquiring laboratory equipment could also take time before scientists and researchers themselves could use the product.
The same sentiment was shared by UP Professor and Balik-Scientist Jose Ildefonso U. Rubrico.
Rubrico said the rising technology through artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics can definitely help in the country’s disaster and risk-management operation if more researches were funded.
“Through AI and robotics we can help our country more through its monitoring services in times of natural disasters given that we are part of Asia’s typhoon-prone countries,” Rubrico said.
In the last seven years, the Department of Science and Technology’s (DOST) budget has grown four times from P5 billion in 2010 to P20.8 billion in 2017.
The research and development (R&D) budget expanded by nearly six times, from P1 billion in 2009 to P5.8 billion in 2017.
For this year, DOST, as the primary agency for research and development (R&D) in the scientific field, receives a budget of P21.2 billion and around 25 percent is allocated for R&D.
“Allocation of a bigger budget for R&D indicates that any sector/industry in the country could set a direction and impetus towards addressing global demands and challenges,” DOST said in its website.