The Philippines government is challenging local information technology companies to further boost their research and development efforts in producing locally-made IT products to enable them to become more globally competitive and thereby improve the country?s dismal ranking in the World Economic Forum?s 2004-2005 Global Information Technology Report.
Speaking at the 2nd PC World Philippines Annual Awards held last week, Department of Science and Technology (DOST) undersecretary for research and development Dr. Rogelio A. Panlasigui said the country?s 67th place in the global ranking confirms the low level of science and technology investments in the country. He hopes to one day see locally-developed or designed products as among the recipients of the PC World Philippines Annual Awards.
?We need to develop the entrepreneurial culture in the Philippines that fosters the creation of new and innovative business ventures,? said Panlasigui. ?By all indications, information and communications technology will remain a vital force and key enabler of the 21st century along side other revolutionary technologies like biotechnology and nanotechnology.?
While the country has relatively advanced in terms of high-level ICT infrastructure and services, Panlasigui lamented that these are concentrated in only a few cities and regions. Filipinos living in the rural areas do not have access to these services, he said. ?Clearly, there is disparity in the diffusion and utilization of ICT in the country,? he stressed, noting that the quality of science and mathematics education, the level of innovation, and extent of delivery of services using ICT continue to be major issues confronting the country. ?Like most countries, we need to build up our infrastructure, expertise, policy framework, organizational and incentive structure to increase our capacity for applying science and technology in wealth creation,? he said.
S&T Interventions for ICT
DOST, through its various agencies like the Philippine Council for Advanced Science and Technology Research and Development (PCASTRD), the Advanced Science and Technology Institute (ASTI), and Science Education Institute (SEI), have not wavered in its IT development agenda by pursuing its ongoing programs to fund and undertake researches in areas relevant to ICT, Panlasigui said.
The ultimate objective of the country?s official S&T roadmap, the National Science and Technology Plan (NSTP), is to create a robust and dynamic national innovation system that is able to innovate, adopt and generate technologies, he pointed out. ?Our agencies, particularly PCASTRD, continue to provide funding support to beef up R&D in Internet technology, software engineering and ICT-related areas such as microelectronics and materials science,? Panlasigui said. He disclosed that a 4.8-million peso (US$88,000) grant was recently approved to set up a high performance computing laboratory at the Computational Science Research Center of the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City. The device fabrication laboratory at UP Diliman?s National Institute of Physics was also established with substantial funding support from DOST, he added.
In terms of human resource development, Panlasigui said DOST agencies provide scholarships from the undergraduate to the graduate levels in computer science, IT, microelectronics and other relevant fields.
Radical Changes
?Propelling the ICT industry towards global competitiveness is a challenge that both the government and private sector should address hand in hand,? said Panlasigui.
Developing the Philippines as a source of globally competitive products and services would entail radical changes and massive intervention not only in science and technology infrastructure but also in the economic, social, and even political structures, he pointed out, saying that the private sector has a greater stake in realizing this goal.
?We, therefore, encourage you to partner with government and academic institutions in collaborative undertakings related to research, human resource development, technology transfer and advocacy activities,? Panlasigui said.