SENATOR Alan Peter Cayetano on Monday made a push for research and development (R&D) in the country, saying this will be “the key to creating more jobs in the country and lifting millions of our fellow Filipinos out of poverty.”

At the September 5, 2022, organizational meeting of the Committee on Science and Technology which he chairs, Cayetano said: “We need to solve our country’s problems with knowledge and the right values.”

He cited Article 14 Section 10 of the 1987 Constitution, which says science and technology “are essential for national development and progress” and that the State “shall give priority to research and development, invention, innovation, and their utilization; and to science and technology education, training, and services.”

“Knowledge and wisdom are key to our country’s progress and development. Research and development are what drives innovation, and sadly doon tayo nagkukulang ngayon,” he said.

A closer look shows that the country spends only 0.2% of GDP (gross domestic product) on research and development. “This is very low, compared to the 1.8% of GDP of Singapore and the 1% of GDP of Thailand and Vietnam. Take note, these countries outperform us in terms of manufacturing growth,” he said.

Cayetano cited the innovation powerhouses of the world – the United States (3.45% of GDP), South Korea (4.81% of GDP), Japan (3.26% of GDP), China (2.40% of GDP), and Israel (5.44% of GDP), to name a few – and said these countries pour a big chunk of their resources to research and development.

Cayetano lamented the Philippines’ low ranking in the Global Innovation Index 2021 report published yearly by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), which showed the Philippines in 51st place out of 132 economies.

“This means we are mediocre in terms of innovation. The good news is we are efficient in translating innovation investment into innovation output, and in that aspect, we are in league with countries like China, India, Vietnam, and Turkey,” he said.

Cayetano said one of the factors that set back science and technology in the country is the lack of researchers at only 174 per million population – far below the plan of the Department of Science and Technology to reach 300 researchers per million population in 2022.

He said according to data from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics in 2018, the Philippines lagged behind neighboring ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries like Singapore, which had 6,824 researchers per million; Malaysia, which had 2,184 researchers per million; and Thailand, which had 1,758 researchers per million.

Another problem facing the DOST (Department of Science and Technology) is the decrease in its proposed budget of P44.173 billion down to P24.064 billion in the 2023 National Expenditure Program. He added that the programmed budget for 2023 is also lower than what was appropriated in the 2022 General Appropriations Act (GAA), which is P24.268 billion.

“Nahuhuli na nga tayo among our peers dito sa Southeast Asia, binabarat pa natin yung budget ng DOST. No wonder we are lagging in terms of innovation,” Cayetano said.

“A focus on science and technology is what takes countries into the 21st century. Innovation translates to bigger and more efficient manufacturing and tech industries, generating more jobs and lifting all other sectors in the economy,” he added.