RP biz sector lowest in global survey of R&D expenditures

LOS BANOS, Laguna – Here’s another global survey showing the Philippines as a "cellar-dweller."

Of 30 countries in various parts of the world covered, the Philippine business sector was a tail-ender in terms of R&D (research and development) expenditures in agriculture, industry and services.

This is reflected in the Institute for International Management Development (IMD) World Competitiveness Yearbook 2003 published in Switzerland.

Covered were 30 developed and developing countries in Asia and the Pacific, the Middle East, Africa, North and South America and Europe.

"The Philippine business sector was weakest among 30 countries included in the IMD Competitiveness Survey in terms of the sector’s expenditures on R&D," stated a report titled "Gap Analysis and Priorities of the Philippine Research and Development in Agriculture and Natural Resources – A Country Report."

The country report was presented at the APAARI Workshop on Research Needs Assessments for Agricultural Research and Development in Southeast Asia recently held at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Los Baños. APAARI stands for Asia-Pacific Association of Agricultural Research Institutes.

The APAARI conference had the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Agricultural Research (DA-BAR) as host agency. Co-organizers were IRRI and the Los Baños-based Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development (DOST-PCARRD).

Filipino businessmen spent a meager $21 million (about P1.15 billion) for R&D for the year 2001, or 41 percent of the total R&D expenditure of the country, noted the Philippine report, which was presented by Dr. Leah Buendia, acting director of PCARRD’s Planning and Development Division.

This means that the government is spending 59 percent, or a larger chunk of the country’s expenditure, Buendia said.

In great contrast, Thailand spent $125 million; Malaysia, $225 million; India, $860 million; Taiwan, $3.79 billion; China, $7.61 billion; Korea, $9.24 billion; Japan, $100.77 billion; and the United States (top), $209.95 billion.

In terms of country expenditures on R&D, the Philippines also ranked lowest among the 30 nations covered in the IMD survey.

Philippine R&D investment in 2001 was only $51 million. Indonesia poured in $59 million; Thailand, $306 million; Malaysia, $440 million, India, $3.74 billion; Taiwan, $6.06 billion; Korea, $12.48 billion; China $12.59 billion; Japan, $124 billion; and US (top), $282.29 billion.

The Philippines also was a tail-ender in other areas.

The average number of patents granted to residents of the Philippines from 1998 to 2000 was six, ranking the country 28th out of the 30 countries surveyed.