Phl still tailender in R&D expenditures in Asia

MANILA, Philippines -The Philippines continues to lag behind other Asian countries in terms of research and development (R&D) expenditures.

The United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) recommends that the R&D budget for developing countries should be at least 0.3 percent of gross domestic product (GDP).

In 2009, the country’s GDP was about P7.68 trillion. Thus, 0.3 percent would amount to a little over P23 billion.

However, the total budget provided for R&D last year was only P5.382 billion (excluding those allocated to state colleges and universities) or 0.07 percent of GDP, noted Rep. Angelo B. Palmones of party-list AGHAM (Alyansa ng mga Grupong Haligi ng Agham at Teknolohiya para sa Mamamayan).

For the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), its 2009 R&D budget was only P3.269 billion or only 0.04 percent of GDP, reported Palmones.

In a recent privilege speech in Congress, he lamented that the Philippines has remained a “cellar-dweller” in Asia in terms of R&D expenditures.

In 2003, for instance, Singapore spent 2.15 percent of its GDP for R&D while Malaysia allocated 0.69 percent. Even Vietnam surpassed the Philippines in R&D expenditures, utilizing 0.19 percent of its GDP for R&D.

“Clearly,” Palmones stated, “the Philippines in under investing in R&D as has also been observed by the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The only country the Philippines exceeded in gross expenditure for research and development (GERD) was Indonesia.”

The multi-awarded broadcast journalist-lawmaker lamented that the Philippines has the lowest number of R&D personnel workers among selected Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members: only 308 per one million of population.

Singapore had the highest number (19,377) and the highest per million of population (4,613). This was followed by Malaysia (726 R&D personnel workers per million), Vietnam (516), Thailand (493), and Indonesia (445).

One reason for the low level for such personnel is the underinvestment in R&D, Palmones noted.

He added: “There are limited research positions in R&D institutions, universities and even in the private sector. This explains the problem of out-migration of our science workers to more lucrative opportunities beyond our shores.”

Other constraints include inadequate infrastructure for R&D, lack of better RDE (research, development, extension) program coordination, outdated financial management for R&D, and high taxes on the importation of research tools and equipment.

Despite these shortcomings and problems, Filipino researchers and engineers have accomplished much in the service of the country, Palmones pointed out.

For instance, in rice production, from 2000 to 2008 the Philippines achieved the highest growth rate in annual palay yield of 2.75 percent compared to Vietnam (2.44 percent), Thailand (2.11 percent), India (2.07 percent), Indonesia (11.18 percent), and China (0.62 percent).

The increase in palay production has been attributed to R&D on hybrid rice, biotechnology, integrated crop management, and mechanization.

“The problem is,” Palmones stressed, “despite increased rice production, the country still had to import because of the dramatic rise in our population coupled with a marked decline in the farmland area for rice farming.”