The Science Education Institute of the Department of Science and Technology (SEI-DOST) will spend P336 million of its budget this year for its graduate scholarship programs.
Dr. Ester Ogena, SEI director, said P175 million will be allocated for the agency’s Accelerated Science and Technology Human Resource Development program, and P161 million for the graduate program in engineering.
SEI is the agency mandated to develop a critical mass of highly trained S&T workers and professionals.
President Arroyo earlier said the government is doing its best to stop the exodus of Filipino scientists as she vowed to continue promoting R&D, which is vital to the country’s economic development.
The DOST’s budget has increased by 51 percent from P3.64 billion in 2007 to P5.52 billion in the proposed 2008 national budget, giving it the largest budgetary increase among all government agencies.
Science and Technology Secretary Estrella Alabastro earlier said her department will spend the bulk of its new budget mainly for scholarships, research and development activities, and technology transfer programs.
The budget hike would enable the science department to increase the number of scholarship slots it grants to college students taking up science courses and high school students enrolled in the network of science high schools.
Funding for science scholarships would jump from P882 million in 2007 to P1.42 billion this year.
The Philippine Science High School’s allocation will increase to P730 million from P434 million.
Three other DOST programs will be given additional allocations: Technology Incubation for Commercialization, P40 million; Engineering Research and Technology for Development, P161 million; and National Technology Innovation System, which provides S&T assistance to entrepreneurs and investors, P300 million.
The University of the Philippines will also be given an additional P1.29 billion for its Engineering Research and Development for Technology program (P795 million) and National Science Complex and Technology Incubation Park project (P500 million).
The government has a proposed P1.227 trillion budget for 2008, higher than last year’s P1.126 trillion.