Science and Education

Well into its work is the Congressional Commission on Science, Technology, and Engineering (COMSTE), created by the 13th Congress through Joint Resolution No. 1 on Feb. 19, 2007. Spearheaded by Sen. Edgardo Angara and Rep. Joseph Emilio Abaya, COMSTE consists of five Senators and five Representatives, supported by a Technical Advisory Council (TAC) and six Panels.

COMSTE is mandated by Congress to “undertake a national review and assessment of the science, engineering, and technology research and development system of the country with a view to: (a) enhancing the system’s internal capability to satisfactorily implement the constitutional provisions on science and technology; (b) providing the system with the necessary funding requirement and other infrastructure support; (c) strengthening the linkages with all sectors concerned with science, and technology and engineering R&D; and (d) assisting the science and technology and engineering sector in achieving its goals and targets through policies and approaches that are consistent with the nation’s development perspectives.”

COMSTE is envisioned to do for science, technology, and engineering what the Educational Commission on Education (EDCOM), an earlier brainchild of Angara and Rep. Salvador H. Escudero III, did for education in general.

The Senate members are Pia Cayetano, Juan Ponce Enrile, Aquilino Pimentel, and Ramon Revilla Jr.

The House members are Juan Edgardo M. Angara, Magtanggol Gunigundo, Florencio G. Noel, and Mariano U. Piamonte.

The TAC members are Sec. Estrella Alabastro (co-chair) and Fr. Bienvenido Nebres, SJ (co-chair), Arsenio Balisacan, Ceferino Follosco, Ester Garcia, Federico Macaranas, Paulino Tan, and myself.

The Agriculture and Food Panel consists of William G. Padolina (chair), Jose Bacusmo, Ponciano Batugal, Raul Hernandez, Bartolome Lapus, Luis Rey Velasco, and Nicomedes Eleazar.

The Energy and Environment Panel consists of Francisco Viray (chair), Nereus Acosta, Alvin Culaba, Antonio La Viña, Freddie Puno, and Jose Maria Zabaleta.

The Health Sciences Panel consists of Ramon Arcadio (chair), Carmelita Divinagracia, Kenneth Hartigan-Go, Fely Marilyn Lorenzo, Enrique Ona, and Carmencita Padilla.

The Information Technology (IT) and IT-Enabled Panel consists of Joaquin Quintos IV (chair), Caslon Chua, Ma. Cristina Coronel, Oscar Sanez, Floro San Juan Jr., and Gil Roberto Zerrudo.

The Semiconductor and Electronics Panel consists of Gregory Tangonan (chair), Arthur Young, Arthur Tan, Vic Gruet, Lawrence Qua, and Cesar Quiason.

The Science, Mathematics, and Engineering and Education Panel consists of Reynaldo Vea (chair), Christopher Bernido, Rowena Guevarra, Ester Ogena, Benny Palma, and Caesar Saloma.

The Executive Director of COMSTE is Usec. Fortunato Dela Peña. The Deputy Executive Director is Dennis Ramon Posadas.

If you have any ideas about how to improve science, technology, and engineering in our country, please get in touch with any of the persons named above.

At the COMSTE conference last week at Ateneo de Manila University, the view was expressed that accreditation programs in our country lack involvement by industry.

I want to put on record that, at least as far as the Quality Assessment Teams of CHED’s National Capital Region (NQAT) are concerned, industry forms part of teams inspecting schools that apply for permits to open new programs in Humanities, Social Sciences, and Communication. This is a laudable initiative of CHED NCR Director Amelia A. Biglete.

Some random examples: When a school wants to open a course related to fashion design, I (as coordinator) always ask Patis Tesoro to join me in the team. When the course is related to journalism, I ask Yvonne Chua, Rony Diaz, and other journalists. For broadcasting, Mike Enriquez. For public relations, Melvyn Martin. For theater, Frank Rivera. Even my assessors coming from academe are known for being practitioners, such as Jaime An Lim, Rose Marie Bautista, Miguel Carpio, Clodualdo del Mundo Jr., Estrellita Gruenberg, Cecile Gutierrez, Teresita Inciong, Cayetano Paderanga, Josefina Patron, Miguel Rapatan, Chichi Robles, Allen Tan, Luis Teodoro, Imelda Villar, Nestor Vinluan, and Esteban Villaruz. There are many more, all of whom donate their time to ensuring the high standards of humanities, social sciences, and humanities programs in NCR.

I am sure something similar is happening in the fields of science, technology, and engineering education.

“WORDS OF THE DAY” (English/Filipino) for next week’s elementary school classes: Aug. 25 Monday: 1. pot/hangin, 2. daisy/halos, 3. abaca/hantik, 4. gumamela/haligi, 5. agoho/harang, 6. pepper/hasang; Aug. 26 Tuesday: 1. true/hanap, 2. great/handa, 3. behind/hambog, 4. suppose/hamak, 5. whether/halimbawa, 6. however/hapo; Aug. 27 Wednesday: 1. red/iba, 2. bamboo/ibabaw, 3. camia/ihaw, 4. cedar/ilang, 5. coffee/imik, 6. asparagus/ilaya; Aug. 28 Thursday: 1. fine/ihi, 2. speak/ilag, 3. deal/inom, 4. chapter/imot, 5. either/itaas, 6. remember/imbay; Aug. 29 Friday: 1. sea/ilaw, 2. make/inday, 3. berry/ingat, 4. balete/isda, 5. almond/itsa, 6. mabolo/iyon. The numbers after the dates indicate grade level. The dates refer to the official calendar for public elementary schools. For definitions of the words in Filipino, consult UP Diksiyonaryong Filipino.