Aquino vows support for sci-tech projects, more science scholarships

MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino renewed yesterday his commitment to support the science and technology projects in the country as well as more scholarships for students who would take up science courses.

The Department of Science and Technology has 12,000 science scholars and is looking at expanding its scholarships in the coming years, with 500 new entrants.

But Aquino said the studies being funded by the government would also be reviewed to make sure that there would be no duplication and that they would be useful. He said his instructions to the Cabinet were to fund those with “direct application at the soonest possible time” to be beneficial.

The President said the studies the DOST was funding must also be appropriate. For example in Bicol State University, he said there had been too many studies on rice and corn when the primary product there was copra.

“How come the studies of Bicol State are not focused on copra where there is livelihood for our communities? So that was the basic instruction,” Aquino said in an ambush interview after attending the opening ceremonies for the 2011 National Science and Technology Week held in Pasay City.

The President said discoveries to be prioritized must also have the fastest applicability.

In his State of the Nation Address last Monday, Aquino said he was proud of the monorail system to be built in the University of the Philippines compound in Quezon City.

“DOST and UP have even teamed up to develop a prototype monorail system, which could potentially provide a home grown mass transport solution that would cost us as little as P100 million per kilometer, much cheaper than the current cost of similar mass transit systems. The potential savings could result in more kilometers of cheap transport, decongesting our urban centers and allowing rural communities easier access to centers of commerce and industry,” Aquino said.

“Let me reiterate: These proposals were developed by Filipinos for Filipinos. Do you remember the time when we were unable to even dream of these kinds of projects? I am telling you now: We can dream about them, we are capable of achieving them, and we will achieve them. Isn’t it great to be a Filipino living in these times?” he added.

The President said this same creativity was in display with the innovations that were already being implemented.

The President also bared that one of the possible solutions to flooding was tree planting, which was also being studied to make the stewardship of the trees beneficial to communities.

He said the informal settlers who must be relocated could be tapped for the task.

“Who could have thought that little over a year ago, we could accomplish this? Today, we dream; one day soon, these dreams will be a reality,” he said.