trends and developments

Here are some of the excerpts on the recent news, issues, trends and developments in the Philippine innovation sector:

"Engr. Diosdado Banatao was cheered during the 2007 UP Alumni Association in America (UPAAA) General Assembly and Convention Gala Dinner held on September 2 at the Grand Ballroom of the Hilton in San Francisco, California when UP President Emerlinda Roman announced that he and his wife Maria had pledged USD$500,000.00 to the UP College of Engineering (COE).

Banatao talked about the pressing need for technology development in the Philippines. He said that technology development is necessary for economic development as they yield high value products that have an almost limitless demand in the global market. He cited neighboring Asian economies of Taiwan, Korea and Japan as examples. Banatao said that the challenge for a developing economy such as the Philippines is “to identify products and services that create a competitive advantage in growth sectors of the global economy.”

However, Banatao stated that the Philippines’ current technology infrastructure is not ready to take on such a task, as it requires sustaining technologies transferred from foreign investments. The problem may be traced back to the shortage of research scientists and engineers in the country due to flaws in the higher educational system, such as the predominant use of teachers with only bachelor’s degrees. He also cited the lack of cutting-edge research laboratories in the country as a problem.

For Banatao, the country’s only sources for research and development are science and engineering schools. Unfortunately, they too have their own problems, namely the lack of support from both the public and private sectors. He said the public and privates sectors, as well as academe, need to develop a culture that respects and rewards people who choose to go into the fields of Science, Technology, and Engineering, especially in advanced research." (Francis Paolo M. Quina, "Entrepreneur calls for Eng’g R&D, pledges $500,000", www.upd.edu.ph)

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