The Future of Science in the Philippines

Posted on 12/19/2022 10:42 am
The Future of Science in the Philippines image

The future of science in the Philippines is bright. Even with the Philippines' old and anticipated struggle with poverty, the looming threats of climate change, and regional geopolitics, we all have to move forward as a country.

With this in mind, the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) guided the PAGTANAW 2050: The Philippine Foresight in Science, Technology, and Innovation. This foresight will serve as a guide for all Filipinos and Science experts in the PH.

Pagtanaw 2050 is the very first interdisciplinary and non-disciplinary project of DOST focused on Philippine science, technology, and innovation (STI). This foresight study is molded similarly to Malaysia's Outlook 2050, created by the Akademi Sains Malaysia. Additionally, this foresight plan envisions the Philippines as a Prosperous, Archipelagic Maritime Nation by 2050.

PAGTANAW 2050: The Philippine Science, Technology, And Innovation Foresight

As one of the latest in science and technology news in the Philippines, the Pagtanaw 2050 will serve as the guiding principle to a bright Philippine future. This foresight will enable the science community to assist sustainably in shaping the Philippines into a prosperous, archipelagic maritime nation. This PAGTANAW 2050 is the first DOST-funded interdisciplinary and trans-disciplinal project in the Philippines. It is a focused STI Foresight and Strategic Plan that will affect the aspirations of the Filipino people by 2050.

Pagtanaw 2050 has four clusters that underscore their interrelatedness and interconnectivity, and they are

? Food, Nutrition, and Health

? Water and Energy

? Environment and Space Exploration

? Built Environments.

These four clusters will cover different sectors, and that will govern to achieve PAGTANAW 2050 vision fully.

Food, Nutrition, and Health

The Food, Nutrition, and Health map highlights the present emphasis on harnessing technologies toward providing Universal healthcare and ensuring affordable and nutritious food through a transformation of food systems practices; artificial intelligence and ICT are seen to play dominant roles in decision-making for health and eventually nutrition.

Water and Energy

Meanwhile, the roadmap for Energy and Water sees the emerging dominance of low-cost, large-scale renewable energy technologies and sources.

Environment and Space Exploration

Furthermore, the map for Environment and Space Exploration outlays the path towards an improved capability to mitigate or altogether prevent natural hazards and disasters by utilizing appropriate, adaptive, and clean/green technologies; space technologies will play a vital role in monitoring large-scale patterns for assessing climate resiliency and environmental protection.

Built Environments

Lastly, the Built Environments map plots the evolution of work and living spaces through the measured adoption of construction- and transportation-related technologies, such as smart materials and electric vehicles, all of which will be interconnected via ICT, such as the Internet of Things and virtual/augmented reality.

Strategically mapped the future of the Philippines

This Foresight strategically mapped the future and framed the nation's aspirations firmly within

the context of our natural and physical power. The Philippines is abundant with marine resources that we can utilize further —as well as our shared Filipino values, skills, and other potentials.

The PAGTANAW 2050 four clusters encapsulate twelve key operational areas that outline how we can all achieve its vision in the year 2050. These key operational areas are as follows.

Blue Economy

This roadmap highlights the Philippines' inherently archipelagic nature and resources. It aims toward the sustainable use of marine resources in our country to improve people's livelihoods while preserving the overall health of the Philippines' rich marine ecosystems.

Governance

This foresight aims to have effective and well-governed institutions. This is essential to establish an environment of high investment rates and improve performance in both the public and private sectors. Sectors that provide quality services minimize human errors and reduce unreasonable bureaucratic procedures and unnecessary expenses.

Business and Trade.

This foresight also considers the business community's fundamental capacity as beneficiaries and enablers of innovation. A country where we provide a level playing field for agriculture, industry, and service sectors whose processes are friendly to innovation and research and development (R&D). Another aim of this roadmap is to give all entrepreneurs a more sustainable business cost, especially in energy and manufacturing.

Digital Technology/Information and Communications

Information and communications technology (ICT) is a pillar for proficiency in STI in the Philippines. The full benefits of ICT will thrive and create an accessible Digital Ecosystem for everyone. Technologies like blockchain, cognitive systems, robotics, quantum computing, and last-mile connectivity will be harnessed to serve users in rural and remote areas in our country.

Science Education and Talent Retention

Highlighting and enhancing the importance of the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education system in producing competitive STEM talent in the Philippines.

Food Security and Nutrition.

This operational area features the capacity of agriculture to increase and diversify the production of agricultural products. In addition, they aim to improve the population's nutritional status through science-based food system paradigms.

Health Systems

This area addresses the needs that are accurate, palpable, and immediately improve human lives. This foresight of the Philippines' health STI aims to achieve an efficient and effective Universal Health Care Program.

Energy.

This foresight aims to efficiently transition clean and affordable energy technologies where we prioritize solar, wind, and ocean wave energy systems. Thus storing the energy and creating intelligent grids and networks, biofuels, and energy from waste.

Water

This roadmap aims to have clean water technologies. Technologies that will be adopted to enhance the delivery of affordable clean water. Aside from more sterile water, it should minimize the production of wastewater effluents and further reduce the cost of water and wastewater treatment.

Environment and Climate Change

The Philippines should adopt global and local actions against climate change where they can manage the climate change impacts by creating stronger resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related and other natural hazards.

Shelter, Transportation, and Other Infrastructure

This foresight aspires to balance urban and rural development. However, it can only be realized through constant improvement of ports, expressways, road networks, and public transport, where it is also coupled with a strategic and effective combination of various water, land, and air transportation modes. In addition, shelter is needed in different forms, such as refugees, residences, and buildings, as a vital component in organizing smart communities in urban and rural settings.

Space Exploration

Space-based technologies have critical software in communications, weather forecasting, disaster management, natural resources, land use management, and environmental monitoring. Therefore, current upstream and downstream space initiatives and plans for space technologies must continue to be enhanced.

The development of PAGTANAW 2050 will be our country's guiding light on current and anticipated concerns, leading us to a much more reformed and advanced country for all Filipinos and Science experts in the PH . PAGTANAW 2050 hopes to share what Science and Technology in the Philippines would look like in the next 50 years. This foresight will allow the Philippines to grow from a mere service economy into the prosperous, archipelagic Maritime Nation and inclusive as it was always meant to be.

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