The future of RP science is bright

When one of us (EAP) started studying his major subject (Physics) in UP in the 50s, the department did not have a PhD in its faculty. Nobody in the department did any research and the department did not award degrees beyond the baccalaureate. When he returned from a self-imposed exile a few decades later (in the 90s), every one in the department (which is now the National Institute of Physics), who had a permanent faculty appointment, had a doctoral degree, everyone in the department was doing research, and the department was producing its own PhDs. And no one in the faculty got tenured, or got promoted, unless he/she published in reputable journals. That is a tremendous improvement. That change is not only in Physics, but also in many other units of UP, and in other Philippine universities as well. And now, quite impressively, locally produced PhDs are garnering international awards and are securing international patents for locally done research work.

(The criteria for hiring, for granting tenure, and for promotion, that UP and other Philippine universities now adhere to, are essentially the same as those used by institutions in more advanced countries.)

Clearly, the Philippines does not lack talent. Many Filipinos have excelled in the arts, in sports, and in other endeavors. Many Filipino students gain admission to learning institutions all over the world - competing with the best of the world for the few slots usually available to foreigners (a testament to the fact that tertiary education in the Philippines is succeeding in producing excellent graduates). And many Filipinos are tenured faculty in several prestigious universities abroad. (This is not because Filipinos suddenly become brighter when they leave the country. As has been said elsewhere, a person’s IQ does not change with change in domicile.) We can rightfully say that our best are as talented as the world’s best and can compete with the world’s best.

Slowly, but surely, we are harnessing that talent. The government’s support for science and technology is increasing. There is increased government support for scientific research and infrastructure. There are increased funds for MS and PhD scholarships. While many Filipinos still go abroad for their graduate degrees (not bad, actually, because they are exposed to the perspective and experiences of other scientists in the world), many are returning to help improve Philippine science. And the government has instituted programs to bring them back.

And Filipino scientists are becoming bolder in tackling difficult local problems as well as problems that have worldwide significance — competing with the rest of the world in the process. We are now aggressively working on cancer treatment and diagnosis, the design and development of vaccines against diseases that plague not only Filipinos but also the rest of the world, the search for new pharmaceuticals, the development of plant varieties with improved qualities, the search for new energy sources, etc. etc. etc.

Change comes slowly (too slowly for some), but we cannot help but smile when we think of what Philippine science will be like a few decades from now. Based on the change that has happened in the last few decades (we will give more examples in follow-up articles), we are certain that it will be very bright. And even now, we are beginning to see the benefits of Philippine science to Filipinos (we will also give examples).

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Gisela P. Padilla-Concepcion is an Academician of the NAST and is a professor in the Marine Science Institute, College of Science, University of the Philippines Diliman. Eduardo A. Padlan is a corresponding member of the NAST and is an adjunct professor in the UP Marine Science Institute.

They can be reached at [email protected] and [email protected], respectively.