EDITORIAL - Make them want to stay

Speaking before the crowd during the National Science and Technology Week opening in Pasay City last week, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. asked scientists to stay and work in the country instead of seeking employment abroad.

"I encourage our Filipino scientists, researchers, inventors, and innovators to continue sharing your expertise especially to young people... I urge you to stay in the country as you pursue your career. We will continue to support you and continue to look to you to be active partners of the government," President Marcos said during his speech.

This is one idea we actually agree with. However, we want this idea taken even further. The Philippine government should be doing everything it can to persuade not just the scientists but all Filipino workers, both professional and non-professional, stay in the Philippines rather than seeking work abroad.

As it stands right now the thrust of this administration --and to be fair, also that of previous ones-- has always been to send people to work abroad. In fact, we even established a new governing body, the Department of Migrant Workers, whose mandate is “to make overseas employment a choice, not a necessity.”

If we could have it our way it should not even be a choice.

But we don’t live in an ideal world here. The real-life situations of many of our workers make it hard not to take advantage of certain opportunities, even if it means leaving their country and their families for some strange and faraway land.

Ultimately even our best and brightest --including our scientists-- realize there is nothing for them here, or that there are better prospects for them abroad. Which is sad since they ultimately end up contributing to the development of that alien country instead of their own.

Again this is not their fault. More needs to be done to make sure our workers have reason to stay. If this administration really means it when they say they want our scientists to stay, let them prove it, and let this trickle down to other types of workers as well.