Philippines, Thai science departments to collaborate

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) has forged a pact with its Thai counterpart Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) to collaborate on S&T and research and development.

The DOST said that the collaboration will focus on eight areas of mutual interest: medical science, food processing, innovative agriculture, electronics and computer, nanotechnology, space technology, innovative start-up and metrology.

Science Secretary Fortunato dela Peña said the partnership will seek to bring mutual benefits, with each country learning from the other’s breakthroughs and innovations.

Dela Peña, along with other top DOST officials met with MOST Minister Atchaka Sibunruang and her heads of agencies in Bangkok over four days last August.

The partnership was formalized last March 31 when the Philippines through Dela Peña signed a memorandum of agreement with Thailand. Following the MOA signing was a senior officials meeting that identified areas of collaboration between the two countries. Heading the Philippine delegation for the SOM was assistant secretary for international cooperation Leah Buendia while the MOST delegation was led by deputy permanent secretary Pathom Sawanpanyalert.

Details on the implementation of the partnership are currently being forged by working committees.  

Sibunruang and Dela Peña said they were happy with the progress of the meeting and expressed their respective desires to realize the collaboration. 

Thailand was one of two countries to which former DOST secretary Mario Montejo sent all 17 regional directors in 2012 to study food processing and manufacturing industries as he worried about the Philippines’ ability to compete regionally in the face of integration under the Asean Economic Community. The other country was Taiwan.

The project resulted in the DOST embarking on a program to design and fabricate food processing machines such as vacuum fryers, freeze dryers, spray and freeze dryers that were later provided to food innovation centers being set up in partner state universities and colleges for R&D on new food products based on local fruits and vegetables. 

The Philippines and Thailand have continuously maintained a cordial and stable relationship, recognizing each other’s strengths in terms of economic and industrial growth.