Devolving S&T to regions is new policy thrust

LOS BAÑOS, Laguna, Philippines – New Science and Technology Secretary Fortunato dela Peña has committed to enforce the policy statement of President Duterte to harness S&T to empower farmers and fisherfolk through productive agriculture-aquaculture technologies.

“The science initiative must be distributed to the regions,  especially where food production needs to be improved, where industry needs to grow, and where innovation needs to be developed,” the department head quoted the President as saying.

Dela Peña spoke on the S&T thrust of the government at a recent program marking the fifth anniversary of the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD), a sectoral council of DOST based in this town.

PCAARRD originally was named the Philippine Council for Agricultural Research (PCAR), which was established in 1972 to coordinate, evaluate and monitor agriculture, forestry and natural resources research in the country. It also allocates government and external funds for R&D and generates resources to support its programs.

 PCAR subsequently metamorphosed into a larger research council (PCARR and then PCARRD), evolving into one of the most efficient and effective R&D systems in the country, even becoming a model of other countries.

In 2011, it was merged with another DOST agency, the Philippine Council for Aquatic and Marine Research and Development (PCAMRD), hence its current name, PCAARRD.

Dela Peña noted that PCAARRD continually faces the challenge of improving the lives of marginalized sectors of society through productive R&D strategies.

“We, therefore, support PCAARRD’s Strategic Industry S&T Plan for Agri-Aqua Growth (SIPAG) for the various commodities on crops, livestock, forestry, inland aquatic resources, marine research, as well as the other environmental R&D initiatives,” he said.

Citing population experts, the DOST official said that the country’s current population of 105 million can be expected to increase to 140 million over the next 35 years, thus the need to produce more food. 

“This can only be done through empowered farmers and fisherfolk. And empowering these sectors necessarily requires more efficient agriculture – one that uses less resources to produce more food,” Dela Peña said.

He also expressed concern over the decreasing number of farmers, whose average age today is 57 years. Moreover, fewer young people are choosing agriculture as a career, preferring those that do not soil their hands.

He thus advocated that more scholarships should be provided to students to entice them to pursue agriculture as a profession.

In his executive director’s report, Reynaldo Ebora outlined the S&T directions that PCAARRD will be pursuing in support of the Duterte administration’s development agenda, particularly in bringing progress to the regions, hence the theme “S&T Innovations for Empowered and Progressive Regions.”

He highlighted the council’s major accomplishments under its four banner programs, such as strategic R&D, R&D results utilization, policy analysis and advocacy, and capability building and governance.

Ebora concluded: “We are inspired by how much we have contributed to the government’s goal of creating a science nation – a nation that uses the blessing of science and technology to make life convenient and stress-free and a nation that innovates towards global competitiveness.”