The research course is necessary to complete tertiary education as stated by BP 232, namely, an act

providing for the establishment and maintenance of an integrated system of education. It is stated that one
of the objectives of this law is “to advance knowledge through research work and apply new knowledge for
improving the quality of human life and responding effectively to changing societal needs and conditions”.
The very fact that a policy has been enforced to meet this demand already says much regarding its positive
effect in national development.
The development of a country could be done, generally, through two approaches. The first method
would be to further increase the output or production. However, due to the law of diminishing returns,
which is where a unit increase before would not net as much gain in the present, the first approach would
prove to unsustainable over time. The second approach that would be able to remedy the drawbacks of the
first approach, would be through the aforementioned research. Through research, there would be an increase
of introduction of new technology and innovation. These would greatly improve efficiency in the utilization
of raw materials would improve counteracting the problem of consistently increasing output. From this
fundamental benefit from research, effects on the economy could be observed, which is apparent in more
developed countries that have given research and development importance.
Research in the Philippines began roughly in the colonial period of the Americans, and was further
developed at the beginning of the declaration of Philippine independence. Despite having research
institutions, persisting problems from lack of coordination and planning hinder major strides in the past.
This is evident in breakthroughs from research in the past not being commercialized. This is why the
objective of research was changed from solely developing technologies and expanding the body of
knowledge to also application as well. Without application, research would be a misused resource of the
country.
There are other causes aside from those mentioned above for the slowed down growth of
Philippines, even with research being already a policy. These causes are political interests and natural
calamities. Peaks of Philippines’ economic growth in the past occurred in the appointment of Marcos and
Aquino in the office of the President while the lows are experienced in the time of the dictatorship of Marcos
and the scandals of the Estrada administration. The highs and lows agree with the state of the public’s trust
to the government. Natural calamities, such as the El Niño and tropical storms damage infrastructures and
homes, thereby diverting some more of the national budget to sectors requiring immediate health.
Without these present threats of distrust with the government and natural calamities and an
additional focus on the application of research, fruits born from research would be felt more by the general
public. Though even without major scientific breakthroughs from research, benefits of research could be
seen all around us and have slightly affected our lives to have the comfort that we are experiencing today.
Surely, research is the necessary step to move the nation to the next stage of its development.