Gabriel, John Alan M.

IPE-01-201A

 Identify the several issues in the Philippines: What science and technology-related projects
policies could be developed and implemented to solve this issues?
o Heavy Traffic Congestion.
To many Filipino people, traffic congestion is an irritant because it throws
their personal schedules in to chaos. To others conscious of the value of time in their
economic pursuit, it is a financial loss. Others can say that it is an easy excuse for being
habitually late for appointments and for some others it is a convenient conversation
starter. But most often, all these people tend to shrug their shoulders and appear to accept
that this part and parcel of the travails of urban living. Globally speaking, traffic
congestion is a normal problem. According to Professor Amal Kumarge of Transport
Engineering Division in the University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka, Congested roads can
have a detrimental effect on the environment, in particular air quality and noise pollution
that actually affect the rest. According to his research there are short term and long term
strategies that may solve traffic congestion. Technology has been very involve in
improving road scenarios especially in the Philippines. Today, there is this existing law
and/or a traffic scheme in which bans “driver-only” car users along EDSA in which are
being generated through the usage of technology such as CCTVs all along EDSA which
they were thinking that it can actually reduce the heavy traffic congestion. This is their
way of reducing the number of vehicles that basically cause so much traffic in so many
roads in the Philippines. It is said that there is an improvement in traffic after the dry-
run of this new traffic scheme.
o Unemployment.
Unemployment has become one of the current issue in the Philippines. Ironically,
unemployment somehow can be caused by technological innovation yet can be also
solve by it if it can actually maximized. There is a serious risk, if not a factual certainty,
that increasing numbers of workers will be replaced by machines in the foreseeable
future. As such, it is important to explore potential policy options to address the
impending challenge of technological unemployment before it creates misery and
despair for untold numbers of dislocated workers and renders permanent and
irreversible tears in the social fabric. In a resource-based economy, goods and services
are made available to all individuals without the need for a monetary exchange system.
However, one could add a step to this or a similar model, whereby while individuals
would have their basic needs met, they would be motivated by a separate, supplemental
reward system that could provide a way to trade the reward for a desire or simply for
the recognition of having made a worthy contribution.
Some have theorized that unemployment can also be solved through technological
innovation, in the near future, no longer be viable as technology takes away jobs
previously held by human workers (e.g., Ford, 2009). With fewer and fewer jobs
 available, former workers will no longer earn the money necessary to purchase goods,
services and housing costs. To overcome some scarce resources by applying renewable
sources of energy, computerizing and automating manufacturing and inventory,
designing safe energy-efficient cities and advanced transportation systems, providing
universal healthcare and more relevant education, and most of all by generating a new
incentive system based on human and environmental concern. (The Venus Project,
2016)
o Poor infrastructure.
The Philippines has become one of the world’s fastest-growing economies. The
2015-2016 World Economic Forum (WEF) Global Competitiveness Report ranks the
Philippines at 106 out of 140 countries in terms of infrastructure development. As part
of the Infrastructure Initiative, with the Department of Commerce, this project is
designed to help attract U.S. companies to participate in various infrastructure
endeavours within the Philippines. Between the countries high economic growth and
rising population, its infrastructure has been strained and is in need of serious
development.
The Metro Manila Subway Project was the largest plan approved, funded by
overseas aid from Japan. This major upgrade in infrastructure in the Philippines of its
subway was urgently needed in order to solve the capitals notorious gridlock. Road
expansions are also underway in the southern Philippines as well as the construction of
bridges in Manila. These major and important changes are all part of Duterte’s “golden
age of infrastructure” six-year plan which will cost about $180 billion in modernizations
of airports, roads, railways and ports. The World Bank and Asian Development Bank
have played a critical role in financing infrastructure in the Philippines, aiding in road
improvement, water and sanitation, transportation, solid waste management, flood
management projects and even energy-related projects. This has been an example that
infrastructure does not only mean having tall buildings and having different urban
buildings but also talked about the improvement of transportation-related projects. Poor
infrastructure in the Philippines is proposed to be brighter in the future by having
technology-based project that could be very helpful to the growth of the whole country.

 What can you say about the implementation of some science and technology policies and
projects in the country?
o Science and technology-related studies, policies and projects were being promoted
by the DOST scholars which are actually continuously conducting different researches
about innovation and improvement of science and technology. According to the article
of Dan Mapa of A Medium Corporation, Research and development activities of the
DOST has been at the forefront of initiatives since they are meant to give the country
new sources of income and promote sustainable development. Key areas being targeted
are health, energy and emerging technologies, disaster risk reduction, and national
integrated research agenda. The department values its institutional partners since private
firms have the hardware and industry knowledge on research and development. These
institutional partners are given incentives when participating in government-funded
 research. Companies are given right of first refusal for licensing rights and can even
have top picks from graduating scholars, who previously worked in their R&D
programs. Academic institutions are also key partners in the DOST’s goal of making
breakthrough discoveries in the field of R&D. Over 30 academic institutions are
registered in Tuklas Lunas Centers as a way of harnessing the collective resources and
knowledge of the academe in finding the next medical breakthrough, with the help of
the country’s biodiversity. One notable success story related to this is UP Manila’s
research on the use of Lagundi leaves as an effective remedy for coughs. To this day,
the university is still reaping licensing fees from this research.
With this, we can say that Philippines opted to adopt different science and
technological schemes as time goes by. The continuous implementation of developing
different science and technology projects will sooner be able to find away in some of
the important issues facing by our country.
 What are the laws related to science and technology in the Philippines from the year 2000?
o Executive Order No. 334 - Abolishing the Information Technology and Electronic
Commerce Council and Transferring Its Budget, Assets, Personnel, Programs, and
Projects to the Commission on Information and Communications Technology,
published on20 Jul 2004
o Republic act no. 10055, This Act shall be known as the "Philippine Technology Transfer
Act of 2009". An act providing the framework and support system for the ownership,
management, use, and commercialization of intellectual property generated from
research and development funded by government and for other purposes
o The 2005 implementing rules and regulations of R.A. no. 7459 otherwise known as
inventions and invention incentives act of the Philippines pursuant to R.A. no. 7459,
otherwise known as the “inventors and invention incentives act of the Philippines”
 How are these law implemented?
o Since Executive Order No. 334, Abolishing the Information Technology and
Electronic Commerce Council and Transferring Its Budget, Assets, Personnel,
Programs, and Projects to the Commission on Information and Communications
Technology, published on20 Jul 2004 is a Executive order, it is a mandatory law that is
ruled over the country. It is directed to constitute a private sector advisory board to assist
the CICT in the effective implementation of the provisions of Executive Order 269 s.
2004
Republic act no. 10055, This Act shall be known as the "Philippine Technology
Transfer Act of 2009". An act providing the framework and support system for the
ownership, management, use, and commercialization of intellectual property generated
from research and development funded by government and for other purposes –
Accoreding to Section 2 of R.A. 10055, The State fully recognizes that science,
technology and innovation are essential for national development and progress. It shall,
therefore, give priority to research and development, invention, innovation and their
utilization. It shall also encourage the widest and most systematic participation of all
stakeholders in policy-making related to science and technology, and in the generation,
transfer and utilization of, intellectual property, especially for the benefit of the general
public. The State shall facilitate the transfer and promote the utilization of intellectual
property for the national benefit and shall call upon all research and development
institutes and/or institutions (RDIs) that perform government-funded research and
development (R&D) to tekeon technology transfer as their strategic mission and to
effectively translate results of government-funded R&D into useful products and
services that will redound to the benefit of Filipinos, notwithstanding the income
generated from intellectual property rights (IPRs) and technology transfer activities. The
whole country must know and mandated to this act and is fully implemented up until
today.
In coordination with the whole people of the Philippines, the research scientists and
technologists have to play an all important role by deciding and conducting the type of
research aligned with the government’s development agenda. This is not to say that
researchers should not conduct studies that adds to the knowledge base of the country
and the world. Scientists and Technologists, however, should bear in mind and work
towards the enhancement of a knowledge economy relevant to our country.