MANILA — Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary Fortunato Dela Peña expressed hopes that Science graduates in the Philippines will eventually find employment in the government or private sector.
“We are somewhat worried. Where will the Science program graduates go? There are not enough items in the government for them to work,” he said during the 16th National Congress of the Philippine Institute of Industrial Engineers (PIIE) in Pasay City on Friday.
Dela Peña said the DOST provides scholarships to Filipino students in its bid to develop the country’s human resource.
The DOST is now financially aiding 33,000 scholars, mostly at the undergraduate level.
“We are working closely with CHED (Commission on Higher Education),” Dela Peña said.
The DOST chief also noted that the agency is enhancing the research and development (R&D) capabilities in the country by expanding the pool of R&D workers and institutions.
The DOST provides institutions with research grants.
Dela Peña, however, noted that only 85 out of 2,000 degree institutions have so far availed of the grant.
More researches sought
The DOST Secretary said he is encouraging regional institutions to come up with researches that would cater to specific needs in their areas.
“We have established the NICER (Niche R&D Center),” he said. Through this, institutions identify or serve as niche centers in the regions.
Last April, the DOST announced six higher education institutions (HEIs) that would build their own niche centers.
DOST Undersecretary Rowena Cristina Guevara earlier told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) that the grant for NICER depends on the HEIs’ requests or needs and the DOST’s capacity to fund these. (Ma. Cristina Arayata/PNA)
