The Philippines has huge natural marine resources. However, it has to address several challenges to become a prosperous, archipelagic maritime nation, according to National Scientist and Academician Dr. Emil Q. Javier.
“To become a truly maritime nation, first we have to assert vigorously our sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea, defend our rights and show the flag. To do this, we have to invest and build a credible Navy and a decent Coast Guard, and build world-class marine research vessels,” said Javier in his message at the turnover of “Pagtanaw 2050: The Philippine Foresight on Science, Technology and Innovation” to the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and to the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda).
The online event was part of the activities in the past week’s National Science and Technology Week.
Academician Rhodora Azanza, National Academy of Science and Technology Philippines president, turned over the Pagtanaw 2050 to Science Secretary Fortunato T. de la Peña.
First inter-disciplinal and trans-disciplinal project
“Pagtanaw 2050 is a foresight that will stand the test of time,” de la Peña said. “This will serve as a guiding principle that will enable the science community to assist in shaping the Philippines as a progressive archipelagic nation.”
It is the first inter-disciplinal and trans-disciplinal project on the country’s science, technology and innovation foresight and strategic plans that the DOST funded with P7.4 million.
The Pagtanaw 2050 is a 360-page compendium that listed 207 technologies. It was a product of the collective wisdom of the Academy of Filipino scientists and the science community to enhance the people’s unity, inspire the people, and heightened their resolve to achieve progress by 2050.
It aims to push the country to become a prosperous archipelagic maritime nation in 30 years, among others, Javier pointed out.
Another is to accelerate the gathering of a critical mass of STI Human Resources.
Also as important is to create a separate Philippine Council for Maritime and Other Aquatic Resources Research and Development.
National development roadmap
Pagtanaw 2050 is a national development roadmap, a strategic plan, that traces the trajectories of the enablers and drivers to shape the country’s science and technology for the next three decades, Javier said.
It aims to serve as source of vital inputs, policy advice and influence toward attaining a preferred and united future considering our natural endowments and national aspirations.
It involved 335 various representative stakeholders from 53 government and higher education institutions, and 12 non-government organizations coming from all over the country.
Among the key operational areas identified are the following: the blue economy, governance, business and trade, digital technology/ICT, science education and talent retention, food security and nutrition, health systems, energy, water, environmental change, shelter, transportation, and other infrastructure, and space exploration.
‘Innovation of systems, not just technologies’
For his part, Academician William G. Padolina said: “It is an innovation of systems, not just technologies [will operationalize the STI strategic plan].”
Padolina explained that innovation has to be understood in the context wherein it is composed of systems and not merely technologies.
He said there’s a need to change the systems and to innovate in governance. Businesses have to innovate their processes and manage their risk, and that everyone will have to do their part.
International tribunal’s decision
Javier explained the need to upgrade the country’s marine education.
“To assert the strength of the 2 million Filipino seafarers in the global marine fleet and place more engineers and ship captains, we have to upgrade our marine education. One marine school in Zambales managed by the Philippine Navy is not enough,” added Javier, who also served as the 17th president of the University of the Philippines between 1993 and 1999.
In July 2016, an international tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands, chastised China for its behavior in the South China Sea, including the building of artificial islands. It was declared that its widespread claim to sovereignty over the sea had no legal basis.
The landmark case was brought by the Philippines to protest Chinese transgressions into maritime areas which are considered by the Philippine as its territories.
Moreover, the tribunal discarded China’s argument that it enjoys historic rights over the majority of the South China Sea.
Javier said the government should also invest in developing more ports and harbors to strengthen the country’s nautical highway since the Philippines is an archipelagic country.
He pointed out that it is logical to pursue the development of such facilities to connect the country’s 7,640 islands.
“The country must also harness the potential of its shipbuilding capabilities. Cebu and Subic are great locations for shipbuilding. He said the country can explore potential joint ventures with countries, such as Japan, to boost the country’s shipbuilding capabilities.
Creation of fisheries, marine resources department
Javier said this is the right time to consider the establishment of an independent Department of Fisheries and Marine Resources to further develop the country’s marine resources.
“Marine resources are always underfunded and crowded by livestock in the bureaucracy of the Department of Agriculture,” Javier pointed out.
He recalled that 20 years ago concerned individuals, led by the former UP College of Law dean Merlin Magallona, retired Supreme Court justice Antonio Carpio and some UP professors, proposed the creation of an autonomous university dedicated to the marine development of the country.
The proposed university will coordinate with the colleges of law, engineering and architecture, marine science, geology, oil and gas exploration as well as with the college of fisheries.
“These are the things we have to address to harness our maritime potential to become a maritime nation,” Javior stressed.
Better future through foresight planning
Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua of Socio-Economic Planning and director-general of Neda, acknowledged during the event the importance of foresight in the country’s development.
He said: “To attain our 2040 vision of eradicating extreme poverty and becoming a high-income country, we need to continuously innovate and make our systems resilient against future crisis. This event is crucial as it demonstrates our resolve to chart a better future through foresight planning,”
He added that several nations like Malaysia, South Korea and Japan have already adopted foresight into their STI planning and institutionalized this concept into their policy-making process.