To the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), headed by Secretary Dr. Renato U. Solidum Jr.;
Former DOST Secretaries: Dr. Fortunato T. de la Peña and Dr. Emil Q. Javier;
Commission on Audit Assistant Commissioner Alexander B. Juliano;
TECO-Vietnam Science and Technology Division Director Wen-Ling Deng;
Members of the Diplomatic Corps, distinguished leaders from the government and civil society, members of the academe, ladies and gentlemen:
Good morning!
Assalamu alaikum wa Raḥmatullahi wa Barakatuh.
What an honor it is to be in a room filled with brilliant minds behind the advancement of our country’s research and development (R&D) landscape!
My heartfelt gratitude goes to the DOST for inviting me to speak at the 8th National R&D Conference (NRDC)—a vital platform for stakeholders to collaborate and ensure that research translates into meaningful societal impact.
R&D is close to my heart because I started out as a researcher! Fresh out of college, I did research for then-Professor, now Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) Secretary Arsi Balisacan. So, I am also a proud member, or at least alumna, of the R&D community!
Your theme, “R&D Building Better Lives: Leveraging Transdisciplinary R&D for Well-Being, Wealth Creation, Wealth Protection, and Sustainability,” aligns with the Administration’s strategy of R&D as a key driver of the economy, enabling us to overcome structural challenges, boost productivity, and improve the quality of life of every Filipino.
In fact, at the core of our socioeconomic transformation agenda is the creation of a dynamic innovation ecosystem. The Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2023 to 2028 outlines key strategies to strengthen basic R&D, foster market-driven and customer-centered innovations, scale up technology use, and accelerate innovation and entrepreneurship. And in the past few years of implementing these strategies, we have witnessed positive outcomes within our communities and even in global assessments.
In 2024, the Philippines improved its standing in the Global Innovation Index (GII), ranking 53rd out of 133 economies. This means that we have climbed three spots, consistently upholding our country’s “innovation overperformer”1 status for the sixth time! And I am proud to note that we are now among the top three performers in terms of innovation among the lower-middle-income countries, succeeding India and Vietnam.
With these recent developments, we aim to continue rising in the GII and even cement our position as one of the most innovative countries, hopefully soon in the upper-middle-income status category. And I believe that we can all do it!
But first, we must build strategic partnerships with civil society, the academe, business groups, and the private sector to ensure that our initiatives are cohesive and not fragmented. I would like to commend the DOST for actively engaging a diverse range of stakeholders in the preparation and development of the Harmonized National R&D Agenda 2022 to 2028—our roadmap for ensuring that our science, technology, and innovation endeavors lead to maximum economic and social benefit for our people.
Our Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Code also recognizes the establishment of research facilities as eligible projects under the PPP. These facilities will not only provide the infrastructure needed to conduct cutting-edge research but also serve as innovation hubs where ideas can thrive and contribute to sustainable growth.
Second, let us further leverage digitalization. On our end at the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), we are using modern technologies such as geo-tagging software for our Project DIME, or the Digital Information for Monitoring and Evaluation, which will track the progress of government programs and projects. This is not just an efficiency measure but also an anti-corruption measure, promoting transparency.
Third, we must invest in our people through scholarships, capacity-building, and structural support, aligned with our commitment to sustaining our progress in the GII’s 'Human Capital and Research' indicator, where we rose to 84th place in 2024 from 88th in 2023.
Of course, our National Budget supports R&D and innovation to nurture future-ready generations.
For Fiscal Year 20253, we allocated some Php 7.49 billion for the DOST Science Education Institute (SEI), covering the Science and Technology (S&T) Scholarship Program (Php 7.33 billion) and S&T Education Development Program (Php 88.25 million), while programs under the Philippine Science High School System have a total budget of Php 2.71 billion.
We have also allocated Php 3.54 billion for the DOST R&D Institutes, for research in fields such as nuclear energy, food and nutrition, and industrial technology, among others. Through these, we hope to have more Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) graduates and researchers empowered to lead our country’s journey toward becoming a global leader in R&D.
Another key indicator of the Global Innovation Index is the Gross Expenditure on R&D—an area where we made steady progress, rising to 71st place in 2024 from 73rd in 2023. I am confident that we can maintain this momentum, as supporting R&D and innovation has always been embedded in our Budget Priorities Framework since the beginning of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s Administration.
We are also actively working with academic institutions and the private sector to support the conduct of studies aimed at enhancing public service delivery.
Just last May, we engaged with the Ateneo School of Government and Unilab Foundation, and the DBM committed to assisting them in expanding their data gathering for research on local government health financing. Through this R&D collaboration, we are strengthening the government’s fiscal performance, which results in better public service because it is data-driven.
We also have an R&D consortium which was established in 2023 through the Mindanao, Sulu, Palawan Innovative Research and Development Consortium, or the MinSuPala-IRDC. This consortium unites 14 State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) from Regions IX and XII, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), working together to promote regional development through research, collaboration, and innovation.
The MinSuPala-IRDC supports the UN Sustainable Development Goals No. 2—Zero Hunger—by focusing on SDG-aligned research policy briefs and open data portals for evidence-based planning.
Building on this success, we have now expanded our efforts by establishing the “Mainstreaming Innovation for Agri-Fishery Research and Development Consortium - Zamboanga Peninsula (MInA RDC-ZamPen)” through the Memorandum of Agreement that we signed with the SUCs in Region IX just this July.
The new consortium is designed to strengthen the agri-fishery industry, drive investments in R&D infrastructure, and ensure that innovation reaches the fields, the farms, and the fisheries where it is most needed.
We also have one consortium in the Cordilleras to support the development of our country’s bamboo industry.
In addition, we continue to host study visits to provide an opportunity for our college students to learn how we promote the sound, efficient, and effective management of our government resources, right within the halls where key decisions in public financial management are made. As we transform our spaces into avenues for learning, we cultivate a new generation of inspired and well-informed public servants.
Finally, as Chair of the Philippine Open Government Partnership (PH-OGP), we are upholding open data principles to enable citizens’ meaningful participation in governance. We are intensifying efforts to advance the legislation of the Right to Information (RTI) Law, which will also empower researchers by giving them access to vital government data, laying the groundwork for evidence-based decision-making, program implementation, and policy development.
So today, as we stand at a critical juncture—just a few days before the 20th Congress convenes for its first session—I urge all of you to join us in amplifying the call for the passage of the Right to Information Law.
Through these initiatives, the PBBM Administration demonstrates its full commitment to upholding a research and development landscape that will truly help us fulfill the potential of our nation.
I believe that together, we can unlock the full potential of our R&D sector to build a Bagong Pilipinas where research fuels progress, strengthens public trust, and drives people-centered governance.
Thank you very much! Mabuhay ang Bagong Pilipinas!
END
References:
[1] https://www.wipo.int/web-publications/global-innovation-index-2024/en/
[2] https://www.bain.com/insights/better-faster-cheaper-how-digital-transforms-r-and-d/
[3] https://www.dbm.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/GAA/GAA2025/VolumeIB/DOST/DOST.pdf
