INATASAN ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ang Department of Science and Technology (DOST)  na maghanap ng paraan para mapagkalooban ng karagdagang insentibo ang mga  Filipino scientists.

Sa idinaos na 8th Annual Balik Scientist Program Convention,  hinikayat ni Pangulong Marcos ang marami pang Filipino scientists na manatili sa bansa at ibahagi ang kanilang kaalaman at  kadalubhasaan.

“As we take advantage of the many opportunities available to us under what is becoming the new normal, it is important to highlight the critical role of the DOST, with the help of the participating Balik Scientists, to address the perennial issues in the country through research and development initiatives,” ayon sa Pangulo  sa kanyang naging talumpati sa Philippine International Convention Center sa Pasay City.

“You must continue to strengthen the implementation of the Balik Scientist Program and find ways to provide more incentives to encourage more Filipino scientists to come back to the country and share their expertise,”  dagdag na wika ng Pangulo.

Hinihikayat ng Balik Scientist Program  ang mga filipino scientists, technologists, at experts na bumalik ng PIlipinas at ibahagi ang kanilang  expertise  upang i- promote  ang “scientific, agro-industrial, at economic development” kabilang na ang development  ng  human capital ng bansa s alarangan ng agham, teknolohiya at pagbabago.

Layon ng programa na baligtarin ang epekto ng tinatawag na “brain drain,” paghusayin ang science and technology capabilities, itaas ang “flow of technologies” at i-promote ang knowledge sharing.

Ang  pagsasabatas ng Republic Act (RA) 11035 o  Balik Scientist Act noong June 2018 ang nagbigay daan para sa  DOST  na pagkalooban ang mga returning Filipino scientists ng “competitive benefits” gaya ng  daily subsistence allowance, health insurance, at roundtrip airfare.

Pinasalamatan naman ng Chief Executive ang mga  scientists, lalo na iyong mga nagbalik sa Pilipinas para sa kanilang hindi matatawarang kontribusyon sa bansa.

Kinonsidera ang sarili bilang “frustrated scientist,” tiniyak naman ng Punong Ehekutibo sa lahat ng Filipino scientists na ipagpapatuloy ng kanyang administrasyon ang pagbibigay suporta sa pangangailangan ng mga ito bilang kabayaran sa kanilang  “dedication, service, and sacrifice for our motherland.”

Nangako naman ang Pangulo na gagamitin ang agham bilang  “instrument of progress and prosperity,”, batid aniya niya na ang mundo ay nagiging  “more dependent” sa teknolohiya.

“It is very heartwarming to see that you have chosen to return to the Philippines to use your expertise to help improve the lives of Filipino people and I know that this decision in many cases has meant a potential loss of opportunities,” ayon sa Pangulo.

“You may always be assured that I and my administration will extend all support in making science and innovation an instrument of progress and prosperity for the Filipino. I suppose with the words that I’m saying you will be able to detect that I am a frustrated scientist,” dagdag na pahayag ng Pangulo.

Pinuri naman ni Pangulong Marcos ang  DOST para sa pagsisikap nito na lumikha ng oportunidad para sa mga umuusbong na  Filipino scientists.

Umaasa rin aniya siyang ipagpapatuloy ng ahensiya ang pagbibigay ng  “short-, medium-, at long-term” benefits para sa mga returning scientists at sa kanilang pamilya.

“These benefits include allowances, education assistance for their minor children, and participation in grants-in-aid projects, amongst many others. And perhaps, we will take even more initiatives because in this technological world, once again, we look to our scientists, we look to science to solve our problems, to show us the way to the future,” ayon sa Pangulo.

Sa kabilang dako, ang tema ng Balik Scientist Program Convention ngayong taon ay  “Kasangga sa Paglinang ng Agham at Teknolohiya para sa Maunlad at Matatag na Kinabukasan,”  binigyang diin ang piling “Balik Scientists’ activities, accomplishments, research contributions in different sectors, including health, agriculture, aquatic, industry, energy, and emerging technologies.

Samantala, hinikayat naman ni Pangulong Marcos ang  DOST  na mag-develop ng mas marami pang  inisyatiba para magsilbing inspirasyon sa mga kabataang filipino na isulong ang “scientific at technological courses.”

Sinabihan nito ang ahensiya na magbigay ng full support sa  Balik Scientists’ research projects at inventions para magsilbi pa ring inspirasyon sa  younger generations na ialay ang kanilang talento, kaalaman at lakas sa bansa.

“The Balik Scientist Program will have a very important part to play because we can always present to our young people, our young students, look at this Filipino who has made a name for [himself] and who has done a lot of good work and his or her good work has helped very, very many people,” anito.

“That role that they will play as a model for our young people is not an unimportant factor. So, let us also encourage our young people by showing them what career in science, research and development in what the work that is being done by our Balik Scientists and to motivate them to inspire them and explain to them that you can do this too,” dagdag na pahayag ng Pangulo.

Ipinag-utos din ng Punong Ehekutibo sa lahat ng nagpartsipa sa annual convention na patuloy na magtulungan sa isa’t isa  para sa “science and innovation” para sa kapakinabangan ng mga mamamayang Filipino.

“I encourage everyone here present to continue searching for more avenues to work with one another in employing science and innovation for the benefit of our people. We can no longer do what we used to do, the pandemic changed everything and that is why we must innovate, and that again is where science comes in,” lahad ng Pangulo sabay sabing”After all, even if we belong to different fields, we perform different tasks, we share a unified goal of achieving a brighter and more progressive Philippines for us all.” (Daris Jose)