INTRODUCTION
The signing of the Science and Technology Scholarship Bill into law is an event of momentous significance because it signals a new, strong thrust in our efforts to develop our country’s science and technology (S&T) capabilities, particularly the creation of a multi-disciplinary pool of scientific and technological talent. With the target of about 3,500 scholars annually on science and technology under this law, we will soon be accelerating on our way to attaining the quality and the quantity of S&T scholars, while at the same time foster greater interest among the youth in science and technology courses.

A recent World Bank report states that:

“Japan’s rapid industrialization after the Meiji restoration was fueled by its aggressive accumulation of technical skills, which in turn was based on its already high level of literacy and a strong commitment to education. Korea’s relatively strong base of human capital in the early 1960s speeded its own industrialization.”

Given our people’s attachment to education, this is the position we would have been in as early as the 1970s, were it not for misguided government policies and corrupt political leadership.

Now that we have begun to put our house in order, science and technology is the cutting edge we must strive to regain.

Our ASEAN neighbors achieved NIC status, because, more than any other factor, they developed an adequate manpower capability in the field of science and technology. The development of their industry sectors has been propelled by a strong work force of scientists, engineers and technologists in various fields. In much the same way, to create the critical mass needed by our country, our schools must develop and expand science literacy and competence at all levels of the educational system.

We must do this not because I say so, or because government says so, but because this is where the needs are. This is what our people want to study so that they can gain well-paying jobs and participate in profitable enterprises. And this is where one can expect fair returns for his investments of time, effort and dedication.

To become a newly industrializing country by the turn of the century, according to one estimate, we need to produce per year a total of 10,000 engineers of various disciplines, 5,000 agriculturists, and another 5,000 professionals in other scientific disciplines.

In contrast, the need is much smaller for lawyers, accountants, and commerce graduates who represent three of the most crowded fields at present here and abroad.

The implementation of this law will give greater access to our bright but poor students to pursue careers in science and technology, and contribute to our technological capability building efforts. This is truly in line with government’s policy to level the playing field by giving greater opportunities to the underprivileged who are endowed with talent and creative minds but are hampered by financial constraints.

With the enactment of this law, our efforts to ensure the success of our shared vision of “Philippines 2000!!!” have been tremendously boosted. The scholar-graduates under this bill will be the ones who will man our industries, promote our competitiveness and provide the science and technology backbone of economic development.

Today we also re-enact the signing of RA 7686, the Dual Training System Law which welds together education and industry, and government and the private sector in an unprecedented joint enterprise to further enlarge the skilled manpower pool among our citizenry.

The approval of these two bills: RA 7686 and RA 7687, guarantees Philippine competitiveness in the Asia-Pacific region in the field of manpower development and science and technology capabilities.
THE BATTLEFIELDS OF THE FUTURE
It has been rightly said that science and technology is the new battlefield of the future. The race among nations will be for superior technologies that will produce winners in the international market. Innovation will be the key word for future products and concomitantly, research and development will be the driving force for growth.

The emergence of the Asia-Pacific region as the area of dynamic growth and development in the 21st century is now unfolding before our eyes. As one of the principal players in this part of the world, we intend to participate winningly and claim our share of growth. We will not be mere spectators waiting in the sidelines for a chance to congratulate the victors. We will compete and be among the victors.

There is no better time for us than now to prepare for our future through a strong foundation in science and technology. This law comes at a time when we have prepared the groundwork for our shared vision of “Philippines 2000!!!”, to make the whole nation one whole competitive force, which in turn will depend on a well-trained and productive population.
CLOSING
In closing, I highly commend the principal authors of these two new laws as well as the leaders of both houses of Congress for their new spirit of teamwork and productivity. To make the future happen now, we need an accurate perception of the future and an honest assessment of our capabilities with the end in view of supplying now what else we would need. These are what these landmark laws provide.

I also congratulate all the congressmen and senators who have acted with dispatch to help pass these important innovations to our educational system. The swift passage of these laws speaks well of the collaboration between the Senate and the House of Representatives on one hand, and the executive and the legislative on the other, in the pursuit of our people’s highest interests.

Let us maintain this collaborative momentum in regard to the other bills still needed to be passed to ensure that our national vision of a better life for Filipinos can be attained in our time.

Maraming salamat sa inyong lahat at mabuhay ang Pilipinas!