Many would recognize the iconic line of “Space the final frontier…” from the sci-fi series Star Trek (1966-1969), one of many pop-culture moments that imagined what life would be like once humanity has set foot amongst the stars. For many, moments like these have inspired them to one day set foot among the cosmos as well, leading them to learn and study more about the technologies that one day may get them there.
While taking in the vast expanse that is our universe, humanity has tried time and time again to comprehend the many elements hidden within. We once turned to gods and deities to bring society to order and hopefully make sense of the world around us, until we eventually forged our own tools to survive and decode its complexities—creating the space for us to explore the infinity and beyond.
Sadly, such a reality is quite far from reach for many Filipinos who have decided to pursue their studies within the country. Speaking from experience, only disappointment and disheartenment awaited after realizing that, while my dream course BS Aerospace Engineering was accessible to me, the prospects of ever finding a job within or even outside the country were slim.
In a country whose government’s interest in the sciences is only to keep up appearances, the grimness is palpable. Whether it is the field of aerospace or other more specific fields of science, such as nuclear engineering, molecular biology, geophysics, and other niche fields—the reality is that even securing a spot in these programs is rare, post-graduation job prospects is rarer.
National institutions and companies backing these disciplines are scarce. Meanwhile, foreign firms might view out educational quality as subpar—as seen when Dr. Albert Causo, a Filipino robotics expert and CEO of Hand Plus Robotics in Singapore, opted to establish a subsidiary of their company in Malaysia instead due to the lack of qualified robotics engineers in the Philippines.
This is not to discredit scientists in the country as they have notched several scientific discoveries over the years, but achieving them has also required overcoming some incredibly difficult challenges.
Take Dr. Jayson Cosme of the University of the Philippines Diliman’s National Institute of Physics. His study of the “birth of a torus” phenomenon in a quantum system required collaborating with Germany to access the facilities needed to complete his work. They noted that Filipino quantum physicists must first build international networks abroad before they can contribute locally.
Similarly, Dr. Andrea Anas and Dr. Donna Guarte-Valida grappled with non-scientific hurdles in their research. Anas had to source materials and supplier quotes for natural products from the Philippine biodiversity with anticancer and antimicrobial potential. Guarte-Valida faced parallel logistics studying marine biodiversity in Baybay City and nearby Leyte municipalities.
The road ahead for the progression of science and technology in the country is plagued: from unequal access to quality education, and extending to the professional scene, where a lack of infrastructure and government support is a major hindrance to making scientific breakthroughs.
From 2020 to 2024, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) endured repeated budget cuts. Although the 2026 national budget has allocated P30.4 billion for this department, it still roughly represents 0.45% of the total budget. This falls short of the specialists’ calls to allocate 2% of the gross domestic product to research and development (R&D), as well as science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
The goal of science is to be in the service of humanity, but science alone cannot improve the quality of life in the Philippines as long as there is no adequate government support for the STEM sector.
In a world where science and technology are slowly reshaping everything that we do, it is imperative that we must prioritize it beyond optics. As a third-world country, it is understandable that our focus lies more on the general applications of science, but in today’s world, that simply is not enough. Progress in the country has been halted for decades by band-aid solutions and ineffective programs. When even the basic plans fail, maybe it is time to look into the specific problems head-on.
Small breakthroughs may seem to benefit only a few; however, when you look at the bigger picture, as more and more research is done, they all add up and converge into building blocks for long-term solutions that benefit the country as a whole.
Editor’s Note: This article was first issued in the January to May 2026 Second Semester Newsletter of Atenews.
