FEU Public Intellectual Lecture Series | Dr Giovanni Tapang | Part 1
Summary
TLDRThe transcript highlights the underdevelopment of science and technology in the Philippines, ranking poorly in ASEAN for science and math. It emphasizes the lack of hands-on science education, with 35% of high schools lacking equipment, leading to a theoretical approach that hinders practical understanding. The country's economy is primarily agrarian with a declining manufacturing sector, resulting in a service industry that doesn't produce tangible goods. The script points out that the Philippines exports labor due to a lack of local job opportunities, and even with government efforts, the trend of low production and manufacturing persists. It calls for a focus on developing industries and integrating research and development into policy-making to address issues like unemployment and low value-added manufacturing.
Takeaways
- 🌱 The Philippines' science and technology sector is not yet at its peak, indicating potential for growth and improvement.
- 📉 The country ranks low in science and math among ASEAN countries, with a significant gap in preparedness for scientific careers post-K-12 education.
- 🏫 The lack of proper science equipment in schools, with only 60-65% of high schools having such facilities, hinders practical learning and experimentation.
- 🏭 The industrial capacity is limited, reflected in the lack of basic industries and job opportunities, with a flat production trend since the 1950s.
- 📊 The GDP graph shows a decline in agriculture and a stagnation in manufacturing, pointing to a reliance on services to fuel the economy.
- 📈 Services sector growth is notable, but it doesn't contribute to material production, which is essential for the country's self-sufficiency.
- 🔩 The country's main export, electronics, has a large import component, indicating assembly rather than manufacturing as the primary activity.
- 👨🔬 There's a significant brain drain, with many trained scientists and engineers seeking employment opportunities abroad due to limited local demand.
- 💡 The script emphasizes the need for policy changes and integration of research and development in industry to address the country's challenges.
- 🌐 International comparisons reveal that the Philippines has a lower researcher density compared to its neighbors, suggesting a need for more focus on nurturing local talent.
Q & A
What is the current state of science and technology in the Philippines according to the transcript?
-The transcript suggests that the Philippines is not yet at its peak in terms of scientific capabilities. There is potential for growth, but the country is currently far from being a leader in science and technology.
How does the transcript describe the performance of the Philippines in science and math among ASEAN countries?
-The transcript indicates that the Philippines ranks very low in science and math among ASEAN countries, being 45 out of 46 in science and 43 out of 45 in math.
What is the issue with the education system in the Philippines concerning science and technology as per the transcript?
-The transcript highlights that the education system in the Philippines is ill-prepared in science and math, with only 60-65 percent of high schools having science equipment, leading to a lack of hands-on experience.
How does the lack of industrial capacity reflect on the job market in the Philippines?
-The transcript points out that the lack of industrial capacity in the Philippines is reflected in the lack of jobs, as the country does not have basic industries to produce goods, leading to high unemployment.
What is the role of services in the Philippine economy as discussed in the transcript?
-The transcript explains that services, such as call centers and back-end offices, have taken up a significant part of the economy, providing jobs. However, these services do not produce material objects and are not indicative of a strong industrial base.
What does the transcript say about the manufacturing sector in the Philippines?
-The transcript states that the manufacturing sector in the Philippines has remained relatively flat since the 1950s, producing roughly one-fourth of the economy's needs, and is characterized by low value-added manufacturing.
Why does the transcript suggest that the Philippines is not an industrial economy?
-The transcript suggests that the Philippines is not an industrial economy because it does not produce a lot of goods domestically and relies heavily on imports for even basic necessities.
What does the transcript imply about the future of the workforce in the Philippines?
-The transcript implies that the future of the workforce in the Philippines is challenging due to high unemployment rates, especially among the youth, and a lack of job opportunities in line with educational qualifications.
How does the transcript characterize the agricultural sector in the Philippines?
-The transcript characterizes the agricultural sector in the Philippines as being in decline, with a significant portion of the population engaged in low productivity agricultural work, and a lack of modernization and industrialization.
What is the transcript's view on the role of research and development in addressing the country's challenges?
-The transcript views research and development as crucial for addressing the country's challenges, but notes that it is not well integrated into the thinking of policymakers and industry, leading to a lack of innovation and problem-solving.
Outlines
🔬 Science and Technology in the Philippines
The paragraph discusses the current state of science and technology in the Philippines, emphasizing that it is not at its peak potential. It points out the need for improvement and the significant challenges faced, such as the country ranking 45th out of 46 in science and 43rd out of 45 in math among ASEAN countries. The speaker highlights the lack of preparedness in science and technology among the youth after K-12 education, with most not entering STEM tracks. The inadequacy of science equipment in high schools is also mentioned, with 35% of schools lacking proper equipment, leading to theoretical rather than practical learning. The paragraph concludes by stressing the importance of hands-on experience in science education.
🏭 Industrial Capacity and Job Scarcity
This section of the script addresses the lack of industrial capacity in the Philippines, reflected in the absence of basic industries and the consequent scarcity of jobs. The speaker presents a historical view of the country's GDP, showing a steady decline in agriculture's contribution and a plateau in manufacturing since the 1950s. The reliance on imports for everyday items is criticized, and the country's status as a net importer of even its top exports, like electronics, is highlighted. The narrative suggests that the low labor costs lead to a focus on assembly rather than innovation, and despite government efforts, the trend of declining production and manufacturing continues. The services sector is identified as a job provider, but it is noted that services do not produce tangible goods, which are mostly imported.
🌾 Agricultural and Manufacturing Challenges
The paragraph delves into the challenges faced by the agricultural sector, where 70% of the population is engaged but only receives a small share of the economy's output. The stagnation in manufacturing is also discussed, with the speaker noting that the productive capacity has remained flat since the 1950s. The reliance on imports for basic needs is emphasized, and the irony of the Philippines being a top exporter of electronics while not having a robust electronics market domestically is highlighted. The paragraph concludes by discussing how the lack of production leads to a dependence on services, which do not contribute to tangible goods or industrial development.
📉 Economic Shifts and Labor Exodus
This section discusses the shift in the Philippine economy from agriculture to services, with a significant portion of the labor force working abroad due to limited job opportunities at home. The speaker points out that even basic jobs in countries like Saudi Arabia are comparable to entry-level construction jobs in the Philippines, indicating a willingness of Filipinos to take any job opportunity. The paragraph also addresses the issue of unemployment, particularly among the youth, and the lack of assurance that a good education will lead to job security. The need for manufacturing resurgence is mentioned, but the overall characterization of the economy remains one of low production and value addition.
🧪 Science and Technology Development
The final paragraph emphasizes the importance of developing expertise in science and technology and retaining talent in the country. It discusses the lack of funding and the insufficient number of researchers to absorb increased funding. The speaker highlights the low density of researchers and compares the Philippines unfavorably to its neighbors in terms of research and development. The paragraph concludes by stressing the need for better integration of research and development in policy-making and industry to address challenges such as sewage and transportation, and the importance of retaining scientific professionals to contribute to the country's development.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Science and Technology
💡ASEAN Countries
💡K-12 Education
💡Manufacturing
💡Agriculture
💡GDP
💡Services
💡Labor Force
💡Research and Development
💡Value-Added
💡Expertise
Highlights
The current state of science and technology in the Philippines is not at its peak, indicating potential for growth.
The Philippines ranks 45 out of 46 in science and 43 out of 45 in math among ASEAN countries.
Only 60-65% of high schools in the Philippines have science equipment, with the rest relying on theoretical instruction.
The lack of industrial capacity is reflected in the scarcity of jobs and the need for importation of basic goods.
Agriculture's contribution to the economy has significantly decreased since 1946, affecting a large portion of the population.
Manufacturing has remained flat since the 1950s, contributing to a stagnant economy.
The Philippines' main export, electronics, has a large import component, indicating a lack of local production capabilities.
The service sector has become a significant part of the economy, but it does not produce material goods.
Approximately 10-11% of the Filipino labor force works abroad due to limited job opportunities at home.
The unemployment rate among young adults is high, with more than half in the 18-24 age range struggling to find jobs.
The economy's inability to absorb the labor force is a significant challenge, even for well-educated individuals.
The lack of value-added industries is a barrier to developing science and technology in the country.
The Philippines has a low density of researchers, with only around 10,000 research scientists and engineers.
Many experts, including scientists and engineers, leave the country due to a lack of opportunities.
The need for research and development is not well-integrated into the thinking of policymakers and industry leaders.
Agricultural modernization and industrialization are not significant priorities in the country's development plans.
Transcripts
[Music]
and then let's discuss
what is the role the current role of
science and technology in the country
right now
and then let's ask ourselves what do we
need to do
it's easier to understand rather than
saying it's stunted and underneath it it
stunted urban so
because it did not have the opportunity
to grow
it did not grow as
[Music]
means that we can still do a lot this is
not yet
the peak of philippine
capabilities we can do a lot with what
we have we can do a lot
by improving what we have and therefore
there's a lot of things that we can do
with scientific values
the problem is we're not there yet we're
very far
from that position in fact we asked
uh surveys uh among
asean countries and our neighbors we're
actually going to be very hard
numerically number 45 out of 46
for science 43 out of 45
in math and therefore if you look at it
numerically high but you're
really at the end of the line they're
not really prepared to do science and
technology
and if they after k-12
most of them would not get into the
stamp track most of them will not be
scientists or engineers
so this is obviously an education
because obviously
as i've said earlier your filipino 13
year old is
ill prepared in science and math um
only 60 65 percent of our
high schools would have science
equipment
and therefore 35 percent will just
draw their experiments in the board and
tell
the students this is what will happen if
we had experiments
and that's not the way to do science to
do science
effectively you have to have hands-on um
experience in other words you cannot
imagine
electricity unless you see a light uh
light bulb light
you cannot imagine the cell phone until
you actually
fold the cell phone and use it you
cannot just describe that
and this is that is what really happens
not only in the basic science but even
in that life science
in many areas not only in the high
school
but also in the tertiary level
now in industrial growth it's much
more edited the evidence that i will
point to is
the lack of jobs
the lack of industries is one big
reflection of the lack of industrial
capacity
in the country we don't have basic
industries
we don't have any ways to make things
that we would be using
now and of course without industries you
don't have
jobs and without jobs you don't have a
future
and this is one of my favorite slides
it's a graph
it's a graph of the gdp the gross
domestic production of the
country in terms of production services
and public utilities
100 that's the whole economy and that's
from 1946 to 2008
there's a second part of the slide
the data is actually a trending trend
now the first thing that you would
notice is that
since after the war okay 1946
agriculture has been steadily going down
that's green
now agriculture is very important in the
country uh
because it's it's the way that we will
feed our dishes
now the fact is 70 of our people is
engaged in agriculture
7 out of ten is engaged in agriculture
and if you look at it in 1946 41
of our economy is agriculture right now
41
uh that 41 has gone down
to less than 10 and the problem
there is of course is that it's not that
we cannot just feed ourselves that's
one of the most evident problem for
students like you
the problem would be that the 70 percent
that is engaged in agriculture is now
just sharing a very very small five
that's not even the problem
the bigger problem the bigger problem is
in
production in the manufacturing part the
manufacturing part
that's the grey dashed line so
manufacturing first agriculture is equal
to the blue line which is production
so the manufacturing part that the
dashed gray line
is actually the ones that make the
things that we use
your computer your chair your clothes
your food etc the things that you use
and if you will see
after the war we don't really have
production that's obvious because all
industrial production has been destroyed
during the war
but it has steadily increased but just
plateaued
or stayed there at around 23
on the average since 1950s
so a productive capacity of the
philippines has stayed relatively flat
since the 1950s in terms of percentage
we were just producing
whatever we can we have produced in the
1950s
numerically you know in terms of number
but
in terms of part of our economy we
haven't really been
producing that much we're just producing
roughly
one fourth of our economy is in
production
and our problems
the problem of the lack of things that
you would be needing
in everyday life will be the problem so
you'll go to a mall all the things that
are important
not because by choice of course there
are very
posh malls there but because there's
nothing being produced here
everything will be imported you go to
asari sari store
not necessarily your trendiest place to
buy things
but you will not find anything that is
produced here
except for a very few items so even our
condiments even are i mean this is the
usual joke
even our toothpick is made outside
that's true
not just the toothpick most of the
things that you would use
now if there is ever any production here
is
mostly very small okay
not a very large scale production or
if it's being produced here then it has
a very large
import component what do you think is
the biggest export of the country
it's something that you cannot eat it's
something that you actually use every
day it's
hardest it's electronics
you you would wonder electronics so that
means if i go
in recto okay
then i can buy electronics at a very
very
um reduced price because it's it's your
top
export and therefore there must be we
must be awash with electronics but we're
not
okay that largest export has a very
large
import component in other words to
produce the electronics that we export
we import everything else what do we do
what do we add
all the things that we add is just labor
now the problem of course is
the labor costs here in the philippines
are very low above ambassador
etc and therefore you don't really do
any
science and technology anymore you just
assemble things you export them
that's it and that has gone
even after the government has tried to
recalculate changing baselines
the trend of going production going down
manufacturing going flat agriculture
falling
is actually the same so where
what has taken up our economy i mean
that means something is actually
giving jobs however small to our
economy no that's the services services
like
call centers back-end offices the
service crews that you actually
encounter in fast food
the rentals that you have etc these are
services
now what is the very distinct
nature services the problem with
services is that you don't really get
to hold anything from services you call
a call center
you don't bring home anything you get a
service
your rent house okay the rental itself
is a service
okay so the services services do not
really produce
material objects the problem of course
as i
said earlier if you need something it
will not come from services
man so that's the whole problem of our
economy right now
um we don't produce a lot we're not an
industrial economy
we're pre-industrial we're still
agrarian but backward at that
backward in the sense that even up until
now 2018
we still have people in doing
agriculture by literally pushing their
their their animals and literally doing
artisanal work
by hand
they do it themselves and that's a very
low productivity way
of doing agriculture now even if you
give them
tractors they don't really own the land
so nothing comes to them
so what do we do what do filipinos if
there's no jobs here
what do most of your um
uh detox ditas
do they go out they go abroad
most of our well 10 now around 11
10 to 11 of our filipino labor force is
actually outside of the country
and that's one way of finding jobs
but do you know how much the jobs in
saudi right now is
is actually the same as the entry-level
construction worker here in the country
that just means that people filipinos
would take any job opportunity even if
it's outside of the country
even if they don't have to come home
okay
and this headline is not surprising
anymore
right um that was that was last year
you can actually find um that this trend
has been
going up the joblessness uh
in fact it was surprising that even our
philippine statistics authority does not
report joblessness anymore
they report um the percentage of those
who have jobs it's a negative genome
but joblessness but this is actually
increasing
since the last few years now
most of you would be 18 to 24 right
or wish to be 80 21
where do i divide so half of you
it can be my left or my right will not
have jobs if you try to find
jobs right now in fact more than half
52 of your age range cannot find
jobs it doesn't matter if you're from
fau
from ust from ub or any of those top
universities because on the average
that uh you your age group
will have difficulties in finding jobs
and that's the
promise of um the job market
you can find jobs if you have a good
education but
in this economy a good education is not
a very big assurance that you will find
jobs
why it's not because you don't have
credentials
it's because the economy cannot absorb
the labor force that we're producing
right now
it's even the researchers in the
in in the government and
she's now a uh under secretary of elite
el dova in
the dti and she was being
she has been saying that we need to have
manufacturing
that they did try to have a
manufacturing resurgence
but this still is the main
characterization
of our economy we don't produce
things if ever we have production
we have extraction on one hand so we do
have mining
we do have sales at the other end right
but we don't have production in the
middle
so what do we do if you need metal if
you need
iron what do you
we do have iron ore we need iron in
buildings
but we don't actually produce iron bars
so what we do is to export the iron ore
and then buy it back that's why
okay because the value that that cost
there is because it
it tries to reflect the value added the
value added is
transforming that or to
to steal we don't have those value-added
industries here now value-adding is part
of
science and technology and engineering
if you have new processes to make
better steel then you can sell your
steel at a higher price
but do you really need methodological
engineers
do you really need any chemistry
because you don't really have that
production you don't have that need
maybe you would need structural
engineers because you're building things
but at the cost maybe you just need one
you don't need
thousands right you might need mining
engineers
but probably not those experienced
because all you need to find is the rock
and that's the problem so you cannot
really develop your science and
technology
because we don't have those industries
so what do we do we have low value added
manufacturing and low value added
manufacturing yesterday i was in an
electronics company
they import as i said earlier a lot of
their electronics
resistors capacitors all the parts here
all they do is to really put it together
you put them together and then make a
radio for your car make a
uh make a device for your um
for your computer et cetera we do
manufacture hard disks in the
philippines
so even the hardest computer is
sometimes made in the philippines
but all they do is to actually assemble
and most of our
production is in that state
so do you really need phds in chemistry
et cetera how many of those
that you will do and therefore it's not
surprising to find
scientists to go out okay it's not just
ordinary professionals it's even our
highly trained scientists and engineers
going out of the country
nurses as well okay medical
professionals
etc who actually go and
seek employment elsewhere reason
we don't really have places for them in
our economy they can participate in the
economy but sometimes not a scientists
or engineers
and if you actually look around and find
where are our experts there are
you will find in general were around
again very high
96 out of 139
well numerically i'm sorry um at least
numerically high but we're at the tail
end as well
and what this means is that if you're
looking for an expert
more often than not we cannot find the
experts
okay there's roughly around 100 100 page
decent physics
in the country okay and this is roughly
100 million
people that makes me a one in a million
guy
right
the weight will actually press on my
shoulders because there's
one million people in the philippine
center it's actually
depending on me to
decide or to give anything information
model anything in physics
that's not a nice thing to think about
and it's even worse for a lot of other
scientific professionals
if we're actually going to to add
together
all the scientists and engineers do you
know how many
are there that includes all the experts
here in
feu would you guess would anybody guess
there's only 10 000 in fact 9870
research scientists and engineers in
other words
those who are really engaged in research
you only have 10
000 in the whole country about 10
million
i know some of the people here in your
university
research fellows
you don't really have a lot of people
and therefore
it's very important that scientists or
science
students okay would actually try to
develop
and become more experts and stay here in
the country
so psy that includes everything science
chemistry
physics basic sciences economics etc
because if you stay here then you add
more
number to whenever the people would
need the experts right
the reason here is partly because you
don't really have a lot
of funding
but even if you double the funding
even if you triple the funding which the
government plans to do
okay you don't really have people to
absorb it
i mean you get more um sometimes
researchers if you don't have students
to
work with you you cannot do any
everything
okay the way to do it is that
you should actually generate and let
them
let the experts stay here the problem is
they don't have
places to go and
we only have like around one per 12 000
uh researcher density in the country
that's very far from singapore it's one
out of 164
okay but you know singapore is smaller
than manila
but thailand is a nice number to look at
has one-fourth of what we have
indonesia is a very large population has
one half of what we know
and vietnam as well the situation right
now where we're
in is that we don't have the industry we
don't have any program for
developing our the rural
area to industrialize the area
agricultural modernization is not even
a big idea
that is working in the agricultural
department earlier
they were talking about the sugar
shortage
okay and the solution was to import
not to develop our sugar production
but to input okay all ways to import
now the reason was given um
is that the they have to fill the need
immediately but that was the same thing
that they were saying a few years ago
so lagging along
and that's the same thing for a lot of
areas
the research and development is not
really integrated in the thinking
of our policy makers and even of
industry
if you look at if you ask industry do
you have any
thing to make do you have any research
and development
in your country in your company they
would say no we have very little
in fact the federation of filipino
industries says that they actually have
little or none research and development
in the country but those problems
of sewage
transportation etc can be actually
solved
okay by research and technology but
not just researching technology but by
better policy
[Music]
you
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