BEYOND BUDGET

Assalamu alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

Have you ever looked up at the stars at night and wondered what it would be like out there in space? I have. When I was a child, I would hear stories of terrestrial beings and unidentified flying objects. Such was the romanticized notion of space.

In school, we learned that remote sensing data and other space-based technologies have enhanced our understanding of the water cycle, air quality, forests, and other facets of the natural world. These technologies provide crucial information on the state of ecosystems, which offers unbiased support for ecosystem conservation and sustainable resource management.
 

Philippine Space Act
Hence, I am glad that we have the Philippine Space Act (RA 11363), which was approved in 2019. The Act establishes the Philippine Space Development and Utilization Policy, and creates the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA), the central government agency responsible for addressing national issues and activities related to outer space. PhilSA’s mission is to promote and sustain a robust Philippine space ecosystem, creating value for Filipinos and the world. Its powers and functions include policy, planning, coordination, improved public access, research and development, education and capacity building, industry development, international cooperation, and the establishment of a coherent strategy for the development, utilization, and promotion of Space Science and Technology Applications (SSTA) in line with the Philippine Space Policy. 

To support PhilSA, the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has been increasing its funds, from ₱179.404 million in FY 2022 GAA to ₱847.658 million in 2023. 

In the 2024 proposed national budget, it was allocated with ₱1.642 billion, or a 51.5 percent increase – 88.1 percent (₱1.447 billion) of which went to the SSTA Program, which is 41 percent higher than its budget this year. I believe this is essential to allow the PhilSA to fulfill its mandate that will benefit the entire country. 

Observing PH Space Week
I am pleased to learn that the country commemorated the first-ever Philippine Space Week last week from Aug. 8-14, through Proclamation No. 302, series of 2023 signed by PBBM last July 25. 

The Philippine Space Week, which coincides with the passage of the Philippine Space Act, aims to advocate for the benefits of space exploration and its impact on people's lives. In addition to this goal, the event aims to recognize Filipino contributions to space exploration and inspire present, as well as future generations, to take part in beneficial space-related activities for the nation.

With the theme “#YamangKalawakan tungo sa maunlad na kinabukasan,” the PhilSA celebrated its fourth anniversary during Philippine Space Week. As PhilSA Director General Joel Joseph S. Marciano Jr. explained, “Yamang Kalawakan refers to space capabilities, resources, and infrastructure, and space as an environment that we can use for the benefit of the Filipino people. The emphasis of the theme is on the significance of openings in the global space economy that the Philippines can develop and take advantage of to promote long-term prosperity.”

To mark the event, PhilSA inked five landmark agreements. With DBM, PhilSA signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to implement the Digital Information for Monitoring and Evaluation (Project DIME) to improve government property and infrastructure monitoring using satellite data and images. This will reduce on-ground validation efforts and ensure proper use of public funds. Here, we emphasized the importance of space science and technology in ensuring government projects and programs are implemented in their intended areas.

Meanwhile, PhilSA, LBP, and DOST-ASTI signed an MOU to collaborate on space data and analytics for financial applications; with DA-BFAR and DOST-ASTI, to collaborate to enhance fisheries management and application; with the Mindanao Development Authority, to collaborate on space data utilization for Mindanao's socio-economic development, and; with KOICA, to strengthen the Philippines' air quality monitoring capacity.
Philippine Space Development

In his SONA, PBBM announced the launch of two Philippine satellites, Maya-5 and Maya-6, as part of the STeP-UP project. These satellites will track weather, predict storms, assess soil, and water supply, analyze population shifts, and aid traffic management, geo-hazard mapping, and risk assessment.
Further, in a meeting with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and PhilSA in October 2022, the President expressed enthusiasm for the development and completion of the Multi-spectral Unit for Land Assessment (MULA), the largest Philippine-made satellite, set to launch in 2025. 
Thus, under the NEP, the government has provided ₱1.2 billion to be used for the second-year funding requirement of MULA Satellite Development to help assess environmental conditions for better disaster management and mitigation, as well as aid in preserving and enhancing the country’s socio-economic development through the utilization of space-related technologies. 

Indeed, with all these developments that will allow us to use space technology, things are looking up! Especially because we have a President who encourages the use of space technology. In December 2022, during the inaugural meeting of the Philippine Space Council (PSC) which he chairs, PBBM highlighted the importance of satellite mapping, which could have multiple applications. Hence, he directed that all agencies have access to useful satellite mapping data and for the PSC to maximize the country’s tie-up with international agencies involved in imaging that may be useful for the country. 

Beyond budget, we are exploring all our options — including options that require satellite technology— to improve bureaucratic efficiency and ensure transparency and accountability. I am one with the President in supporting the PhilSA’s missions in fulfillment of the Philippine Space Act. As long as it will support our economic transformation and Agenda for Prosperity, let's extend our fiscal space to outerspace!

(Amenah F. Pangandaman is the current Secretary of the Department of Budget and Management.)