To be an astronaut or a space explorer is one dream that a child aspire to become. A far cry for some Filipino students but history and modern science tells, that dream is just a step away. With the new advances in science technology specifically astronomy, an ordinary citizen can travel through space without the training that astronauts undertake – a space tourist.
The Philippines has been a witness to the space race of Russia and USA, but not just a witness. Filipinos has contributed considerably to space explorations like that of Ed San Juan, the inventor of the "Moon Buggy," a lunar rover.
In order to encourage Filipino students in this endeavor the Science Education Institute (SEI) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) has organized the recently concluded World Space Week, creating a series of space activities for elementary students.
Activities like the lecture on Climatology, planetarium show, Space Science Quiz Bee, visit to Weather Forecasting Bureau, night sky watching, etc. in the week long celebration were made in response to SEI’s commitment to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) invitation to participate in the international space education programs involving the youth. As declared by the United Nations General Assembly in 1999, the World Space Week is celebrated every year. This activity is a contribution of space science technology to the betterment of the human condition.
The space week’s objective is to popularize space education among students and teachers. Also, it aims to create awareness on the benefits of space technology and applications among the youth and to establish linkages and partnerships with space organizations and related institutions for possible assistance and collaboration in space science education programs and projects.
According to the Consultant to National Advisory on Philippine Space Education Program Hon. Leticia Shahani, "We all have dreamt that one day we’ll go to space. Now we’re already in the creative age, in fact today’s generation have the chance of going to space and be an ambassador to the Philippines and this space week is a way to encourage them."
"The Philippines needs their scientists substantially, not only space scientists but other scientists as well. We need scientists very badly, why? First of all we live in an archipelago; they’re saying that we are poor, walang budget, walang pera, which is really very sad. You know, our country is very rich. The land is rich, the water is rich but unless we have the tools of science to discover that wealth," she explains.
"Our ancestors were sailors, they sailed to Madagascar, Micronesia, Palau, etc. but they have no compasses to guide them instead they looked at the stars geographically, they studied the stars to be their guide," Shahani ends.
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