BALER, Aurora, Philippines — Senator Edgardo J. Angara, who hails from this small capital town, reiterated his call for the national government to invest heavily in Science and Technology (S&T) to solve the employment problems in the country by creating more employment opportunities in high-value jobs and industries in the said field.

“Infrastructure projects are important, but they should not be the only source of new employment. How many more jobs will these projects generate once they reach their end? If we invest in S&T now, we increase our national portfolio for creating high-value jobs that are home-grown and more sustainable in the long run,” Angara explained.

Angara, chair of the Congressional Commission on Science & Technology and Engineering (COMSTE), noted that the recently released Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2011-2016 highlighted the review of investments in science, technology and innovation (STI) human resources to directly link them with strategies in retaining the “best” and “brightest” Filipino STI talents. The PDP listed this as part of the drive to create a culture of competitiveness.

“Many studies have shown the close relationship between S&T innovation and economic development. Social transformation should therefore include a clear S&T strategy that involves close collaborations between industry, the academe and the government. The government should consider forming PPPs for S&T,” he added.

Angara also urged the government to prioritize job creation, especially for the fresh graduates who have difficulty securing employment.

“For example, the thousands of registered nurses in the Philippines could be sent to work in the rural areas, which are much in need of skilled health professionals,” he said, referring to the RN HEALS project by the Department of Labor and Employment which deploys nurses to the local government units in rural areas.

Angara also authored S.B. No. 2629, which will establish a Local Health unit in each municipality and a Rural Health Unit in each town with a team of at least two nurses.

The lawmaker reiterated the importance of R&D investments in leapfrogging economic growth and competitiveness. Recently, Angara called on the DoST to spearhead the creation of more technology business incubators in the campuses of the country’s technology-oriented universities.

The veteran legislator also called on the Aquino administration to institute nationwide reforms not only in the areas of science and technology, but also in education and agriculture to boost thecountry’s infrastructure and human capital.