The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
The Duterte administration is looking at space technology as the new investment frontier for the country.
Science and Technology Secretary Fortunato de la Peña said areas where the government would like to have an impact, through space technologies, are national security and development, hazard management and climate studies, space industry and capacity building, and education.
He added the government has earmarked P1 billion for space technology from 2017-2018, after which the yearly allocation would be around P2 billion.
“How can we give our people early warnings when threatened by natural disasters? How can we make communities more resilient? These are just among the country’s concerns that can be addressed through space technology, de la Peña said.
The government invested around P840 million before the launching of Diwata 1, the first microsatellite designed and built by Filipinos, and deployed into orbit from the International Space Station on April 27, 2016.
“The initial strategy is to send our scholars abroad,” de la Peña said. “But the best strategy is to institute some academic programs here in the Philippines and that might involve the invitation of some foreign experts to help us start some of these programs. Eventually, we hope that we will be able to train our own.”
But de la Peña said that the Philippines, to be globally competitive, must have an environment conducive to aerospace companies willing to invest. Also, there has to be a clear national space policy committed to space industry, and strong international linkages should be developed.
He cited the lack of trained local experts in aerospace engineering and related fields, plus the country’s dependence on foreign satellites for data gathering, as the major challenges faced by the Philippines space development sector
Astrophysicist Rogel Mari Sese said the Philippines has the capability to become the hub of space technology and space applications in Southeast Asia where engineers, scientists, and industry stakeholders around the region can converge, instead of the country sending its professionals abroad to learn and be trained.
“The Philippines is looking toward building its own space industry. We are a little bit behind. But if we do things right, we can take the lead in the Southeast Asian region,” said Sese of the Philippine Space Science Education Program of the Department of Science and Technology-Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI).
Sese, also a member of the Asia Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum (APRSAF) Space Environment Utilization Working Group, said having a space industry in the Philippines would translate into jobs not only for astrophysicists, engineers, and others directly involved with the space industry, but also for support personnel.
“It has been said that we need around 800 aerospace engineers and scientists in the next 10 years. Studies have shown that for every person that is directly involved in the space field, there are four other people who serve as support personnel,” Sese added.
With a local space industry generating a lot of jobs, the brain drain that currently characterizes local manpower will hopefully be put to a halt, she also said.
Science and Technology Undersecretary Rowena Cristina Guevara appealed to Congress to help in this regard. “We are asking our lawmakers to approve two bills filed in Congress for the creation of a Philippines Space Agency and a national space development program for the next 10 year. I assure you, space technology is very useful for this country.”
House Bill 3637 and Senate Bill 1211 aim to legislate a Philippine Space Development and Utilization Policy and create a Philippine Space Agency.
Aside from the Philippine Science Education Program, the Science Education Institute is also in constant collaboration with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency for several space awareness programs for local schools, and is currently working toward including space education in the K-12 curriculum for both elementary and high school levels, among other things.
The DOST’s National Space Development Program for 2016-2026 focuses on key development areas such as national security and development, space research and development, hazard management and climate studies.
LUIS LEONCIO