DOST, NEDA get ‘Pagtanaw 2050’ sci-tech innovations

MANILA – A 30-year Philippine Foresight on Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) was officially turned over to the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) on Monday.

The foresight called “Pagtanaw 2050” was a project of the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) and funded by the DOST for over PHP7.4 million.

“This will serve as a guiding principle that will enable the science community to assist in shaping the Philippines as a progressive archipelagic nation,” said DOST Secretary Fortunato de la Peña during the virtual turnover.

He said he got the inspiration upon seeing the Academy of Sciences Malaysia turn over their foresight to their science minister in 2018.

“So I challenged NAST to develop foresight for the Philippines,” he said.

This, he said, is very important not just for the science community but for the country as well.

“Pagtanaw 2050” is the first inter- and trans-disciplinal project STI foresight and strategic plans to harness S&T as tools towards innovations in products, processes, and organizations to attain a preferred and united future.

Due to Covid-19 pandemic restrictions, most of the activities instrumental to the development of the foresight were conducted virtually. These include the SWOT analysis, survey, scenario planning workshop, and development of the STI roadmaps involving 335 participants from different stakeholder institutions, public and private.

“This is also a compendium of STI outputs, global and emerging technologies. This will serve as a blueprint for all agencies to carry out their mandates,” de la Peña added.

NEDA Secretary Karl Chua acknowledged the need to continuously evolve to make the country more resilient. The foresight, he said, is an outlook of possible development scenarios.

The foresight will also help the country improve its Global Innovation Index ranking, he added.

Meanwhile, aside from the identification of global and national megatrends and societal goals, the “Pagtanaw 2050” also highlights around 200 technologies that will provide the tools to achieve societal aspirations through 12 operational areas.

These areas are blue economy; governance; business and trade; digital technology; science education and talent retention; food security and nutrition; health system; energy; water; environment and climate change; shelter, transportation, and infrastructure; and space exploration. (PNA)