DoST: RP S&T brain drain below critical level

MANILA, Philippines - There is no dearth of science and technology professionals in the country despite the relentless emigration of science and technology graduates, the Department of Science and Technology (DoST) said Monday. In a press statement, the DOST said their soon-to-be published study, “Emigration of Science and Technology Educated Filipinos (1998-2006)”, showed that only 23.13 percent of the total science and technology pool went abroad to seek employment. “Despite a considerable permanent loss of manpower in science and technology, the stock of professionals in this field has not reached critical level,” the study said, adding that of the 107,548 registered science and technology professionals in the country, only 24, 871 science and technology graduates seek employment abroad. The study was conducted by the DOST-Science Education Institute in cooperation with Commission on Filipino Overseas (CFO). In the said study, nurses account for the largest number of science and technology emigrants, with 13, 973 of the 40,138 registered nursing professionals leaving the country. This is followed by civil engineers (2,575), teachers (2,271), mechanical engineers (2,031), electrical engineers (1,683), medical technologists (1,570) and pharmacists (768). The study said United States of America is the most favored country of destination of Filipino emigrants, with 17,465 science and technology professionals settling there. This is followed by Canada (4,947) and Australia (972) while the rest are to other countries (1,307). The study said the rise of nursing graduates going to developed countries like the US is a natural consequence of the preference of their locals pursuing business and careers in information technology (IT). “In the demand side, many developed countries have experienced major skilled labor shortages because of numerous factors like high demand in certain sectors and lack of adequate training facilities,” the study said. The study noted that migration of engineering graduates could be due to “general trends of using technology for increased global competitiveness and productivity by many foreign multinational corporations, more business ventures into knowledge-intensive industries, expansion of service sectors which increase demand for S&T personnel, and skills shortages making salary higher in IT and computer-related employment services.” Dr Ester B. Ogena, DOST-SEI director, said the government is trying its best to further develop the country’s science and technology professionals by offering them with scholarships. Ogena said the government has the Accelerated Science and Technology Human Resource Development Program (ASTHRDP) and the Engineering Research and Development Technology Program (ERDTP) to entice the graduates to pursue post-baccalaureate studies. She said the ASTHRDP and the ERDTP are the agency’s contribution to help improve the Philippines’ global competitiveness and capability to innovate through alternative approaches on human resource development in science and technology. “We believe that developing the human resources of science and technology in the country would provide the second wind to sustain the economic growth of the country. Creating a larger pool of researchers and engineers would provide newer products and processes that would take our industries to a higher level of development,” she said. Ogena said that the graduate scholarships are also in line with the implementation of the research agenda outlined in the National Science and Technology Plan (NSTP) and the Medium Term Philippine Development Plan (MTPDP). “Through these scholarships, we could provide accessible graduate education and attain a critical mass of MS and PhD graduates which shall develop a culture of research and development in the country,” she said. - GMANews.TV