Physics Research for the People A draft orientation orientation paper of Physics Physics Research Group Group I. Introduction The state of science and technology determines part of the socio-economic progress of a country. It is a wellknown fact that national progress is highly correlated to the capacity of a country to produce local industrial goods for domestic needs and that industrialization is very much dependent on the capacity of a country to use science and technology to process locally-found raw materials into high-tech products and tools for households and other users. Physics being the most basic among the sciences must, therefore, be given important attention for a country to produce modern tools and products that can be used in other fields and activities. Given the right perspective, physics is an indispensable tool for farmers to improve their yield and modernize agriculture. Physics education shall do away the unscientific and superstitious beliefs of many Filipinos about their surroundings. As practitioners and experts in physics, physicists are part of the broader S&T sector that must be mobilized toward towards s nation national al progre progress ss where where the Fili Filipin pino o people people can enjoy enjoy the fruits fruits of modern modern scienc science. e. Hence, Hence, physicists and physics educators must unite among themselves in order to contribute to the realization of the democrati democratic c aspiratio aspiration n of the Filipino people. This unity can be achieved achieved through an organizati organization on that conducts physics research that aims to advance domestic production of important tools, materials, and equipment that is currently imported from multinational and transnational corporations and promotes physics education to as broad population as possible. II. Current State of S&T in the Philippines A. S&T Situationer There is a seemingly unanimous observation from Filipino scientists that the state of the country's S&T is backward. They cite the following reasons: According to the Technology Index of 1982, the S&T in the Philippines is defined to be -0.1 compared to the U.S., the world's technology leader, which is 100. The technology index is defined as the average of the sum of the number of patents and registration of new designs, technology trade, value added in manufacturing and the export of technology-intensive goods. The Philippines also ranks low in terms of technological capacity. This is seen in the shortage of scientists and engineers doing R&D (research and development), and of the inadequate national resources and budget devoted to R&D. All these factors translate to the minimal patents granted in the Philippines, which likewise indicates little or no economic significance. With regards to the type of basic technologies-technologies--Mater Materials ials Technology, Technology, Equipment Equipment Technology, Technology, Energy Energy Technologies, Information Technologies, Life Technologies and Management Technologies, the Philippines has only a pre-operative capability in the third-wave of development in these technologies. There is no significant research and development in the country. This is caused by the low number of personnel involved in R&D, the lack of adequate research laboratories and facilities, low output of scientific research publications, lack of funding and lack of government support for science education. The present R&D of the country is not focused in developing basic industries and processes. R&D in the country is limited to quality control, process alteration and marketing strategy. At present, there is no basic industry to speak of in the country – no pulp and paper industry, steel and cement industry. No significant manufacturing of these products is done in the country and these products are mostly imported.
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Due to the above, there is only a low level of technology used by local manufacturing firms in the production of goods. Since 1998 studies by the Federation of Philippine Industries show that Filipino manufacturing firms do very minimal research and development. This then leads to products of low technological input, which, if sold in the international market, would cost less than products manufactured with high technological input. There is a low quality of science and mathematics education in the country. There are many causes of this problem. According to the UP Institute of Science and Mathematics Education "many teachers do not have the content background required to teach the subjects they are teaching". Aside from unqualified teachers, the state of science education is made worse by lack of funding, laboratory and classroom facilities. A 1996 Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) revealed that Filipino 13 year olds ranked 37th out of 39 in mathematics and 40 out of 41 in science. This status did not improve during the 1999 TIMSS-Repeat. We can also site, in particular, the number of physicists with Ph.D.s as an indicator of how far behind we are in science and technology compared to other Third World countries. In the Philippines, we only have around 70 Ph.D.s in physics while Latin American country Brazil has around 3000, Mexico and Argentina 2000 and Cuba, Chile, Venezuela, and Colombia 300. In these terms, we are comparable to Costa Rica, Peru, Uruguay, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Panama, and the Dominican Republic, Republic, where the number number of active active physicist physicists s is finite but fewer fewer than 100. For comparison, comparison, U.S. is producing more than 1000 p hysics Ph.D.s every year. There is no concrete and comprehensive S&T plan for the Philippines and the S & T in the country does not efficiently address the basic needs of the Filipino (irrigation, seed technology and storage technology for farming, etc.) Scientists agree that one of the major problems of the country's S&T is its technological dependency on other countries--particularly from the US and Japan. In the main, the technological dependency of the country is rooted in its colonial past and the backward systems and institutions created by the colonial masters have not changed much since the declaration of independence in 1898. B. Situation of the S&T Sector As students, the budding scientists, technologists and engineers of our country are already at a disadvantage. Students find themselves with unqualified teachers, inadequate books, shabby laboratory conditions and the high cost of education. Underemployment, misemployment and the lack of available jobs hound college graduates. As professionals, our S&T practitioners receive low salaries and are deprived of the opportunity to improve their skills and hone further their technological knowledge. Basic Basic indust industrie ries s such such as pulp pulp & paper, paper, cement cement and steel should should be the main benefa benefacto ctors rs of scienc science e graduates of a country. Given the absence of such basic industries, and the lack of government interest in truly industrializing the country, our engineers are forced to become mere technicians and supervisors in assembly lines and our scientists and researchers mere teachers at universities. Even with the outstanding personal achievements of individual S & T workers in the Philippines, such have little effect in the betterment of the overall S&T situation in the country. Efforts by scientists and technologists to improve the state of the sector are frustrated by the lack of budget and genuine government support to improve the sector, and by foreign control over the R&D in the country. While some R& D is being done in private companies and big multinational companies operating in the country, there is little hope that these will ever be used for the benefit of Filipinos since these companies are mostly foreign-owned. As proprietary entities, it is in the interest of these companies to keep any innovations it develo develops ps to itself itself.. The The curren currentt Intell Intellect ectual ual Prope Property rty Right Rights s Law furthe furtherr preven prevents ts any meani meaningf ngful ul technological transfer from these foreign-controlled corporations to the Philippines.
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III. Science and Technology in the Philippines: A Historical Perspective Before Spain colonized the country, some indigenous technology existed with regards to wet rice and dry rice agriculture. The use of technology was also evident in the handicrafts, pottery, weaving, metal ware and boats used by an cient Filipinos. When the Spaniards colonized the country, they forever changed the lives of the native peoples. History shows us that the primary reason for such colonization was for Spain to obtain a source of raw materials which it shall then use for international trade. The entire colonial government in the Philippines then was set up for easy extraction of raw materials and faster production of goods that shall be traded by the mother country. Socio-political systems were created and designed to divide the country’s land, resources and people in order for the colonial masters to readily extract from the country any valuable resource it finds (e.g. the encomienda system, hacienda system). After three hundred years under Spain, the country had evolved into a colony largely exporting it raw materials and importing those that it cannot produce. Any local technological innovation was by far and large stifled by the importation of foreign manufactured goods. During the American colonial rule, the feudal systems established by the Spanish were maintained but this time, time, a farce farce "trading" "trading" system between the colony colony and its colonial colonial master was establis established. hed. Philippine Philippine raw materials of low technological input were traded for foreign finished products of high technological input. As the value of the country's export products are less than that of foreign finished products, trade between the Philippines and more advanced countries is basically unequal. This trade imbalance has caused for lesserdeveloped countries to incur loans to pay for this trade deficit. Such foreign loans grew steadily, as the balance of trade became more unequal. In order for the colonial powers to maintain their dominance in the world market, it was essential that other countries, including their colonies, do not develop its own system of manufacturing goods and services that shall compete with the goods produced by the mother country. For the Philippines, this would mean that no genuine program for scientific and technological advancement would ever be drawn up. After World War II and fifty years under American rule, the Philippines had slid down from being the second country next to Japan in terms of technological development to being next to the bottom of the barrel in terms of technological development in South East Asia. Even after 100 years of "independence", our country has yet to rid itself of the systems first created by the colonial masters and later on adopted by the succeeding Philippine governments. Until now, science and technology agencies created by the Philippine government still do not serve the needs of the Filipino masses. There has been little or no contribution to agriculture, our country's main mode production of which 75% of our population is engaged in. It has done nothing to spur rural industrialization, that which is very much needed by 85% of our population who reside in the countryside. To this day, we have yet to establish our basic industries--paper, cement and steel. We have yet to efficiently develop our infrastructure, energy generation, transportation, communication, information technology, and basic services (utilities, healthcare, etc.) The little science and technological innovation that can be made in the present situation is still in service of the old system of exporting raw materials in exchange for importing high-input finished products. This system is expected to continue should there be no sincere efforts to address the state of the country's S&T, and to seriously root out the problems of technological backwardness. Thus, until the vicious cycle of poor science education, backward science and technology, trade imbalance and economic subservience is stopped, the Philippines may well become the technological laggard of the 21st century.
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IV. Scientists as Advocates Scientists and technologists are essential in a developing world. They are one of the key players in a country's quest for industrialization. They are the lifeblood of research, innovation and have important roles in the industry and the manufacturing sector. Together with their roles in nation-building, scientists, too, have a responsibility to advocate for the betterment of S&T in their countries. For the Philippines, in order to halt the vicious cycle of technological backwardness and poverty, it is important that scientists and technologists themselves be aware of the sad plight of S&T in the country and to advocate for its improvement. This can only be done when scientists and technologists realize the need to educate, organize and engage their ranks in support of genuine national industrialization. It is likewise essential to realize that improving the state of S&T in the country can only be done successfully and meaningfully when linked with the efforts of other sectors to achieve genuine national prosperity and progress.
PRG – Advancing Physics Research for the People The Physics Research Group (PRG) is the realization of the need to unite the physicists and physics educators in order to effect social change towards national national progress. progress. PRG shall independentl independentlyy and/or and/or in collaboratio collaborationn with other sectors sectors within the scientific scientific community and the entire Philippine society as a whole conduct a long-term campaign to conduct and promote physics research and education to as broad population as possible along with a continuous effort to produce local experts in different areas in physics. Guided by a Constitution and By-Laws, PRG must vigorously pursue the following objectives: 1. promote and advance physics research and education; 2. encourage and conduct researches and educational activities that aims to promote the scientific culture of the Filipinos; 3. establish linkages with other organizations and agencies that support physics research and education; 4. initiate or participate in periodic scientific gatherings where research activities are reported; 5. advocate for national progress where physicists and other scientists are actively engaged in. Depending on the capacity of the group, PRG shall also conduct the following more specific tasks: Publication and Information Dissemination 1. publish publish a regular regular newsletter newsletter that report on the activities organized and/or participated by PRG; 2. form a journal that discusses established theories about nature and reports on updates of current researches by members and non-members of PRG; 3. write position papers and educational articles for newspapers and other publications; 4. hold public fora, roundtable discussions, and public seminar on important topics in physics; Projects and Extension 1. train local physics educators and help in the advancement of physics education in nearby schools and communities; 2. conduct direct community service and exposure trips; 3. draft project proposals for possible collaboration with other organizations and/or agencies; 4. establish regular tie-up with nearby communities and help in their development;
Sectoral and Multi-Sectoral Campaigns 1. organi organize ze a campai campaign gn to promo promote te and improv improvee physics physics education in the country; 2. hold public fora and group discussions on relevant issues that affect the sector; 3. make a comprehensive campaign plan and/or join mass actions on issues that affect the sector; Expansion and Strengthening of Membership 1. conduct orientation and educational discussions in offices of PRG members; 2. establish contacts in areas and/or offices where there are no PRG members; 3. consult all members on issues, projects, and activities of the group on a regular basis; 4. encourage all members to participate in various activities organi organized zed by the group and to sugges suggestt activi activitie tiess and projects where they can be in charged with or can contribute more on; 5. enco encour urag agee membe embers rs to cont contri ribu bute te to the the fina financ ncia iall requirements of the group;
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