The country is lagging behind in technological advances because scientists engaged in biotechnological research lack the opportunity to hone their skills and need to be supported with a scientific infrastructure and adequate budgets to achieve their projects.

This statement comes in the wake of a clamor for the Arroyo administration to intensify biotechnology research, including genetic engineering and similar activities designed to improve crops, marine resources, and other agricultural products that would have a niche in both the domestic and foreign markets.

Dr. Saturnina Halos, chairwoman of the biotechnology advisory team of the Department of Agriculture (DA), stressed that government and the private sector must invest more in research and development and create career opportunities for scientists.

Halos' view is shared by many scientists, including former Agriculture Secretary William Dar who believes that the Arroyo administration should more than double the R2.7-billion budget for research and development (R&D).

Even as government is offering scholarship programs for science and technology (S&T), most of the science course graduates have opted for medicine or allied professions rather than venture deeper into R&D.

Those who did go into scientific research are active, not in the Philippines, but in the United States and other countries.

This mind drain has been especially deleterious to agriculture, which has the greatest potential for growth and development in a world that is plunging deeper into trade liberalization and struggling for food security.

"There is no dearth of university degree programs for science and technology where students can enroll. For modern biotechnology, however, there are currently three. The oldest program offering BS, MS, and PhD degrees is the Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Program at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City (UP-Diliman)," she said.

Halos said the program has graduated an average of 20 students per year since 1990. In the last 16 years, there should have at least 300 well-trained modern biotechnology graduates in the country.

"Where are they now? Most have gone into medicine and some in scientific research. Those who have gone into research are active not here in the country but in the US," she lamented.

Halos said the dearth of scientific manpower in the country is not due to lack of interest among the young, but more from lack of career opportunities especially in biotechnology.

"The solution to increasing the country's capacity for technological innovations is not just scholarship programs to produce the technical manpower but to create career opportunities for modern biotechnology in the country," she said.

Halos stressed the government policy should focus on creating career opportunities in modern biotechnology.

"Scientific careers flourish within university settings especially with the current policy of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) of requiring research outputs from faculty members, in public R&D institutions and in the R& D units of private corporations. Setting up R & D institutions however is not sufficient. What is more important is creating the right environment for scientific research to flourish," Halos said.

She added that scientific research flourishes in institutions where research output is the primary basis for career advancement.

"In a rapidly evolving experimental science like biotechnology, research output depends much on the institutional support provided by its administration. The facilities must be topnotch state-of-the-art equipment, reliable supply of electricity, good water supply, and most of all timely supply of high quality reagents. Existing government rules on procurement actually work against this need. The requirement for bidding to obtain the cheapest equipment and reagents work against procuring the best equipment and supplies for research. Reliable supply of electricity and good water is difficult to come by in certain areas of the country, thereby restricting the places where a biotech R&D institution can be located," she said.

According to Halos, in addition to the working environment, a system to award the most productive and most innovative scientists must be in place.

She also pointed out that the scientific career system for public institutions has been designed for this intention.

"Although a number of scientists have been awarded, the fact that an institution must look for the funds to support its own scientists to get into the system has not made the award widespread. The award after all needs additional funds for implementation," said Halos.