Dear Dick: What Changed in the Philippine Science Environment

It’s a busy day in the streets of New York City. January 9th, 1964. Richard H. Nolte enters the towering building of the Institute of Current World Affairs. His mail compartment creaks as Richard Nolte retrieves a letter from inside—a letter from C.H.G. Oldham.

It’s a follow-up letter, a sequel to Oldham’s write-up regarding the state of science in the Philippines. He opens the envelope, and a nine-page typewritten document is presented before him.

“Dear Dick…”

A long anthology of snags and mishaps in the Philippine scientific community follows the friendly greeting. Oldham narrates his experiences with Senator Manahan and his predicament with the senators who vied for more prestigious committees, leaving him with no choice but to spearhead the Science committee. The author of the letter also reports his discovery that most science teachers in the country have no competence in the subjects that they taught, the laboratory facilities are “inadequate,” and the textbooks are deficient in supply. He also emphasizes the lack of quality research in the Philippines, stating that “important studies are not completed or [even] started” due to lack of funds.

After paragraph upon paragraph of commentary about the state of science in the Pearl of the Orient, Oldham ends his letter with the statement that the Philippines has been developed enough to have an impact in scientific research, yet the country was still “a young and somewhat turbulent democracy whose public generally does not appreciate the potential value of science… there is no social demand for research” (Oldham, Science in the Philippines II: Problems and Opinions)

The Frustrations of the Filipino Scientist

Fast forward to the present. Societies have changed, presidents came and went. Change was, and still is, a constant aspect of the Filipino experience, but is change the word to use when describing the problems Oldham disclosed?

In the section “The Frustrations of the Filipino Scientist,” the writer shared the Filipino scientists’ dilemmas. Part of this is the lack of quality science education in the Philippines. This problem appears to have been solved due to the establishment of numerous science centric schools such as the Philippine Science High School system, yet the problem still prevails. Scholars of these high schools are perceived as these uber-intelligent superior beings to the lowly public-school students, and this creates a rift in the connection between the young “scientists” to the masses. A few thousand out of millions of Filipinos are chosen to study in these exclusive institutions, and in the future, this may contribute to the problem of the social stratification of science communication audiences, where scientific news and principles were only communicated to those already interested or proficient in science, a major problem as stated by Navarro and McKinnon (2020).

The Need for Research in the Philippines

Another prevailing problem in the country is the lack of funding for research. CNN Philippines reported a significant budget cut of Php 76,000,000 in research and development. In the said report, it was mentioned that the Philippines was still lagging behind the research and development, a key part in Oldham’s letter. A lack of basic research funding was noted in an article by Ilano, quoting Jaime C. Montoya, president of the National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP), that “Our goal is to focus more on basic research because this is the foundation for applied science. It would help a lot if we are able to access government funds.”

Research has scopes and limitations, and some studies may not be applicable to local conditions, which is why we need Philippine-based studies, but these need funds that the government still does not provide.

Forces Opposing the Introduction of Science and Technology

Many other aspects influence science communication, or the lack thereof. One of these is language barriers. Many of the available resources are written in English, and complex words and concepts are explained with deeper words of the language. Some scientific principles also do not have corresponding Filipino words, making it hard for the public to understand.

Another issue is the lack of representation of scientists in Filipino societies, as well as the high price that comes with studying science-related courses. Additionally, scientists are paid low worldwide, making it not a suitable career path for many. The education system, in general, is a mess, with teachers who, themselves, do not understand the principles they are teaching, thus giving their students misconceptions and possibly inaccurate information.

Dear Dick

The letter to Dick Nolte was written more than 57 years ago, yet many of the problems stated there still exist today. Some may not be in the same form, but the root of the setbacks is still prevalent today. Science continues to be barely visible in the community, and we still have a long way to go in terms of science communication.

The government is one of the key things that decide whether we receive better science communication, and our leaders are the ones who decide where the people’s money is allocated.

We need not be discouraged, instead, we need to be inspired to do better. The youth of today are continuing to progress in terms of scientific thinking, and the rift between scientists and the masses is slowly being reduced, and when it’s their turn to face these challenges, it’s their responsibility to learn from their predecessors, assess what they did wrong, and come up with a solution. An open mind and a will to learn is the first step to development, so when we write to our own Richard Nolte in the future, we can say that “Dear Dick, we now have a society that appreciates the potential value of science, and we have succeeded.”