The following article was published in today's issue of Inquirer.net. As a retired member of PAASE, I will support this project with all my heart and not with action. More Power to all Filipino-American Scientists in US and all over the world.
CALIFORNIA, United States—The Philippine embassy in the US through its San Francisco consulate on Saturday launched the very first Registry of Foreign-Based Filipino Scientists, Engineers, and Technology Entrepreneurs (Technopreneurs).
The Registry aims to recognize the outstanding achievements of Filipinos worldwide, especially in the fields of sciences, engineering, and technology enterprise development. It aims to recognize their outstanding contribution to their chosen field, and also to inspire the millions of Filipinos who have migrated outside the country and are continuously leaving the homeland for jobs and greener pastures to continuously excel and invest in their personal development.
This project is collaboration among the Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Science and Technology, and Department of Trade and Industry. Two private sector groups in the US, namely the Science and Technology Advisory Council of Silicon Valley (STAC) and the Philippine American Academy of Science and Engineering (PAASE) have agreed to support the Registry by encouraging their members to be part of this database and in promoting this to other organizations in the US and other countries.
The Philippines, through the examples shown by these three agencies of genuinely cooperating together, can come up with strategic approaches in coping with its challenges resulting from increasing fierce global competition.
The database will be lodged at the Philippine government’s website in the United States, with no less than Ambassador Willy Gaa together with Consul General Marciano Paynor ensuring that the database is made available in time for its launching, which coincides with the Celebration of the 112th Year Commemoration of Philippine Independence.
The Philippine government hopes to tap into the pool of exemplary Filipino scientists and techno entrepreneurs who are making a name for themselves outside their home country. The Philippines lags among Asean countries in its pursuit of major socio-economic transformation and advancement by cultivating its local academic pool.
It trails in terms of resources to match even the initiatives of its neighboring countries like Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, etc. Vietnam alone has embarked on a very massive human resource development program of sending 20,000 scholars for doctoral degrees who are expected to come back and man their industries and academic institutions.
Likewise, it is envisioned that those who will be in the Registry will lend their expertise, support, and whatever assistance possible for the Philippines to address its science and technology gaps and in developing a well founded technology-based industrialization for a better quality of life for all Filipinos.
The registry is one of the off-shoots of the Balik-Scientists project of the government which started in 1976 but somehow was over-shadowed by more pressing issues in the ensuing years. However, in the mid-2000, the three mentioned agencies, STAC, and PAASE have collaborated anew to make this new endeavor come to fruition.
Accessing the registry can be done thru the following steps: (1) log on to the website; (2) click the DoST Registry for Scientists, Engineers, and Technology Entrepreneurs; (3) accomplish the form online and submit; (4) acknowledgement/notification shall be received by the registrant through e-mail.
Registrants in the registry shall receive regular updates of the registry
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