From the
Philippine Daily Inquirer.
Filipino scholars abroad should return to the Philippines and share what they have learned to help improve the country’s academic and industrial sectors, a lawmaker said Wednesday.Senator Edgardo Angara is also calling on the national government to help local agencies involved in education. Angara, who heads the congressional committee on science, technology and engineering (COMSTE), said he was concerned about the Filipino scholars abroad who would not return to the country after they have completed their studies.Bringing in more Filipino experts in research and development fields, including IT, will enhance the country’s scientific infrastructure, Angara said.One of the endeavors he is also promoting is for local universities, the Department of Education, Commission on Higher Education and the Department of Science and Technology to build more partnerships with foreign schools for exchange student and scholarship programs.In particular, partnerships with developed countries like Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea and Hong Kong should help augment these exchange student and scholarship programs.Just recently, Angara signed a memorandum of agreement with the government of Taiwan to send 75 graduates in engineering degree holders and 25 doctorate degree holders to study and be trained in Taiwanese universities. "Let's make our students abroad feel they have the support and commitment of the government. Upon completion of their studies, we must provide them venues where they can put their expertise to good use, making sure that we adequately compensate their educational qualifications and international experience," Angara said in a statement.What a big joke. I wonder what Senator Angara is smoking. Support and commitment of the government? Give me a break. They can't even support and give commitments to those who graduated locally, what more those who come back? It's not like those who graduated locally are any less capable compared to those who graduated abroad. In fact, a lot of multi-national companies hire local graduates and trains them abroad for their benefit.
Nobody who has already established himself abroad is dumb enough to return to the Philippines unless they actually see real change in the government. There are no real jobs for scientist and engineers in the Philippines. If you work abroad, the lowest position will allow you to own a home and buy a car. In the Philippines, even at middle management you'd be hard pressed to buy a decent home and car. Even if you did make decent income, how many middle management or upper management position is available?
And what is Angara saying? Work for the government? The only people in government who are making decent money are the politicians. The rest just scrape by or make extra from "grease money".
What clouts do scientist and engineers have in government? None! If they did, the flood caused by Typhoon Ondoy wouldn't have happened. We would have better roads and infrastructure. But no, engineers are scientist are just there to sign stuff that the governor/mayor wants done with no heed for proper protocol.
What's worst, the so called scientists who are probably in their 50s running DOST and other government facilities are dimmer than a busted light bulb.
Unless there's real change to the government and the Philippine system of doing this, this is just not going to happen.
So, to Senator Angara, your call to these scholars are a pipe dream. Stop smoking those weeds you're smoking because you're starting to hallucinate.
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