Overseas Filipinos in S&T promotion

Time and again, we emphasize the role of overseas Filipinos in sustaining the economy and laud them as modern heroes for bringing in huge remittances.

In 2005, the average remittances of Filipino migrant workers added up to more than half of the national budget, reaching an average of $8.5 billion or P475.5 billion a year. This amount is 18 times larger than the net foreign direct investments to the Philippines and 26 times bigger than the combined total US military aid to the country in a span of 10 year. In 2006, remittances amounted to a huge $12.8 billion and this year's remittance target is as high as $14.7 billion.

But apart from capitalizing on remittances, we need to look at their role—especially those involved in science, technology and engineering—as a conduit for harnessing networks for development and competitiveness.

We ought to give 'remittance' a new definition. Instead of focusing on the money that they may bring in to the country, we should look at the knowledge and expertise that they have learned and try to apply it to our local industries.

Filipino scientists and engineers abroad can help bridge the technology gap in the country. Focus must be on Science and Technology and research and development (R&D) as these are the sectors where we are greatly lacking yet the ones that will give the biggest return on investments.

The Philippines may take advantage of its status as a latecomer in technological innovation and learn and follow the technologies and practices of advanced economies. Here, we may apply World Bank's 3Ls for a latecomers' catching up strategy: Linkage, Leverage and Learning.

Filipinos working in the field of sciences abroad are already establishing linkages with these developed countries. Learning their technologies will improve our country's advantage and leverage. In the end, they will learn and apply these technologies in their home countries thus creating its own indigenous innovations.

Several Filipinos have done this already. We have Jimmy Itao of Industrial Control Corporation, the leading provider of products and services in the automotive, mining, electronics, pharmaceutical and petrochemicals and Joseph Allan Dilay of JAD Group Companies who heads transit-railways and civil engineering projects here and abroad. Both worked as engineers in the Middle East prior to establishing their own companies here.

They are good examples of overseas Filipinos who found success at home by capitalizing on the skills and knowledge they have acquired while working abroad, and sharing them to the country.