MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday called on Filipino scientists and researchers to broaden their field of expertise, collaborate with other experts, and inspire Filipino youth to pursue careers in science and technology.

This, as the Philippine leader noted the importance of scientific research in coming up with evidence-based solutions needed in navigating the post-pandemic world.

Marcos, who once admitted to being a frustrated scientist himself, made the statement as he delivered a speech during the 2023 Scientific Conference and 90th General Membership Assembly of the National Research Council of the Philippines held at the PICC.

During his remarks, Marcos acknowledged the invaluable role of Filipino scientists and researchers in helping the country overcome the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are starting to feel the diminishment of the problems that we have been feeling during the pandemic but your invaluable contribution form part solid foundations of all that we did for our society. On behalf of the entire Filipino nation, we thank you,” he said.

“Because after all, it was science that helped us work through the pandemic, it was science that brought to us the cures that we were looking for, it was science that developed vaccine, it was science that made us understand what we are facing, the unseen enemy of COVID. It was science who provided the answers, and it will continue to be science as we are continuing down the path of the high technology.”

Marcos said that the entire country would continue to look up to its researchers and scientific institutions “for the different solutions needed to face this new world following the pandemic."

“And so I encourage you all to continue broadening your field of expertise collaborate with all other experts, inspire Filipino youth especially to pursue fulfilling careers in Science and Technology," he said.

“Imagine what we can accomplish together once we light our path with the foundations of science, sustainable agricultural technology that will help our farmers, cities that will run on green energy, safe and affordable medicines for diseases that were once thought as incurable, amongst many other successes that we have seen from scientific field,” he continued.

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