Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City
NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. __________
__________________________________________________________________________
Introduced by Representative Hon. Christopher “Toff” P. de Venecia
__________________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
ESTABLISHING THE SCIENCE FOR CHANGE PROGRAM AND
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR
EXPLANATORY NOTE
In the last six (6) years, the Philippines’ scientific and technological indicators, based
on UNESCO benchmark, have improved significantly. According to UNESCO, for a
developing country, there should be 380 Researchers, Scientists and Engineers per million
population (RSEs) and the percentage of GDP expenditure on Research and Development
(GERD) should be 1%. The number of RSEs in the country has increased from 180 in 2009
to 270 in 2013, while the budget of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) has
increased from P5.7B in 2009 to P20.8B in 2017, with Research and Development (R&D)
budget allocation increasing from Php 1 Billion in 2009 to Php 5.8 Billion in 2017.
For the DOST Human Resource Development (HRD), the Philippine Science High
School (PSHS) and the Science Education Institute (SEI) have significantly contributed to the
RSEs. The PSHS increased the number of regional campuses from 11 in 2010 to 16 in 2016,
therefore providing one PSHS campus per region. The number of students in PSHS will
increase from 1,840 in 2009 to 8,083 in 2017, and 9,500 in 2021. The Science Education
Institute (SEI) increased the freshman intake of scholars from 1,250 in 2010 to 5,590 in 2015,
and has crafted the Grand Plan for S&T Human Resource Development such that the
Philippines will achieve 380 RSEs by 2022.
This bill seeks to institutionalise the Science for Change Program (SCP) of the
Department of Science and Technology (DOST) to significantly accelerate Science,
Technology and Innovation (STI), through an immense budgetary increase, especially in
R&D.
SCP consists of 4 components: Program Expansion 7 areas, New Programs in 6 areas,
the Grand Plan for S&T Human Resource Development, and the Accelerated R&D Program
for
Capacity
Building
of
Research
and
Development
Institutions
and
Industrial
Competitiveness.
August 9, 2022
12:50 pm
3390


The passage of this important piece of legislation will further boost R & D innovation
R&D and as well as significantly heighten the global competitiveness of Philippine products
and services in the hope to catch up with the demands of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
In view of the foregoing, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought
HON. CHRISTOPHER “TOFF” P. DE VENECIA
Fourth District, Pangasinan


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City
NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. __________
__________________________________________________________________________
Introduced by Representative Hon. Christopher “Toff” P. de Venecia
__________________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
ESTABLISHING THE SCIENCE FOR CHANGE PROGRAM AND
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in
Congress assembled:
SECTION 1. Short Title. – This Act shall be known as the “Science for Change
Program”.
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. – Article XIV of the Philippine Constitution
recognizes that “science and technology are essential for national development and
progress.” It declares that “the State shall give priority to research and development,
invention, innovation, and their utilization; and to science and technology education, training,
and services”. Likewise, the State “shall support indigenous, appropriate, and self-reliant
scientific and technological capabilities, and their application to the country’s productive
systems and national life”.
Towards these ends and in pursuit of excellence in the field of science, technology
and innovation (STI), the State needs to accelerate the development of STI in the country
through a massive increase in investment, expansion of existing STI initiatives, creation of
new programs, development of human resources in STI, and capacity building of research
and development institutions.
SEC. 3. Objectives. – The objectives of this Act are as follows:
a) To achieve a higher standard of science, technology and innovation (STI) and
contribute to the development of the economy and society;
b) To improve the welfare of the nation by prescribing comprehensive and
systematic policies for the promotion of STI; and
c) To encourage innovation and creativity among Filipinos, and come up with
products, technologies and solutions to pressing national problems, and gain a
competitive edge in the field of research and development.
3390


SEC. 4. Definition of Terms. – As used in this Act, the following terms shall mean:
a) Harmonized National Research and Development Agenda (HNRDA) refers to an
outcome-based agenda which identifies all the research and development (R&D)
programs and projects to be undertaken and funded by the government to support
the attainment of the key result areas of the government’s development
objectives, particularly those that aim to reduce poverty and empower the poor
and vulnerable; induce rapid, inclusive, and sustained economic growth; promote
the integrity of the environment, and enhance the country’s climate change
adaptation and mitigation capability.
b) High-tech equipment refers to any equipment using the most advanced and
developed machines and methods.
c) National Innovation Council (NIC) refers to the policy advisory body, established
by virtue of Republic Act No. 11293, or the Philippine Innovation Act, mandated
to formulate, develop, implement and monitor the country’s innovation goals,
priorities, and long-term national strategy.
d) Publicly-funded technology refers to any technology the development or
generation of which was funded, in part or in full, using government money or
resources.
e) Research and Development (R&D) refers to any systematic and creative work
undertaken in the physical, natural, mathematical, and applied sciences by using
methods in order to increase the stock of knowledge in these fields to devise new
applications.
f)
Science, refers to the systematic way of acquiring knowledge through observation
and experimentation.
g) Technology refers to the practical application of science.
h) Innovation refers to the creation of new ideas that result in the development of
new or improved products, processes, or services which are then spread or
transferred across the market.
i)
Technology licensing refers to a mode of technology transfer whereby a licensor
such as a technology generator or technology or intellectual property owner,
authorizes a licensee to use the technology under certain agreed terms and
conditions.
SEC. 5. Science for Change Program (S4CP) and Utilization Policy Framework. –
The formulation of the S4CP is anchored on the HNRDA which shall be regularly updated
based on the needs of the time.
a) In order to achieve the objectives of this Act, the following science and
technology (S&T) programs of the DOST shall be expanded:


1) Health Self Sufficiency and Responsiveness to Public Health Emergencies
2) Renewable Energy Systems & Bioenergy Technologies
3) Functional Materials for Alternative Energy Sources and Energy
4) Conversion and Storage
5) Nuclear Science for Energy, Health, Agriculture and Industry
6) Biotechnology, Nanotechnology, and Genomics
7) Climate and Environment Sciences
8) Nutrition and Food Security and Safety
9) Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries Productivity
10) Natural Resource Management and Sustainable Development
11) Transport Solutions
12) Industrial or Manufacturing or Mining Productivity
13) Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation
14) Science and Technology (Services for the Production Sector
15) Metrology, Calibration and Standards
16) Technology Transfer or Commercialization
17) Human Resource Development for Science Technology and Innovation
18) Nurturing a Culture of Science
b) The following new programs shall also be included in the Science for Change
Program:
1) Defense and Security Research and Development
2) Space Science and Technology
3) ICT Development, Electronics and Artificial Intelligence
4) Strengthening of Research & Development and Science & Technology
Services
in
the Regions through Infrastructure and Human Resource
Development
5) S&T for the Creative, Tourism, and Services Industry
6) New and Emerging Technologies
SEC. 6. Major Strategies of the Science for Change Program. – The S4CP shall
focus on the Accelerated R&D Program for Capacity Building of Research and Development
Institutions and Industrial Competitiveness which is composed of four (4) programs namely:
a) Niche Centers in the Regions for R&D (NICER). The NICER Program shall be
implemented to address the discrepancy in access to R&D funding among the
regions. Through the program, qualified higher education institutions (HEIs) in
the regions shall be provided with grants so they can undertake quality research
directed at promoting regional development with their existing capabilities and
resources. A proposed NICER should be a unique and collaborative project
between HEIs, and must be duly endorsed by the Regional Development Council
(RDC).
b) R&D
Leadership
Program
(RDLead).
The RDLead program shall be
implemented to help develop and strengthen further the research capabilities
of the academe, research and development institutions (RDIs), and other
government line agencies nationwide. To this end, RDLeaders who are local S&T
experts with strong leadership and innovative policy proficiencies shall be
engaged to train, direct, and support R&D goals. Academic institutions, RDIs,


and other agencies may engage the services of an RDLeader through a screening
and evaluation process to be conducted by the National Research Council of the
Philippines (NRCP) based on their respective needs and specifications. The
NRCP shall be the implementing agency of the RDLead Program.
c) Collaborative R&D to Leverage the Economy (CRADLE) for RDIs and
Industry. The CRADLE Program
shall
be
implemented
to
promote
technological advancement and innovation in local companies and to support the
growth of the Philippine innovation ecosystem. Through the program, the
academe or RDl in partnership with a Filipino company, shall undertake research
and development to improve the company’s products, processes, and services to
become more competitive in their respective industries. To ensure that research
outputs
from
the
academe
are
commercially
utilized
by
the
market,
beneficiary-companies under this program must provide at least twenty percent
(20%) counterpart funding and commit to adopt the technology that shall be
developed by their R & D Partner.
d)
Business Innovation through S&T (BIST) for Industry. The BIST Program
shall be implemented by the DOST to provide financial assistance to Filipino
private companies for the acquisition of strategic and relevant technologies so
they can undertake their R&D activities. The financial assistance shall be used
solely for the purchase of high tech equipment or to secure technology licensing
or patent rights and shall be refunded to the DOST without interest.
SEC. 7. Formulation and Submission of the Science for Change Program (S4CP)
Plan. – The DOST shall formulate the five-year S4CP Plan in coordination with other
relevant government agencies, including state universities and colleges, and representatives
from the private sector undertaking R&D. The Secretary of DOST shall submit to the
President, for approval, the Science for Change Program Plan within ninety (90) days from
the effectivity of this Act.
A successor S4CPPlan shall be formulated and submitted to the President for
approval at least three (3) months prior to the expiration of the existing S4CP Plan.
SEC. 8. S4CP Program Management Office (PMO). – The Project Management
Office for the Science for Change Program (PMO-S4CP) shall be created and placed under
the supervision of the Office of the Secretary of the DOST. The PMO shall ensure the
effective and efficient implementation of the Science for Change Programs. It shall perform
coordinating and Secretariat functions and promote the various S4CP programs. The
Secretary of the DOST shall formulate the staffing pattern of the PMO in coordination with
the Department of Budget and Management and in accordance with rules and regulations of
the Civil Service Commission.
SEC. 9. The Harmonized National R&D Agenda. – The DOST shall, in consultation
with government research institutions and other agencies concerned, formulate a HNRDA
and a
program for technology adoption for the government in accordance with the priorities
of the Philippine Development Plan. The proposed HNRDA shall be submitted to the
National Innovation Council for approval. The DOST shall certify that all the publicly


funded R&D projects form part of the HNRDA and included in our Harmonized National
R&D Agenda under the annual General Appropriations Act.”
The DOST shall submit to the Department of Budget and Management, the Speaker
of the House of Representatives, and the President of the Senate of the Philippines, either in
printed form or by electronic document, a copy of the approved HNRDA. The Secretary of
Science and Technology and the agency’s web administrator or an equivalent officer shall
ensure that the approved HNRDA is posted on the agency’s website.
SEC. 10. Mandatory Adoption of Publicly-Funded Technologies. – All publicly-
funded and generated technologies whenever feasible and practicable shall be utilized by all
government entities or instrumentalities. All national government agencies, government
owned and controlled corporations, state universities and colleges, and local government
units conducting science and technology development projects shall adopt publicly-funded
technologies.
SEC. 11. Science for Change Program Fund (S4CPF). – All donations, contributions,
grants, bequests, or gifts, in cash or in kind, for the S4CP shall be placed into a fund to be
known as the Science for Change Program Fund: Provided, That, acceptance of grants,
bequests, contributions, and donations from foreign governments shall be subject to the
approval of the President of the Philippines, upon recommendation of the Secretary of the
DOST and the Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs.
SEC. 12. Appropriations. – The initial amount for the implementation of this Act
shall be charged against the current year’s appropriations of the DOST. Thereafter, such
funds as may be required for the implementation of this Act shall be included in the Annual
General Appropriations Act.
SEC. 13. Annual Report.
–
The DOST shall submit an annual report on the
implementation of the S4CP to the Office of the President and to the Committee on Science
and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Senate.
SEC. 14. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – Within One hundred eighty (180)
days from the effectivity of this Act, the DOST shall formulate rules and regulations for its
effective implementation.
SEC. 15. Separability Clause. – If any part or provision of this Act is declared invalid
or unconstitutional, the remaining parts or provisions not affected shall remain and in full
force and effect.
SEC. 16. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication
in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.
Approved.