Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Batasan Hills, Quezon City

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5 TIME 4:43 pm
NINETEENTH CONGRESS

First Regular Session

House Bill No. _2713 _ Wo INDEX

Introduced by

HON. YEDDA MARIE K. ROMUALDEZ
and
HON. JUDE A. ACIDRE

AN ACT
CREATING A RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL OF THE PHILIPPINES,
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Article XIV, Section 10 of the Constitution states that science and technology
are essential for national development and progress thereby guaranteeing that priority
must also be given to research and development, invention, innovation, and their
utilization; and to science and technology education, training, and services. 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.

According to a report by World Bank in 2018, however, only 0.32% was spent
on research and development in the Philippines, and this is already a significant
increase from 0.16% spent in 2015. Further, budget allocated for the research and
development sector of the Department of Science and Technology also decreased in
the past fiscal year. This has then impeded the conduct and resumption of the
department's operations and services.

DATE July 28, 2022

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Pursuant to the constitutional mandate of giving priority to research and
development and to address the funding of research and development in the country,
this bill seeks to institutionalize and create a research and development council which
shall have the primary responsibility of determining which proposals should receive
funding from the government.

In view of the foregoing, approval of this bill is earnestly sought.

Rep. YEDDA IE K. ROMUALDEZ
Representative,“Tingog Sinirangan

Rep. JUDE/A. ACIDRE
Represenfative, Tingog Sinirangan


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Batasan Hills, Quezon City

NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No. 2713

Introduced by
HON. YEDDA MARIE K. ROMUALDEZ

and
HON. JUDE A. ACIDRE

AN ACT
AN ACT CREATING A RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL OF THE
PHILIPPINES, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES

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 "R&D Act of 2022.”

Section 2. Statement of Policy. \t is the policy of the State, in accordance with
the Constitution, to promote research and development in the Philippines, with the
aims of boosting economic growth and improving the quality of life in our country.
Towards this end, 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.

Section 3. Research and Development Council. There is hereby created a
Research and Development Council (R&D Council) as an attached agency of the
Department of Science and Technology (DOST), chaired by the Secretary of Science
and Technology, which shall have the primary responsibility of determining which
proposals should receive funding from the government. The other members of the
R&D Council are the Secretaries of the Departments of Communications and


Technology (DICT), Education (DepEd), Health (DOH), National Defense (DND),
Agriculture (DA), Energy (DOE), and Trade and Industry (DTI), or their duly authorized
representatives and a representative from the private sector to be appointed by the

President upon the recommendation of the R&D Council.

The R&D Council shall be supported by a technical support office, which
composition and staffing shall be provided in the Implementing Rules and Regulations.

The R&D Council shall regularly publish the grants that it has approved and the
results of any completed research unless such information is deemed confidential.
Such publications shall be furnished to the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee
created pursuant to this Act. Confidential information, while not published, must be
made available to the members of the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee.

Section 4. Grant of Funding. The government shall directly fund research and
development proposals submitted to it by Filipino citizens or Filipino entities, at the
discretion of the R&D Council. At the start of every year, the R&D Council shall publish
requirements and criteria for proposals, specifying therefore priority areas depending
‘on the urgent needs and programs of the Philippine government. The R&D Council
shall accept proposals from all persons, whether publicly or privately-employed, and
from all entities, whether government or non-government.

Funding shall either be a full grant or in the form of a subsidy. Funding for a
proposal shall be for a period of one (1) year but may be extended at the discretion of
the R&D Council. The R&D Council may impose conditions on the grants, including
but not limited to:

1. Government ownership of any patentable invention that may result from the

research;

2. Government share in any financial gains that may result from the research;

and,

3. Confidentiality, particularly when the research is undertaken with access to

sensitive government research and data.


Section 5. Monitoring and Reporting. The R&D Council shall require all
funding recipients to submit periodic accomplishment reports and shall, in turn, submit
an annual status report to the Committees on Science and Technology of both Houses
of Congress.

Section 6. Data Banking. The R&D Council shall create and maintain a central
databank of persons who have availed of the R&D funding pursuant to this Act to serve
as directory and guide in promoting Filipino scientific research and development.

Section 7. Joint Congressional Oversight Committee. There is hereby
created a Joint Congressional Oversight Committee to monitor the implementation of
this Act. The Committee shall be composed of five (5) Senators and five (5)
Representatives to be appointed by the Senate President and the Speaker of the
House of Representatives, respectively. The Oversight Committee shall be co-chaired
by a Senator and a Representative designated by the Senate President and the
Speaker of the House of Representatives, respectively. The Joint Congressional
Oversight Committee shall convene at least once a year.

Section 8. /mplementing Rules and Regulations. Within sixty (60) calendar
days from the effectivity of this Act, the DOST, in coordination with the DICT, DepEd,
DOH, DND, DA, DOE, and the DTI, shall promulgate the rules and regulations
necessary to effectively implement the provisions of this Act.

Section 9. Appropriations. The amount of Fifty Million Pesos (PhP
50,000,000.00) is hereby appropriated for the initial implementation of this Act and
shall be charged against the Contingent Fund in the General Appropriations Act of the
current year. Thereafter, such sums as may be necessary for the full implementation
of this Act shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act under the budget
of the DOST. The appropriations for this Act shall be increased periodically and shall
be valid for two (2) years.


Section 10. Separability Clause. If any provision of this Act is declared invalid
or unconstitutional, the other provisions not affected by such declaration shall remain
in full force and effect.

Section 11. Repealing Clause. A\l laws, executive and administrative orders,
rules, and regulations inconsistent with the foregoing provisions are hereby repealed

or modified accordingly.

Section 12. Effectivity Clause. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after
its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,