A Challenge to the Academic Community: REMODEL THE IMAGE OF THE FILIPINO SCIENTISTS IN THE EYES OF PHILIPPINE SOCIETY Ronaldo Q. Dominguez Supervising SRS, ITDD-PCIERD Almost everyone understands and agrees that science and technology (S&T) plays a very important role to a country's development. However, understanding its importance is one thing, taking actions is a totally different issue. Through the years we had seen the coming and going of many distinguished personalities who could have greatly supported S&T for its enabling role to Philippine development. A few indeed tried but more may have been content in just paying lip services to S&T development. As a result, we are left with an ever- struggling S&T whose legacy is far less visible and potent to society. Do we know our Scientists, Technologists and Inventors? Nonetheless there are many Filipinos, with or without formal scientific education that made scientific and research findings or inventions that contributed in some special way to our national development. Some indeed contributed to our pool of scientific knowledge. But do we really know our Filipino scientists who made such contributions possible? Our country's institutions, from across the national, regional and provincial government and its instrumentalities have generally failed to give due recognition to its home grown scientists. This is an area where our country needs to institute some measures. . Filipinos know more about foreign scientists, than our own men of science and technology.Find a man who can refute this unsubstantiated claim and I will give you this proof: hold a picture of "a man with a seemingly receding hairline and a somewhat crazy type of hairstyle before an elementary student and in seconds he'd say its Einstein. Repeat the same this time using a photo (assuming you found one) of Mr. Flores. supposedly the Filipino inventor of the fluorescent lamp being used the world over. The same grade schooler will not know. It is not unsafe to say that even the students at the higher level will not be able to identify him. It is even doubtful whether the DOST has a picture of this person. Champions of S&T Development Today, the Asia-Pacific region is fast evolving as a bustling hub of technological development. For us to remain competitive, we need to spur technological dynamism in as many sectors as possible. There is no alternative. We need many institutions and people of influence who will take actions and "Champion" S&T as a strategic tool to lift our competitive status and fast track our country's development. With a burning desire to see a progressive S&T in the fullest service to the Philippines, whom do we turn to? Who should be our new S&T "Champions? Politicians and "silver screen" personalities have so many agenda that sometimes they even need to hide some. We don't need another confusion as to who really is into what career or pursuit. Further, to them S&T is presumably of least rank. Who shall be our Champions? What better Champions to have than the group who can make the biggest difference and influence in our life and society? These are none other than the SCUs. SCUs as our "Champions of S&T" Dr. Jose P. Rizal and the Youth SCUs can greatly influence S&T development and its full service to society. They have the inherent capabilities to strongly induce the youth towards a valuable careers in S&T specifically R&D. They can implant on our youth the strong aspiration, even passion, towards an S&T career for themselves. They have S&T and R&D missions to carry out. Each SCU is a powerful reservoir of our greatest intellect and one of the most influential agents to our youth and society. They can be our "Champions" in today's trying circumstances. With a number of SCUs becoming members of regional Consortia, the better they will be able to effect developmental changes. Through their individual initiatives coupled with the collective strengths of the consortia they belong to, they can truly be our "Champions of S&T" But what can possibly be the new schemes or challenge to SCUs and to the consortia that they may have not tried before? The scheme need not be invented as these are already in the nature and internal system of SCUs. They need only to manifest these into visible forms. SCUs should recognize and value their influential role and technical capabilities. They need to put these two in synergy to work for the technological development of our country and to influence and mould our youth We should remember that one of our greatest minds, Dr. Jose P Rizal, pointed out more than a century ago that the youth is the hope of our Fatherland. With the global technological competition barging now at our borders, our SCUs should vigorously move to hone our youth towards S&T careers so that we shall have the critical mass of technology-oriented youth to develop new knowledge and generate technologies to fend our competitors. If we fall short on this, what dire consequences lay in store for us? The Scheme: Remodeling the Image of Scientists and Researchers SCUs, as our "Champions of S&T" need to take small measures to remodel our society's stereotyped image of our scientists, technologist, inventors, engineers and researchers. SCUs need to enlighten the youth and the society at large on the latter's real and useful contributions to agriculture, industry, health, environment and other sectors of society. SCUs is not lacking on these kinds of "achievers" or "special people" within their institutions and or in their geographic locality. They must be repackaged as new idols for our youth to emulate in their careers The youth should be able to see, for example, that one of his simple neighbor, Mang Berto, as he is known in their neighborhood, and as he calls him too, that middle aged sunburned man who he sees cutting grasses and tinkering something on his yard every Saturday, is a scientist of substance who made it possible to plant "balinghoy" in their lahar areas. That Aling Rose, the petite be-dimpled lady who lead the church choir every Sunday morning at their small San Rafael chapel happens to be a distinguished food technologist having done such and such for their local "patis" industry. In other words, we need to remodel the image of our scientist, technologist, inventors, engineers and researchers as normal people just like them and not anywhere close to the awesome "nerd" that they are stereotyped. The youth should be able to see their common faces and learn about their achievements, as showcased by SCUs and possibly by others too. The youth can relate to these and be inspired rather than be intimidated in research or S&T undertakings. Showcasing of Indigenous Talents and their Achievements SCUs can institute modest ways of giving due value and recognition for their accomplishments, however simple or grand these may be, by having special set of rooms or sections for these achievements as vivid showcases to the youth. These showcases of "Achievers" or whatever SCUs may wish to call it, must be qualified to emphasize their S&T people's real and useful achievements in their line of work. Emphasis this time should be on their specific and meaningful contribution to the country or to specific groups, territories or communities. The showcased achievements should not be in recognition of someone's hundreds of published manuscripts or how great one is in speech or in written refereed papers which earned him or her this and that award. These types are also important and they should have a place of their own, most appropriately perhaps in libraries where the youth read with concentration and do their business in hushed voices. Proclaim S&T and R&D Careers are Valued These showcases will serve to show, not just to the youth but to all and sundry, that technology-oriented achievements and S&T careers are appreciated not only by the institutions (SCUs) where they served their work but also by the locality where these special achievers are resident. Once the youth and the SCUs technical personnel are made to understand the meaning of these treatments, they shall be drawn towards careers in S&T. Today, novelty, inventiveness and technology play the most crucial role in the competitiveness of nations. There is an extremely urgent need to inculcate the role S&T into the minds of our youth, whereever he or she may be, be it in a province, city municipality, town or secluded barangays. For this we need to identify and give, sincerely, due recognition to the achievements or works of our scientists, researchers, inventors and technologies, wherever he or she is working. Who applies for the Nobel Prize? Noble Prize? Most scientists, researchers, inventors and technologists miss out on the biggest and most prestigious awards in the field of science and technology. For one, they can not all be Nobel Prize winners. Most of them would not be bestowed the honors of being awarded as a national scientist. Most will probably even shy away from awards, specially those associated with or obtainable through competitions or contests. Most of them will not have allies or partners that will professionally package their achievements for entry to invitations or search and contests for this and that category. Many may even be ignorant that such and such award or contest exists. To Influence and Inspire the Youth and Researchers Nonetheless, modest forms of recognition can be awarded by institutions where they work or from institutions operating within the locality of where such S&T person resides. SCUs best suits the role of these award/recognition giving institution. To influence the youth towards a career in S&T, the youth need to see concrete evidence that S&T career people are valued and honored by institutions in their locality. The youth, the majority of which comprises the student population need to be shown these achievements of people from their locality to serve as their inspirations and simple models. We need to show that despite the seemingly meager support extended to the country's S&T, that they can do something someday that will be given importance. On the other hand the "special achievers" will find that they are able to provide a modest legacy to their institutions and locality. Many technically inclined people should be able to come out from the woodwork and aspire for these modest of recognition. Many will strive to generate activities deserving such recognition. The catalytic effect is to be fanned by the SCUs and in the end everybody will be happy. ------- end of article---------