STS

• The Good Life


  The answer to the question 'what is a good life?' varies through time, and among different cultures, schools of philosophy and individuals
• Three dominant ideas on what good life is

  • The Moral Life (Socrates and Plato)
  • The Fulfilled Life (Aristotle)
  • The Life of Pleasure (Epicurus)
• The Moral Life (Socrates and Plato)


  • One who has a good life is someone who possesses and practices most of the important virtues such as kindness, courage, loyalty and generosity
  • Examining, reflecting, and questioning the nature of things is important to have a good life
  • Servitude to others is important
  • One must control his or her passions and desires through reason in order to have a good life
• The Fulfilled Life (Aristotle)


  • Must be morally virtuous
  • Have a good health and long life
  • Should be prosperous
  • Must have good friends
  • Should respect others
  • Must have good luck
  • Must use his or her talents, abilities and capacities
• The Life of Pleasure (Epicurus)


  • Life is worth living because of pleasures
  • Recognized all kinds of pleasures such as wealth, sexual pleasures and fame
  • One should not lose himself/herself to pleasures
  • This will diminish one's pleasures in the long run
  • There are other more important pleasures to consider such as friendship and education
  • Everyone should live a virtuous life
• Three aspects of good life


  • Self-mastery
  • Contemplation and Learning
  • Servitude to society
• Ethics


  The system of moral principles concerned with what is good for one's self and society
• Ethical dilemmas


  • Will I tell my mom that I got low grades in some of my subjects?
  • Is it okay to eat in an expensive restaurant while others are starving?
  • Will I tell my friend that his or her partner is cheating even though I know that I will hurt him or her?
• Innovation


  • Divergence - seeks to change the status quo and generate new ideas, concepts and methods
  • Curiosity - drives us to explore and examine things and ultimately enables us to gain new knowledge
  • Multi-disciplinary - uses a team with diverse backgrounds and skills
  • Resilience - needs to continue processing and testing ideas despite many previous failures
  • Effect to people - should consider the effect of the innovation to the end-users
  • Shared responsibility - between the innovator and the community
• Difference between technology and innovation


  Innovation is a human-centered perspective and process, while technology is a possible product of innovation
• Ethical innovations


  • Humanistic - human-centered and relevant to humans
  • Participatory - designed with the people, not just for the people
  • Sustainable - could sustain for a long time considering social, economical, political and environmental aspects
• The Good Life


  • Innovation (Science & Technology)
  • Ethics
• Science and Technology is essential in nation building. Scientific knowledge and technological advancements are needed to address problems and concerns such as climate change, natural disasters and epidemics. Also, they are needed to increase industrial productivity leading to economic development.
• Why Science and Technology is important in Nation Building


  • Ensure quality healthcare
  • Increase agricultural productivity
  • Conserve and protect the environment
  • Efficiently deliver social services
  • Develop good infrastructure
  • Increase economic productivity
  • Generate jobs for workers
  • Produce quality goods
  • Secure peace, order and stability
  • Manage natural disasters
• In the 1987 Philippine Constitution, Science and Technology are given priority to "foster patriotism and nationalism, accelerate social progress, and promote total human liberation and development".
• In Section 10, Article XIV of the Philippine Constitution, it is stated that "Science and Technology are essential for national development and progress".
• The main government agency for science and technology in the Philippines is the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).
• DOST was created to "provide central direction, leadership and coordination of scientific and technological efforts and ensure that the results therefrom are geared and utilized in areas of maximum economic and social benefits for the people."
• Agencies under DOST


  • Three (3) sectoral planning councils
  • Seven (7) research and development institutes
  • Two (2) collegial bodies
  • Six (6) service institutes
  • Several regional and provincial offices
• Outcomes targeted by DOST programs, projects and activities

  • Stimulation of Innovation
  • Promotion and acceleration of Technology adoption
  • Development of a critical mass of globally competitive human resources on Science and Technology
  • Increased productivity and efficiency of micro, small, and medium entrepreneurs (MSMEs)
  • Ensured resiliency to disaster risks and climate change
  • Reduced inequality in science and technology capacities and opportunities
  • Achieve effective science and technology governance
• The Philippines lags behind its ASEAN neighbors in terms of R&D expenditures and number of researchers.
• Balik Scientist Program


  Program that aims to encourage Filipino Scientists or Scientists of Filipino descent to return to the Philippines and conduct research or scientific undertakings
• Republic Act No. 11035 or the Balik Scientist Act was signed into law in 2018 to provide incentives and assistance to returning Filipino experts, scientists, inventors, and engineers.
• According to UNESCO, a country should have 380 scientists/researchers per million population. However, in the Philippines, there are only 189 researchers/scientists per million which means that there is a gap of around 19,000 researchers or scientists.
• Order of National Scientists

  The highest honor bestowed by the President of the Republic of the Philippines to a Filipino man or woman of science who has made significant contributions in one of the different fields of science and technology
• National Scientists


  • Ramon Barba
  • Angel Alcala
• Small & Medium Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program (SETUP)


  A program that is part of the "nationwide strategy to encourage MSMEs to adopt technological innovations to improve existing products, services, and operations; increase productivity and competitiveness; and more importantly to enable MSMEs to develop new products and establish or sustain market niches"
• According to DOST, in 2018, the companies supported by SETUP produced 42,853 jobs, P 8.344 billion cumulative gross sales, and 41% productivity increase.
• Outcomes of SETUP


  • Job Generation
  • Increased Productivity
  • Higher Income Generation
  • Economic Development
  • Poverty Alleviation
• Grants-In-Aid Program


  A program where the government funds scientific and technological undertakings to promote development in the country. It also promotes technology transfer, innovation, human resources development and productivity improvement.
• Forest Products Research and Development Institute


  An institute that conducts researches on wood products, rubber, paper, pulp and other forest products
• Philippine Nuclear Research Institute


  An institute that conducts researches on the safe use of nuclear energy for medical, agricultural, environmental and industrial purposes
• Project NOAH (Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards)


  A government-funded project that aims to cultivate a culture of preparedness to decrease risks of casualties during natural disasters. The team behind the project conducts advanced researches and assessments on natural disasters in order to generate knowledge and create tools that can be useful for disaster prevention and mitigation.
• h Institute


  Conducts researches on the safe use of nuclear energy for medical, agricultural, environmental and industrial purposes
• Project NOAH (Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards) is a government-funded project that is currently administered by the University of the Philippines
• Project NOAH


  • Aims to cultivate a culture of preparedness to decrease risks of casualties during natural disasters
  • The team behind the project conducts advanced researches and assessments on natural disasters in order to generate knowledge and create tools that can be useful for disaster prevention and mitigation
• PCARI Project


  • The Philippine-California Advanced Research Institutes (PCARI) Project aims to develop our Science and Technology manpower through scholarships, trainings and research collaborations with top universities and institutions in California, USA
  • The priority areas are information infrastructure development (IID) and health innovation and translational medicine (HITM)
• Philippine Space Program


  • The government is funding the National Space Development Program which aims to set the foundation for the establishment of a Philippine Space Agency
  • The government established the Philippine Scientific Earth Observation Microsatellite Program in 2014, in partnership with Japan's Hokkaido University and Tohoku University
  • The program has since produced three fully functional microsatellites, the Diwata-1, Diwata-2 and Maya-1
• Philippine Space Program


  • The development of the country's space program is important for national security, agricultural development, environmental management, climate change mitigation, among others
  • The program seeks to develop technologies such as unmanned aerial vehicles, microsatellites and communication satellites
• Science education


  • Is important in order to develop students' scientific skills, attitudes, and values
  • This will empower them to solve problems, become more critical, see the world differently, and become productive contributors to nation building