His public life started as one of the youngest delegates to the 1971 Constitutional Convention; then, having established the law firm known as ACCRA, he went on to head the University of the Philippines as President from 1981 to 1987.

Recently, Angara caused the creation of the Congressional Commission on Science, Technology and Engineering Research and Development or COMSTE.

In a recent talk, he explained: "We have more politicians in the country, what we need is more scientists and technologists." The world has so changed that today, Angara says, "if you are illiterate in science and math, you are as good as illiterate."

Taking the Angara literacy test as our measure, this country is not doing well at all. In an international study on Mathematics and Science, Philippine high school students ranked 41st and 42nd out of 45 countries and the Philippines may not even be trying to be better. As a global competitor (outside of billiards and boxing), the Philippines was 49th in 2001, 66th out of 102 in 2003 to 76th out of 104 in 2004 and, today, 77th among 117 countries. That’s 29 places down in a span of six years; we are losing competitiveness at a pace of 4.8 more countries beating us annually!

Angara says that for every one MS graduate in engineering that we produce, Vietnam produces 6, Thailand 25 and Singapore 200.

COMSTE concerns itself with the science, engineering and technology research and development sector. This is where the future of the world lies; it is in science and technology where new wealth is created.

Angara explains: "The groundwork for knowledge-generation is basic research, its primary objective being the advancement of knowledge and theoretical understanding.

"Although risky, we must give basic research priority in our efforts at strengthening R&D. Basic research contributes to the foundation of knowledge, which leads to the development of technology that, in turn, spurs innovation. This drives increased productivity and enhances the quality of life."

Angara points out that there are only 12 scientists and engineers per one million population in the Philippines. "This is not even one half of the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) requirement for sustainable development," he said.

Philippine public spending for research and development (R&D) was only 0.11 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP). "That’s about one-tenth of one percent, while Japan spends 3.12 percent and Singapore, 2.15 percent."

While our neighbors are into the sciences, the Pinoy student is clueless about how the world works. In achievement tests administered in March 2007, the average elementary school student could answer only five of 10 science and math questions correctly and the average high school student, four of 10 such questions.

Angara says that this is because we have no real science and math teachers; 90 percent of physics teachers are non-physics majors and 80 percent of chemistry teachers non-chemistry majors. How can they teach effectively what they never even studied?

Angara points out that the problem is not new. "Year in and year out, every time the national budget comes to Congress, we are confronted with the same problems of lack of textbooks, lack of teachers, etc.

"We have the largest class size in the region, and class size is a good measure of effective learning. In 2001, our average class size was 54, in 2004, it was 70." Tools like computers are not available to many Filipino students. The ratio of student to computer is 1:26,000 for public elementary school students, 1:111 for public high school students.

Overall computer ownership is 46:1,000 and Internet penetration is about 15 percent, the 12th among 14 Asian countries.

Angara points out that progress will come from science, technology, and innovation. STI in the fields of information and communication technology, nanotechnology, and biotechnology will move the world forward.

To Angara, "We cannot join in this great movement if we don’t address the basic problems that confront us.

"We need to have a culture of science, technology, and innovation. Everyone of us – government, the academic community, and the private sector – must do our part to put in place this culture of innovation and build the foundation for technical and scientific excellence. This is if we want to have a future."

Senator Angara encourages today’s students to pursue science and technology (S&T) courses to help boost the country’s technological capacity to innovate: "Our world today is geared towards innovation. I have observed over the past years that our growth as a nation is stunted compared with other countries like Malaysia because our capacity to adapt to changes and innovation is way too low."

He adds: "We have to improve our Science, Math and Engineering (SME) education because these are the weakest sectors in the education system. Experts say that countries with improved SME have the biggest growth rate and we, as a nation, must be able to cope up with this.

"China produces about 600 thousand S&T graduates every year; India almost 400 thousand; while the Philippines only produces one graduate every year, way below from what neighboring countries produce. In fact, for every graduate that we have, Vietnam produces five, Thailand with 20, while Singapore about a hundred. In order to achieve a competitive edge, I believe we must need to move as a country, in a big way, towards S&T. That is why I encourage you, young people to think of going into S&T courses as this will help shape our country’s future."

Angara addresses students: "I enjoin you to consider ICT as a career. I am telling you that taking up a career in S&T will offer you more opportunities that it did in the past, because the kind of jobs that are coming to the Philippines did not exist just a few years ago."

Based on COMSTE’s findings, the ICT sector grew from $1.4 billion in 2004 to around $4.9 billion in 2007.

On Monday, October 6, 2008, the COMSTE will meet en banc to hear reports from its various panels on different aspects of science and technology (Agriculture, Electronics and Semiconductors, Energy and Environment, Health Science, IT and IT Enabled, and Science, Mathematics and Engineering (SME) Education) and to consider a joint resolution that would extend the life of COMSTE for one more year.

Pinoy commitment to pursuing science, technology and engineering would probably be better served if something like COMSTE could become a permanent part of legislature. More STE and less politics, anyone?