The Department of Science and Technology – Science Education Institute, and scientists from various fields gather on Tuesday, 12 December 2023, for the 2023 National Patriot Scholars Congress at the Heritage Hotel Manila, Pasay City.
With the theme "Moving the Nation through Engaged Citizenry" marking the first convention of the Filipino Patriot Scholars Program established in 2017, the congress aims to prepare the scholars as emerging civic leaders by fostering their engaged citizenship for nation-building, providing avenues to share their volunteering initiatives, and building linkages for collaboration opportunities, among others.
The two-day NPSC held a series of plenary lectures, discussions, breakout sessions, networking activities, and workshops attended by experts from different disciplines and more than 300 Patriot scholar-leaders all over the country who currently take undergraduate programs in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
The volunteering initiatives of the scholars were divided into three categories: education, environment, and socio-civic with projects aiming at reaching out to the general public and national development.
The guests for the second day were political scientist Dr. Segundo Romero, chemist Dr. Jonel Saludes, PAGASA meteorologist Engr. Lorenzo Moron, physicists Dr. Gay Perez of the Philippine Space Agency, and Dr. Valllerie Samson of the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute shared insights on their journeys as scholars and scientists and encouraged the students to excel in their fields and give back to their country instead of doing it for themselves.
"You receive awards, you have so many publications, pero para kanino to? We are DOST scholars and may puso talaga tayo para sa bansa natin, kaya iniisip mo na "Para kanino to?" Am I doing this for my country? Parang this is just doing something for myself..parang walang naibabalik sa bansa natin," Dr. Samson said while sharing her experience studying abroad.
"I built my career as an academic scientist, but again, the call of home made me think, just like Dr. Val said, that epiphany, that moment of the philosophical question of "What am I doing here in this foreign land?" I had that epiphany too," Dr. Saludes also said in his experience working abroad.
The DOST-SEI provides support to Filipino undergraduate scholars in the fields of sciences and technology through financial aid such as monthly living allowance, tuition fee subsidies, learning materials and connectivity allowance, thesis allowance, among others.
Furthermore, to make education more inclusive and accessible, especially to people belonging to the marginalized sector and geographically isolated areas, the science and technology agency currently has the Bridging Education in Science and Technology for Indigenous Peoples, or the Best for IP Program, which aims to bridge the indigenous communities to equal scholarship opportunities through financial grants and assistance.