Uncuff our scientists, end red tape

Editorial

Scientists and researchers have time and again hunkered down to face the tiresome, if not daunting, task of cutting through the miles-long red tape that stands between them and the fulfillment of every publiclyfunded research project they wish to see through to the end. Never-ending piles of paperwork that have to be filled out and submitted have been a familiar and less-than-comforting mainstay in every office or laboratory since time immemorial. However, bureaucracy in the field of science and technology (S&T) in the Philippines may be more than just a workplace hassle preventing one from catching the last jeep home.

The 149-page Republic Act No. 9184, otherwise known as the Government Procurement Reform Act, outlines the necessary procedures surrounding the procurement of all publicly-funded materials and services in the country, including scientific and research equipment. Previous complaints about the excessive bureaucracy surrounding the procurement process brought about the creation of the Anti-Red Tape Authority and the Government Procurement Policy Board, both of which seek to expedite the inefficiency of the government procurement system. However, red tape continues to persist within the S&T sector and beyond.

Scientific research often requires the use of various precise and highly specific instrumentation. Unfortunately, the lack of industries in the Philippines that can produce specialized scientific equipment means that Filipino scientists have to depend on a handful of foreign manufacturers to buy equipment from outside the country.

Since direct contracting with foreign companies for instrumentation and materials is forbidden, one has to find a local partner to purchase the needed equipment in a bid. This, however, increases the probability of the price shooting up to double, or even triple the original price as local contractors compete with each other.

“Because the procurement system creates a local monopoly amongst the vendors, the vendors charge two to three times more for the same items

that our international competitors charge,” said Dr. Alex Young from the Institute of Environmental Science and Meteorology (IESM). “For example, a field tissue homogenizer that costs PHP 50,000 in the USA costs PHP 150,000 in the Philippines (and takes three months to ship).”

Funding for research proposals and procured scientific equipment remains another issue. While red tape concerning the purchase of goods from foreign companies increases expenses, the actual budget allocation for research and development in the Philippines remains limited. With only 0.14% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) allocated to research and development in the Philippines back in 2017 against the UNESCO recommendation of at least 1%, the added financial burden created by red tape further eats away at the already small pool of resources provided by the government to the country’s scientists.

Even then, securing funding from the government is already fraught with numerous problems. Dr. Eiza Yu from the Marine Science Institute (MSI) compared her experience from researching abroad to researching here in the Philippines.

“It takes so long for them to approve, or even look, at our proposals,” Dr. Yu recounted in an interview. “Abroad, once they give a call, in three months, alam mo nang funded ka, and in two months, nandiyan na ‘yung pera sa’yo. Pero dito, may mga proposals na sobrang tagal ma-fund o ma-approve, and at that time, ‘yung prinopose mong LAB paso na, ‘yung mga taong trinain mo, wala na.”

The slow progress when it comes to securing funding pushes researchers to rely on private donations from foundations and organizations to fund their projects in the meantime and have the finances disbursed by the government later on. This proves difficult, as one has to go find potential donors, drum up proposals and partnerships, and worry about continuity in terms of research and funding for a supposedly publicly-funded research project.

“‘Yun ‘yung frustration: it takes years to get your proposal funded. And even then, it takes a lot of time to get the money disbursed,” said Dr. Yu.

With the hassle of finding a local partner instead of direct contracting with foreign suppliers, the increased expenses brought about by red tape, and the problems that come with securing funding on time, the procurement of even just basic research materials can take up to three to six months or even longer.

Dr. Deo Onda, a researcher from MSI, recalls one instance when his research team had to go to the Kalayaan Islands for a project. It took three months for Dr. Onda’s team to procure fuel in order to visit the islands; fortunately, they were able to rely on donations from a foundation to get the fuel as it was taking so long to procure from the government.

The slow procurement of the requisite materials and instruments that are necessary for conducting experiments deters the progress of research projects and unnecessarily stretches them on for extended periods of time. “...By the time Philippine scientists receive their equipment and supplies, because of the red tape, international competitors are six months ahead with more money to spare,” says Dr. Young.

Aside from this, Dr. Leo Armada from the National Institute of Geological Sciences (NIGS) cited the lack of consistency and uniformity in the implementation of rules and regulations, as well as in the communication between governing bodies, as a major cause of red tape. He recounted a recent incident on the retrieval of a donation of face masks from Taiwan which got held up at the Bureau of Customs and could only be retrieved after going through numerous documents and offices.

In the long run, the lengthy process that has to be undertaken and the slow turnover of procedure can prove detrimental to the progress of scientific research in the Philippines. Instead of focusing on the actual research, scientists are burdened with having to figure out how to handle financial and administrative matters which they have not been previously equipped for. Time and effort that could have been spent on making progress on the project are instead redistributed towards mere paperpushing.

The issue is two-fold; while red tape is harmful in the long run, its effects are particularly felt more directly as well. Dr. Gino Velasco from the Institute of Mathematics (IM) relayed the previous frustration of his colleagues while obtaining government data for mathematical modeling biology, which is especially important to predict relevant and accurate models that heavily impact public health concerns such as dengue and malaria and the necessary public health measures and legislation surrounding them.

This is highlighted in a time of crisis, when it can prove to be even deadlier. Medical workers and scientists alike have bemoaned the excessive bureaucracy that exacerbated the sluggish response to the COVID-19 pandemic, from the Department of Health’s (DOH) deferred approval of mass testing in Marikina City last March despite the city government already having been ready with a molecular testing laboratory and 3,000 testing kits at the time, to the slow evacuation of PUIs and PUMs in Iloilo City.

Since scientists are constantly obstructed with unnecessary steps and documents, progress with research and development is impeded significantly. While the government has already taken some steps to fix red tape, such as the creation of the Anti-Red Tape Authority, Filipino scientists are still bombarded with excessive bureaucracy, effectively helping maintain the status quo of a stagnant S&T sector.

“The solution to procurement issues can only go so far as to streamlining procurement processes,” said Dr. Benjamin Vallejo of IESM. “We have to go through the legislative route.” In this regard, the concerns of scientists and researchers in the Philippines have to be broadcasted to a wider audience consistently, whether it be through a representative group or by legislation. Dr.Vallejo also underscored the urgency of addressing the issue of red tape in these critical times. “We have to strike now because of the pandemic. It has exposed serious faults; we need this to immediately respond to the crisis,” he said.

In the short-term span of things, Dr. Ricky Nellas, the UP Diliman College of Science Associate Dean for Research, Innovation, Development, and Enterprise (ADRIDE), suggests starting with revising the procedural manual implementing specialized procurement and new rules. If it works in the College of Science, then the whole university may test it out as well, followed by the whole system, and hopefully beyond. “May challenges, pero buong UPD, as well as the system, working together, kaya naman, lalo na’t ang daming natatamaan.”

Unwinding the red tape constricting science and research in the Philippines is certainly one of the first steps we can take towards achieving a thriving science and technology field in the country. However, cutting down that long string of bureaucracy is only the first step to tackling a whole slew of issues that have plagued local S&T for decades.

Multiple issues faced by scientists because of red tape, such as the trouble of obtaining the necessary instruments for research work and the slow approval of research proposals and funding, are all linked to overarching neglect for the S&T sector in general.

The fact that our science workers have to rely on foreign manufacturers is already indicative of our alarming lack of industries. As the Philippines lacks local industries that can properly absorb professionals, scientists are driven to find more opportunities for work abroad, and various scientific materials have to be purchased from foreign suppliers, exacerbating the costs and continuing our dependence on foreign markets. Because of the lack of proper financial support from the government and the diminished capacity for researchers to develop local S&T, the productivity of scientists and researchers in the Philippines is decreased, severely hampering the production of new research and technology in the country.

This, along with the inaccessibility of science and technology in the country, further contributes to the dwindling number of students wanting to take up S&T as a career path in the future. Unless its issues are addressed, the demotivating state of the sector will continue feeding into the cycle that leads to the backwards and stagnating state of S&T in the Philippines.

There is a need to change how the government downplays the concerns of the S&T sector. In addition to how unprioritized S&T development is, the pleas of scientists for better treatment and working conditions continuously fall on deaf ears.

Red tape, as it stands, is already a hindrance to national industrialization, which is in itself a potential solution to one of the facets of excessive bureaucracy by establishing local industries that can manufacture the highly specific instrumentation and materials needed for scientific research in the Philippines.

If we have any hope of making S&T better for scientists in the Philippines, we must not falter in shedding light to these issues and promoting the calls of our science workers. In the words of Dr. Yu, we should not stop struggling to have the concerns of scientists and researchers in the Philippines voiced out to a broader audience.