Arya News - Dr. Alicor Panao from the University of the Philippines said in his analysis of data from the Unesco Institute for Statistics that the country spent only 0.276 percent of its GDP on research and development in 2020.
MANILA – The Philippines, which has been classified as an upper-middle-income economy this year, spends less than one-third of 1 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) on research and development, a data scientist said.
Dr. Alicor Panao, an associate professor at the University of the Philippines, said in his analysis of data from the Unesco Institute for Statistics that the country spent only 0.276 percent of its GDP on research and development in 2020, the latest available figure in the dataset.
The dataset compiles internationally comparable statistics on research spending and the research workforce through national submissions and contributions from governments and partner organizations.
For Panao, “the shortfall raises questions about the country’s ability to develop new technologies, strengthen local industries and train the researchers its growing economy badly needs, especially as state universities and colleges face proposed budget cuts.”
For context, Singapore spent 1.81 percent of its GDP on research and development in 2022; Malaysia, 1.01 percent in 2022; and Thailand, 0.94 percent in 2023.
Vietnam allocated 0.41 percent in 2023, while Indonesia recorded spending of 0.281 percent in 2020 and Brunei 0.278 percent in 2018, both marginally above the Philippines’ allocation.
Lower-middle-income economies Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar, meanwhile, reported lower shares in their latest available data.
Panao, a data scientist for the Inquirer, said the gap widens when the Philippines is compared with Asia’s more advanced economies. China spent 2.58 percent of its GDP on research in 2023, roughly nine times the Philippines’ share.
Japan recorded 3.44 percent, while South Korea spent 4.94 percent.
Panao said research and development supports economic growth by turning scientific knowledge into practical applications, from improved medicines and crop varieties to more efficient manufacturing, digital technologies and better disaster preparedness.
“Universities train researchers, operate laboratories, and connect discoveries with public needs and private industry. Businesses also rely on research to improve products, raise productivity, and compete in markets where technological capabilities increasingly determine which industries grow and which fall behind,” he said.
He explained that how much a country invests in research and development signals its priorities.
“For an upper-middle-income economy like the Philippines, investment in research and development is essential so it can move beyond producing and consuming what others invent and build an economy capable of creating the knowledge, technologies, and industries that generate lasting prosperity,” he said.