DOST Secretary Fortunato de la Peña and U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim signed the Philippines-United States Science and Technology Agreement at the close of the Bilateral Strategic Dialogue on July 16.
PH, U.S. sign Science and Technology Agreement
Manila, July 16, 2019 — Philippine Department of Science and Technology Secretary Fortunato de la Peña and U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim signed an agreement on scientific and technological cooperation at the close of the 8th Bilateral Strategic Dialogue. Under the agreement, the two countries commit to promote scientific collaboration, build relationships between their respective scientific institutions and communities, and provide opportunities for capacity building and exchange of ideas and information in order to advance common goals.
Of the signing, Secretary de la Peña recognized the importance of working collaboratively, saying “There is so much to work on together, particularly those problems that will affect ordinary people. Whether you are talking about the environment or innovation, there is much to gain by mutual cooperation.”
Meanwhile, Ambassador Kim said, “The United States is proud to partner with the Philippines to promote scientific advancement and cultivate relationships based on open collaboration. We believe the combined abilities of our scientists, our institutions, and our communities are more than a match for the shared challenges we face.”
The S&T agreement is considered a major output of this year’s Bilateral Strategic Dialogue, which is an annual meeting of high-level government officials from the Philippines and the United States to tackle a full range of political, security, and economic cooperation between the two countries.
The signing also coincided with the opening of the National Science and Technology Week, which celebrates the contributions of science to national development.
The agreement, effective for 10 years, covers potential cooperation in areas of public health, marine sciences, environmental protection, disaster risk resilience, climate change, renewable energy, and STEM education.
