DFA Hosts Inter-Agency Meeting on Science Matters

MANILA 30 April 2019 – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) hosted the Inter-Agency Meeting on Science-Related Matters on 25 March 2018 at its offices in Pasay City, co-chaired by DFA Office of the Undersecretary for International Economic Relations Officer-in-Charge Lourdes O. Yparraguirre and Ambassador to Austria Maria Cleofe R. Natividad.

Science and Technology Undersecretaries Rowena Cristina L. Guevara and Undersecretary Renato U. Solidum, Jr. led the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) delegation and its attached agencies, namely, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS), Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (PCIEERD), Advanced Science and Technology Institute (ASTI), and the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI).

Also present were representatives from the other DFA Offices, the National Security Council (NSC), and the University of the Philippines Electrical and Electronics Engineering Institute (UP EEEI).

Officer-in-Charge Yparraguirre underlined the role of diplomacy in advancing the needs and contributions of the Philippines towards achieving economic development that is driven by science, technology, and innovation.

Ambassador Natividad, on the other hand, renewed her steadfast commitment to further bolster the Philippine Mission in Vienna’s participation in the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), and the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS), which are all based in Vienna.

In addition, Ambassador Natividad reaffirmed the Philippine Permanent Mission to the UN in Vienna’s continued support for the line agencies’ efforts to promote peaceful uses of nuclear energy, including in cancer therapy, to improve capabilities in detecting earthquakes and tsunamis, and to increase participation in outer space activities.

The DFA and DOST vowed to support initiatives in promoting the Philippines’ science and technology-related interests through bilateral and multilateral cooperation. They discussed relevant priorities and exchanged views to improve coordination towards maximizing the benefits of Philippines’ participation in various levels of international engagement. END