PH Consulate General in San Francisco Hosts Meeting on the Balik Scientist Program

Department of Science and Technology Undersecretary Rowena Guevara (leftmost) meets with Filipino-American organizations in science and technology to promote the Balik Scientist program on 11 January 2020 at the Philippine Center in San Francisco. (San Francisco PCG photo)

SAN FRANCISCO 28 January 2020 — The Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco facilitated and participated in a meeting between Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Undersecretary Rowena Guevara and representatives from Filipino-American organizations in science and technology to promote the “Balik Scientist” program on 11 January 2020 at the Philippine Center in San Francisco. 

Undersecretary Guevara met with the Science and Technology Advisory Council-Silicon Valley (STAC-SV), headed by Ms. Christina Laskowski, and the Filipino-Americans in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (FASTER), headed by Ms. Erin Pangilinan.  The meetings were also attended by Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Undersecretary Rafaelita Aldaba, DTI-Export Marketing Bureau (DTI-EMB) Assistant Director Anthony Rivera, Consul and Economic Section Head Jed Llona, and Trade Commissioner Celynne Layug of the Philippine Trade and Investment Center-Silicon Valley.

Undersecretary Guevara shared that the Balik Scientist program has been in place since 1975, enabling Filipino scientists (or scientists of Filipino-descent) based abroad to go to the Philippines on a short or long-term basis to share their expertise and strengthen the scientific and technological human resources of the country. 

The program was institutionalized in 2018 with the signing of Republic Act 11035 or the Balik Scientist Act.  Under the law, benefits, incentives and privileges for returning scientists were articulated.  Benefits include a round-trip ticket to the Philippines (including tickets for dependents for participants of the long-term program) and a stipend of $200 per day.  Details on the program may be accessed at https://bspms.dost.gov.ph/

Undersecretary Guevara noted that science and technology have been given priority in the Philippines in recent years.  Aside from the Balik Scientist Act signed in 2018, legislation to push for growth in R&D has been increasing, including RA 11337 or the Innovative Startup Act, and RA 11293 or the Philippine Innovation Act, both of which were signed in 2019. 

She encouraged STAC-SV and FASTER to share information on the Balik Scientist program to their network of Filipino-American scientists. END

For more information, visit https://www.sanfranciscopcg.dfa.gov.ph, https://www.philippinessanfrancisco.org or https://www.facebook.com/PHinSF/.