Manila: Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary Renato Solidum Jr. on Tuesday thanked the Marcos administration for the support and increase in the budget for research and development (R and D) for 2025.

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has announced the PHP8.8 billion allocation for the DOST’s Grants-In-Aid (GIA) program for the agency to sustain the implementation of various science, technology, and innovation programs.

“We thank the Administration and DBM for the increased budget and continued support to R and D which is the foundation of innovation,” Solidum told the Philippine News Agency.

Although DOST’s proposed GIA budget for 2025 was PHP17.092 billion, Solidum said the approved GIA budget is still higher than the PHP8.759 billion GIA for 2024.

Solidum said the grants for the DOST-supported projects come from the GIA.

This will be used to fund R and D based on the DOST’s Harmonized R and D Agenda on agriculture, aquatic and natural resources; health; industry, energy an
d emerging technologies; science and technology for productivity improvement of enterprises, community empowerment, technology translation and commercialization.

Solidum said together with the industry and the academe, the DOST will have eight big ticket R and D projects in 2025.

These projects, he said, are on Artificial Intelligence, Quantum Computing, Geospatial Analytics, Industry 4.0, Circular Economy, Smart Agriculture, Smart Technologies and Biologics in Pharmaceutical.

Meanwhile, the DOST has proposed a PHP49.25 billion budget for 2025. Solidum said the approved is PHP28.77 billion.

The figure is higher than the PHP27.22 billion DOST’s budget for 2024.

Source: Philippines News Agency