DOST advocates anticipatory governance for safer, better, and more secure lives of Filipinos

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Anticipating and acting on risks before they become crises is how Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary Renato U. Solidum Jr. describes it as he advocates anticipatory governance to ensure better quality of life for Filipinos.

In his keynote at the opening of the 2026 Regional Science, Technology, and Innovation Week (RSTW) celebration in the National Capital Region (NCR), Solidum elaborated that the country should leverage science, technology, and digital innovation to transform uncertainty into preparedness, vulnerability into victories, and challenges into pathways for sustainable growth.

As daily living expenses in the capital continue to climb, Solidum asserted that ensuring access to basic necessities is not merely an economic concern; it is a matter of quality of life for millions of Filipinos, especially those living in the nation’s capital. 

He cited the 31.2% increase in the Consumer Price Index in NCR from 2018 to 2026, which means that a basket of goods worth PHP100 in 2018 is now PHP 131.20. 

“This places increasing pressure on households and underscores the need for science-based, technology-driven solutions that can strengthen food production, improve supply chain efficiency, and anticipate disruptions before they become crises,” he said.

Additionally, he also mentioned that NCR also faces growing energy demands and persistent threats of disasters and climate change, with it being the country’s largest energy consumer due to rising demand from households, industries, and the move towards industrialization, and being prone to earthquakes, floods, ashfall drift, and urban heat challenges.

“We can only do this if we employ the use of converging emerging technologies to enable anticipatory governance,” he said, adding that no single technology can shape the future.

On food security

Anticipatory governance in food security means moving from crisis response to foresight-driven action.

“In terms of food security, we have to invest on precision agriculture, AI and predictive

analytics, remote sensing and satellite technologies, smart logistics and supply-chain systems. And we continuously develop and support technologies aligned to this need, Solidum said.

He mentioned Project SARAI or Smarter Approaches to Reinvigorate Agriculture as an Industry which uses remote sensing, satellite technologies and predictive analytics for smart agriculture; Agro-Digital PH, a digital agriculture value chain platform for production, logistics, marketing; Trace.AI, which uses AI for fish catch documentation and traceability for fisheries; and i-POND, which controls and monitors water management in aquaculture farms. 

“All of these use different converging technologies to empower our agriculture and aquaculture sectors towards food security,” he explained.

On renewable energy

In terms of sustainable energy, anticipatory governance is the proactive use of science, technology, and data-driven foresight to forecast future demands and capacity gaps, identify vulnerabilities before failures occur, diversify energy sources, and plan energy investments, ultimately ensuring that energy is accessible and affordable for present and future generations.

While there are already technologies for e-mobility such as the Converted Electric Tricycles, CHARM (Charging in Minutes) charging infrastructure, e-Tranvia for tourist transport, and the Philippines’ first e-ferry, he also calls for more investment on renewable energy technologies, smart grids, expansive energy storage systems, and energy-efficient mobility infrastructures and buildings. 

“Mahigit 20 na po ang ating partner LGUs sa renewable energy technologies, at marami pa po ang nasa pipeline. We are hoping for more partners here in Metro Manila,” he said.

On resilience

Anticipatory governance in national resilience means leveraging science, technology, and digital innovation to understand risks before they become disasters proactively focusing on prevention and preparedness, utilizing forecasts and predictive analytics, assessing vulnerabilities through risk intelligence, and employing disaster imagination.

The DOST chief said that the department has heavily invested on hazard monitoring, early warning systems, earthquake and flood modeling, digital twins for predictive risk assessment, and technologies for infrastructure integrity assessment. 

“DOST has launched the GeoriskPh Platforms for different purposes. We have also supported locally developed technologies such as the Infraspex, drone and AI-based road and bridge inspection for disaster resilience; Project Lungsod which uses digital twins for local governance and urban management; and AlertoPH for monitoring community safety from various hazards,” he said.

With this, he also calls on the local government units to expand the capacities of its engineering departments beyond regulation and compliance to preventive engineering services and giving technical assistance to communities, saving significant government funds in the long run.

“In the end, our impact is not measured by the technologies we deploy, but by the people whose lives are made safer, better, and more secure because of them. That is our mission. Iyan ang diwa ng agham na ramdam,” he ended.

The 2026 RSTW celebration in NCR is led by DOST-NCR, in partnership with the City of Valenzuela, under the strategic theme "Siyensya, Teknolohiya, at Inobasyon: Kabalikat sa Matatag, Maginhawa, at Panatag na Kinabukasan.” 

The three-day event allowed the public to experience innovation through TEKNOLOKAL forums and youth-centric challenges like the Gear Up NCR Esports Challenge and the Code Green Hackathon. These activities were designed to commercialize technologies through the Fiesta Bazaar and Consultancy Clinic, ensuring MSMEs can adopt DOST-developed tools.

About RSTW

The Regional Science, Technology, and Innovation Week (RSTW) is an annual event organized by the DOST regional offices across 17 regions. This celebration showcases local technologies, research and development (R&D) projects, and innovative initiatives that connect communities, local industries, and stakeholders with science-based solutions. These efforts promote inclusive, sustainable, and resilient development in the region. The RSTW is one of the major scientific events leading up to the National Science, Technology, and Innovation Week (NSTW) celebration, which will be held in General Santos City in November.  For more information, visit www.dost.gov.ph or the National Science, Technology, and Innovation Week (NSTW) Facebook page. (By Rosemarie S. Pelaez, DOST-STII)