DOST flexes key achievements, brings more innovative solutions to public at 68

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As the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) celebrated its 68th anniversary, Secretary Renato U. Solidum Jr. highlighted its accomplishments through his State of the Department Address, which enumerated the key achievements that brought innovation, sustainability, well-being, opportunity, livelihood, resilience, and peace across the nation.

DOST was established as the National Science and Development Board on June 13, 1958. Afterwards, it was reconstituted as the National Science and Technology Authority on March 17, 1981, before it was expanded into a full cabinet stature through Executive Order 128 signed on 30 January 1987.

“Behind every project, technology, research, paper, and program, there's a Filipino whose life is better because science reached them. Ito po ang tunay na agham na ramdam,” the secretary emphasized.

Towards sustainability

Among the reported feats of the department is the expanded implementation of the Smart and Sustainable Communities (SSC) program, which reached 152  local government units (LGUs) across the country as of May 2026.

The SSC is a flagship program of the DOST since 2022 that focuses on integrating science, technology, and innovation (STI) to improve public services, disaster preparedness, sustainability, and socio-economic development of the LGUs.

“The SSC translates [programs, systems, technologies, and innovations] into community-level solutions for inclusive and sustainable development,” Sec. Solidum said.

Through this, the LGUs have received capacity building, enhanced access to technology and innovation programs, and increased funding to advance the establishment of smart and sustainable communities.

Fostering well-being, food security

On human well-being, Solidum put the establishment of the Virology and Vaccine Institute of the Philippines (VIP) upfront as “one of DOST’s most significant milestones.”

The VIP, under Republic Act (RA) No. 12290 signed last September 2025, is eyed to enhance the Philippines’ scientific capabilities in virology, vaccine research, diagnostics, and preparedness against emerging infectious diseases.

“We are building the capacity to respond more effectively to future biological threats and ensuring that the Philippines becomes more self-reliant in protecting the health of its people,” he underscored.

Moreover, the DOST has also forefronted the development of rapid DNA extraction and detection kits for African Swine Fever (ASF), and the implementation of Project Smarter Approaches to Reinvigorate Agriculture as an Industry in the Philippines (SARAI) in every region.

Alternatives in crisis

Solidum also advocated the use of renewable energy, particularly to counter the challenges on oil and energy stemming from the recent Middle East crisis—which includes the Electric Vehicle (EV) Program.

Such efforts include the first-ever Filipino-engineered e-tranvia, an all-electric tourist transport vehicle launched last March in Intramuros, Manila, and the MB Dalaray, an all-electric tourist ferry on Pasig River set sail last October 2025.

“Both initiatives advance sustainable low-emission transport solutions for urban and tourist mobility,” the secretary remarked as he highlighted its sustainable features.

It followed earlier similar EV innovations such as the e-boat in Manila, e-Jeepney, hybrid electric train, converted and e-trikes developed through the collaboration of DOST with the University of the Philippines - Diliman and Cagayan State University.

Quality education and opportunities

The DOST has also become the forefront of opening opportunities for the Filipinos through quality education and various scholarship programs, especially to those pursuing scientific careers.

Extending its pride, the DOST has strengthened the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education in its high schools through the passing of RA 12310 or the Expanded Philippine Science High School (PSHS) System Act last October 2025.

This includes establishing more campuses across the country, targeting having at least two PSHS campuses in every region.

Meanwhile, for the academic year 2025 to 2026, the DOST has supported 48,520 undergraduate scholars and 5,852 graduate scholars, reaching almost all of the municipalities and congressional districts in the country

“We will increase the percentage as we are able to develop ways to further increase our scholars to those communities that have not been covered by scholarships yet,” the secretary remarked.

The department also launched the Enhanced Bridging Education in Science and Technology for Indigenous People (BEST4IP) this year, to provide scholarship programs for the IPs.

“Last year alone, more than half of the graduating class [of Nueva Vizcaya State University] came from indigenous communities and half of these graduates were first generation college students,” Sec. Solidum shared.

Other than these, the DOST continued on providing educational resources to geographically isolated and underserved communities through STARBOOKs (Science and Technology Academic and Research-Based Openly-Operated KioskS).

“A scholarship benefits one student today, but that student may someday create technologies that benefit millions,” he highlighted.

From innovation to commercialization

Highlighting the Philippine innovation ecosystem, Solidum reported that the country ranked 50th in the 2025 Global Innovation Index (GII) out of 133 economies, coming from the 53rd in 2024.

“We need to strengthen infrastructure, enhance education and research and development capacities, improve [financing], and expand support for entrepreneurs and startups,” Solidum detailed to further foster inclusive innovation driven growth.

In an effort to support such an initiative, DOST took pride in setting up Project PROPEL and the newly established Philippine Technology Evaluation and Standards for Testing (PhiTEST) aimed at technology transfer and commercialization.

Boosts for MSMEs and livelihood

Other than scholarships and innovations, DOST proved its grit on empowering the country to leverage science as “a powerful driver of economic growth and inclusive development.

Solidum reported that from July 2022 to April 2026 alone, the department provided PhP12 billion in funding assistance to researchers, innovators, enterprises, communities, and institutions across the country.

This is through various programs such as the DOST Grants-in-Aid, the Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program (SETUP), the Community Empowerment through Science and Technology (CEST), and the Invention Development Assistance Fund.

“Every peso invested in science is an investment in people. When productivity increases, income increases. When efficiency improves, opportunities expand,” Sec. Solidum said.

These offered assistance enabling Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to “produce more, waste less, improve product quality, and compete in larger markets” for improved productivity.

In his SODA, he also revealed SETUP assisted 80,000 beneficiaries, created 41,000 jobs nationwide with investments amounting to PhP2.9 billion, while CEST reached 3,691 communities.

One of the SETUP enterprises DOST has assisted is Bleue R, an enterprise offering various printing services that uses solar-energy resources.

“The owner (of Bleue R) said that from paying around PhP40,000 per month, now around PhP6,000 only because of the solar energy—complemented with machine upgrades, from one-head sewing machines to six,” he shared.

Building resilience and peace

In disasters, the DOST secretary highlighted the new digital platforms for disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) through the GeoRiskPH Integrated Platform.

This includes key digital solutions, including PlanSmart for Safe Schools with the Department of Education for risk-informed school planning; PlanSmart for Sustainable Human Settlement for data-driven land use planning; and the Handa, an integrated platform for disaster preparedness and response, a unified dashboard for hazard monitoring and early warning.

“These innovations strengthened evidence-based decision-making, preparedness, and coordinated disaster response nationwide,” Solidum said.

Meanwhile, he also shared that science “has an important role in nation-building and peace-building” as innovation can become an “instrument of inclusion.”

It can be recalled that in February, the DOST visited a former Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) camp wherein science and technology-driven livelihood, through the department’s Science for Peace, is introduced to the community.

“We have seen how knowledge can become a bridge between communities. We have seen how opportunities can reduce uncertainty. And we can see how technologies, how these interventions can build trust across people,” he underscored.

Unifying approach

DOST also boasted that it will continue leading the Philippines towards “a more innovative, competitive, and sustainable future” through various programs and steps forward, such as the Geospatial Analytics and Technology Solutions, or GATES.

GATES is an integrated artificial intelligence-ready (AI) geospatial platform eyed to fuel the AI initiative of DOST in an effort to unify data across its programs in food security, climate resilience, disaster reduction, health education, and entrepreneurship.

“Allowing these [target] datasets to interact and reveal new relationships, find out the root causes of the problem, and provide the most appropriate solutions,” the secretary explained.

Moreover, GATES would also operationalize the national AI strategy of the country to produce spatial intelligence and responsible innovation anchored to the three-horizon economic strategy of the DOST.

Meanwhile, Solidum reiterated that development through DOST’s various programs and initiatives is “not measured by outputs, but by outcomes and lives transformed.”

“Let us ensure that when history looks back on this period, it will say that DOST did not just conduct research. DOST prepared the nation for the future. DOST made science felt in the lives of ordinary Filipinos,” the secretary emphasized.

The programs and technologies of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) are aimed at providing science-based, innovative, and inclusive solutions across four strategic pillars: human well-being, wealth creation, wealth protection, and sustainability. These pillars embody the mantra OneDOST4U: Solutions and Opportunities for All. For more information, visit www.dost.gov.ph.( By Karl Jerome M. del Mundo, DOST-STII)