Department of Science and Technology Fortunato “Boy” T. de la Peña urged Friday, Dec. 10, the National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP) to continue breeding generations of scholars who will commit themselves to contribute to public welfare and national development.

The call made by de la Peña during the DOST-NRCP’s 88th anniversary celebration on Friday, anchored on the theme, “Re-imagining, Future-Proofing NRCP.”

“Future-proofing NRCP entails that it should continue to embark on new challenges and new frontiers to be responsive to the needs of our country amidst the changing times and rapidly-evolving technologies,” he said.

"But we need to remind ourselves that to ensure the sustainability of the Council’s actions and endeavors, it needs to go beyond just the quantification of accomplishments. More than that, it should continuously breed generations of scholars who aspire not only for personal growth but more importantly, for selfless engagements that would benefit the country as a whole.”

De la Peña cited the need for the NRCP to come up with a clear visualization of the Philippines’ future and how it can stay relevant and responsive.

"We thrive in adversity because we are unyielding to our commitment to contribute to a better life for the present and future generations. More than ever, we are aware of our tasks and responsibilities because it is NRCP that looks into all aspects of life not only the science of it all but also on the social dimensions of science which are very important to understand so that people would be able to relate and act accordingly.”

The DOST chief hailed the Council for persevering in its commitment to contribute to the country’s socio-economic development.

"History tells us how the NRCP persisted despite World War II, mass protests, political instabilities, and now, the pandemic. These are undeniable proofs that we can continuously survive and thrive in challenging circumstances with resilience and optimism.”

He said some of the NRCP researchers went as far as the remote mountains of the Sierra Madre and the Visayas Islands to directly empower and support the marginalized sectors towards self-determination and collective progress.

"These are stories of selflessness and commitment to contribute to public welfare. These are the values that have sustained generations of NRCP scholars to continuously pursue meaningful engagements for the people and future generations. Without their selfless devotion, we would not be seeing NRCP today,” de la Peña said.

The Council has more than 4,000 member-researchers.

A collegial body of highly-trained and productive scientists and researchers, the NRCP is an advisory body to the Philippine government on matters of national interest.

NRCP seeks to address the demand for knowledge, skills and innovations in the sciences and humanities to contribute to nation-building and improve the quality of life of the Filipino people by 2025.