Brighter future for STEM in the Philippines?
Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Secretary Ivan John Uy, on Tuesday, Dec. 20, hinted that the department is aiming to build the capacity of Filipino youth in the field of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics by 2023.
Uy, in a palace briefing held Tuesday afternoon, disclosed that the DICT is eyeing the to implement a combination of digital courses and scholarships to equip the public and increase their awareness in information and communications technology.

“It will have to be a combination. For the short term, we need to concentrate on the short courses. For long term , we will be working with our educational institutions as well as government institutions in charge of education: Department of Education, Commission on Higher Education, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, and state universities in order to develop more courses in these areas,” said Uy.
The DICT official stressed the importance of subjecting the youth to STEM-related programs while they are young, reiterating that these would help pique their interest in the field.
“We will be launching programs on that in 2023. I will not announce it yet, but it will be a very interesting program on building up our STEM capacity, even from the school and from a very young age,” he furthered.