President Marcos said the country must prop up its spending on research and development to maintain the Philippines' emerging image as an "innovation achiever."

Marcos stated this as he led the launching of the National Innovation Agenda Strategy Document (NIASD), a document that outlines the country's  10-year vision and long-term goals for innovation, on Wednesday, Sept. 27.

Bolstering spending on research and development was among the priorities he cited in order to achieve "a truly smart and innovative Philippines."

"We shall reform our education curriculum design and learning platforms to develop the creativity, curiosity, problem solving skills and entrepreneurial abilities of Filipinos for the 21st century," Marcos said.

"Likewise, we shall bolster spending for research and development, support local enterprises, ensure foods security through smart agricultural inputs to empower local producers, facilitate efficient and secure financial services, accelerate digitalization efforts to boost manufacturing processes and commercialization of products and services, improved mobility through better urban-rural linkages and reduce carbon footprints of our transport systems," he added.

The President cited that the country has earned recognition as an innovation achiever, hoping that with the NIASD, the Philippines would be able to position itself as a stalwart of innovation along with its neighboring countries in Southeast Asia.

He stressed that the NIASD will play a crucial role in the country's innovation efforts, saying it "promises long awaited transformation" for the nation.

"This document is not just a plan but a commitment to making innovation an indispensable component of our nation’s development agenda and the key driver in our vision to achieve a truly smart and innovative Philippines," he said.

Encapsulated within the NIASD, Marcos also said, is the blueprint that will accelerate the country’s innovation governance and promote a culture of innovation amongst scientists, researchers, entrepreneurs, engineers, and citizens.

The first NIASD covers the period 2023-2032, with foundational strategies and reforms implemented within the ambit of the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2023-2028.

There are 10 innovation priority areas identified based on the Philippine Innovation Act, namely learning and education; health; food and agribusiness; finance; manufacturing and trade; transportation and logistics; public administration; security and defense; energy; and blue economy and water.