Now the Philippines is entering the space race! Pacific nation has launched PhilSA to ‘improve national security’ and keep up with global rivals
- President Rodrigo Duterte authorised the formation of PhilSA early this month
- The bureau will receive an initial budget of circa one billion pesos (£15 million)
- This will be spent over five years and help to improve national security measures
As the world competes for intergalactic achievements, the Philippines will now create its very own space agency.
The country’s leader, President Rodrigo Duterte, officially authorised the formation of the Philippine Space Agency – dubbed PhilSA – on 8 August.
This bureau – which will receive an initial budget of one billion pesos (£15 million) – will co-ordinate all governmental policy and future activity, akin to America’s NASA.
A number of other Asian countries, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, already have their own space agencies.
It also comes shortly after both Australia and Turkey created space agencies in recent months.
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Official: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte authorised the formation of the Philippine Space Agency – dubbed PhilSA – on 8 August
‘This piece of legislation will bear fruits that generations to come will be enjoying,’ Fortunato dela Pena, the Filipino science and technology secretary, told a news briefing.
According to sources at Nature, the Philippine Space Agency hopes to improve national security, hazard management and climate-change mitigation.
It also hopes to develop research in technologies such as satellites, growing the country’s private space industry and international collaborations.
Enrico Paringit, from the Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and Development, said there will be grassroots benefits, too.
‘We can monitor vessels out there in the sea. This can also support our fisher folk, not just to monitor where they are but also where to efficiently fish,’ he said.
‘We can also monitor our agricultural productivity. We can monitor real-time, with these capabilities in place, where deforestation and degradations are taking place. We can monitor situations in disaster-stricken areas.’
Competing: A number of other Asian countries, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, already have their own space agencies
As reported in the Straits Times, there are more than 1,000 space science experts ‘ready, willing and able’ to join PhilSA.
Meanwhile, The Department of Science and Technology has partnered with the University of the Philippines to offer aerospace engineering courses.
This, they hope, will improve scientific literacy and encourage more people to develop careers in space exploration.
