President Benigno S. Aquino III urged the country’s youth to take up sciences and technology, including robotics courses which will be the wave of the future.
Looking pleased and proud on the fete of 19 Filipino teams which competed in the 2010 World Robot Olympiad last November the President said the Filipino youth’s awareness and exposure to science and technological advancements “have gone a long way†from his time “of floppy disc and black and white television.â€
The President cited statistics showing the low inclination of the youth to science courses saying that of the 100 students going to college only two take up science courses.
Cabinet members in attendance were Science and Technology Secretary Mario Montejo and Education Secretary Armin Luistro along with Deputy Director Dr. Leticia Catris of the Science Education Institute of the DOST.
He noted that the sciences will be useful to the country’s progress and development with possible applications in security of the railway systems, solutions to flooding and landslides (through the sensors of the robots), and retrieval operations for victims of natural disasters, “or where it is very risky for humans†to venture in.
The President said he is proud that today’s youths are very competitive in robotics beating even countries known for their adherence to science like Russia, Japan and China in the last World Robotics Olympiad at the SM Mall of Asia.
The robotics champions were brought to Malacanang on Thursday by Mylene Abiva of Felta Multi Media Inc., founder of the Philippine Robotics Olympiad in 2001 who also lobbied for the inclusion of robotics in the physics subjects in private and public high schools and in general sciences for elementary levels.
The Philippine team has been joining the World Robotics Olympiad for the past 10 years. It has won in six straight years an accumulative total of two gold, one silver and one bronze medals.
“But in 2010, our 19 teams won the same number of medals in only one participation,†said Abiva.
Abiva explained that the World Robotics Olympiad was participated in by 1,012 students from 22 countries with the Philippines joining in two categories: the regular techie playing field and the open or creative field (where the Philippines got both gold medals).
The President advised the youth not to “rest on your laurels and to keep working for excellence for the benefit of future generations.†- pna
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