MUNTINLUPA CITY – The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and the National Academy of Science and Technology, Philippines (NAST PHL) are moving to “future-proof” the country’s scientific landscape by embedding long-term foresight into national policy-making.
During the In-House Workshop on Policy Research, Analysis, and Formulation for PAGTANAW 2050 held on 20 February 2026 at Acacia Hotel Manila in Muntinlupa City, Department Legislative Liaison Office (DLLO) Director Lita S. Suerte Felipe, Philippine Science High School (PSHS) Executive Director Dr. Ronnalee N. Orteza, National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP) Executive Director Dr. Bernardo N. Sepeda, Technology Application and Promotion Institute (TAPI) OIC Director Atty. Israel Jacob R. Zaragoza, and various DOST attached agencies’ planning officers and decision-makers gathered to bridge the gap between visionary goals and actionable government programs. Facilitated by Dr. Jaine C. Reyes of the UP Los Baños College of Public Affairs and Development (CPAf), the workshop focused on turning the PAGTANAW 2050 foresight agenda into actionable policies and programs that can be felt across the department.
To aid participants in the workshop, Academician Glenn B. Gregorio, project leader of the PAGTANAW 2050 Program’s “Development of the PAGTANAW 2050, the Philippine ST&I Foresight Indicators,” presented key lessons from a benchmarking activity conducted with Australian-based organizations that incorporate foresight practices into their decision-making processes.
Participants developed policy proposals with the aid of foresight tools to address agency-based issues, such as strengthening technology transfer, institutionalizing science offices in local government units (LGUs), and aligning educational programs with industry needs. Dr. Reyes commended the outputs, stressing the need for foresight to inform concrete policy development through robust stakeholder engagement and evidence-based planning.
The event concluded by reinforcing the importance of embedding foresight into the DOST system’s culture. As a call to action, DOST officials are urged to foster inter-agency collaboration in all policy and planning exercises across agencies, apply insights from international foresight institutes and embed futures thinking and strategic foresight tools into the institutional planning processes of each agency, and formulate and advance policies, programs, and strategies informed by strategic foresight and aligned with long-term national goals.
This workshop represents a crucial step in building the necessary capacity within the DOST to steer the nation’s scientific and technological future and successfully realize the aspirations of PAGTANAW 2050. — Anna Tasnim Basman/NAST PHL
PAGTANAW 2050 is the first DOST-funded inter-disciplinal and trans-disciplinal project on Philippine-focused ST&I Foresight and Strategic Plan that would impact the aspirations of the Filipino people on or before 2050: A Prosperous, Archipelagic, and Maritime Nation.
For more information about PAGTANAW 2050, you may visit the NAST PHL website at https://nast.dost.gov.ph/index.php/pagtanaw-2050 and social media accounts through Facebook, Instagram, X, and LinkedIn: @pagtanaw2050
