Rep. Victor Yap, principal author of HB 3057, is urging the House of Representatives to work for its immediate approval given its significance to Filipino entrepreneurs.
“Innovation should not be feared. It should be welcomed. However, our people must be equipped with the right perspective and skills to be competitive,” Yap said in a statement to the media.
HB 3057 intends to promote a culture of innovation and ensure that knowledge is created, acquired, disseminated and used more effectively by individuals, enterprises, organizations and communities to promote economic and social development.
If enacted, the National Innovation Council (NIC), headed by the President, will be established, Yap said.
He also said the NIC is mandated to develop the appropriate vision, strategies and priorities to promote and support innovation and to formulate the National Innovation Agenda and Strategy Document (NIASD) which will establish the country’s vision and long-term goals for innovation that will provide a road map and strategies for improving innovation governance.
The NIC will also develop Research, Development and Extension (RD&E) themes that will be adopted by concerned government agencies.
The NIC will also develop relevance criteria that will be administered by the agencies concerned in the selection of RD&E projects and programs for funding.
According to the measure, the government approach will be adopted throughout the process where all the government agencies concerned shall be responsible in implementing the country’s innovation strategies to facilitate engagement with business, the RD&E sector, MSMEs and the broader community.
An Innovation Fund, with an initial fund of P1 billion to strengthen and support enterprises engaged in developing innovative solutions, will also be created.
In urging his fellow legislators, Yap further said: “We should take advantage of the current business situation where start-up companies and MSMEs have the opportunity to compete with big businesses through technology and innovation.The government should step in and cultivate this environment. Government should provide MSMEs with a platform to flourish.”
The Senate has earlier approved the same measure authored by Senators Loren Legarda and Win Gatchalian on third and final reading.
