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‘Ilovation’
DREAMING of becoming the “next Silicon Valley” and a competitive information technology / financial hub, the Iloilo City government will be launching “Ilovation” before the end of the year. A portmanteau of “Iloilo” and “innovation”, the two-day Ilovation will bring together Ilonggo tech experts, web developers, animators, robotics experts, and those involved in startup ventures to build a community of innovators.
Yes, we can improve productivity and increase competitiveness by adopting innovation as a vital component of development policies. A few months ago, the Senate passed on third reading the proposed Philippine Innovation Act. The measure aims to promote a culture of innovation to encourage creative thinking and knowledge creation and dissemination towards expanding and maintaining economic competitiveness.
The Philippines used to have the enviable status of being the second most progressive nation in Asia during the 1950s and early 1960s. It was a model of development, second only to Japan, and was envied as an industrial powerhouse and served as a manufacturing hub for many products – from consumer goods to medical products; cement; textile and fertilizers; automobiles, televisions, and home appliances; as well as steel, for shipbuilding.
Today, however, the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation classifies the Philippines as an “innovation follower”, which means it does not contribute significantly to the global innovation system. It also means we under-invest in scientific research, and are not willing to embrace needed reforms that could bolster our innovation potential.
Being a mere follower is simply unacceptable, especially that the Filipino talent has contributed a number of game-changing solutions to the world. For example, Engr. Dado Banatao invented the first graphics accelerator chip for personal computers, which allowed data processing to happen at the speed of light. Dr. Fe del Mundo invented an improved medical incubator in 1941 which continues to save millions of infant lives every day. Dr. Rodolfo Aquino developed nine rice breeds in 1966 which helped prevent famine in much of Asia and helped make Thailand and Vietnam the world’s leading rice producers, a spot once solely occupied by the Philippines.
These outstanding achievements, long delivered before other economies achieved their economic status today, show that if we put in place a firm and explicit commitment to innovation, we can turn things around.
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