Say Goodbye to Brain Drain?
Posted on November 24th, 2008
This is the time to win back more brains to return home. After the big brain drain that happened in the late 1970s to later 1990s, it is time for the skilled individuals to come back. Typically, brain drain refers to the professionals who go abroad in search for greener pastures. The Philippines is in need of individuals who can provide new ideas and innovation, not only the remittances they send here.
New technologies and market information is what the Philippines needed most. And the highly competent professionals can only give that, but the problem is these highly competent professionals are not in the Philippines, they are based in abroad due to the fact that other countries, especially the rich ones where able to give these Filipino professionals a better opportunities than in their homeland.
Once reported that the Philippine economy is poised to slow down in 2008 on account of external factors. Also, the Philippines needed to follow the path taken by dynamic Asia-Pacific countries and the developed world, which is based on innovation and technology.
It must be the time to get serious in harnessing our human resources in order to lessen or eliminate brain drain. But this time, not only the government should take the initiative as well as the private sector.
There is this program of the government and it is the Balik Scientist Program that aims to bring back scientists here to render their aid in the development of our country. The private sector should be their direct beneficiary in some profitable areas such as alternative energy, biotechnology, information and communication technology, pharmaceutical, and environment.
Products and services that are creative and generated by human innovation are the comparative advantage of the Philippines even in a financially volatile global economy. Therefore, we must help each other and harness the skills and knowledge that God had given us, put it in a good use and best, use it for the country’s development.
