The palace just announced that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. wants the government to offer a scholarship program for STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) courses.

In a cabinet meeting held today, the President said that a scholarship program will encourage more students to pursue STEM courses. In addition, it will address the shortage of talent in the information and communication technology industries.

In line with this, President Marcos Jr. directed Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Secretary Ivan John Uy to work with the industry players to determine their specific needs and address job mismatches.

Uy said that many IT graduates lack the tools and training required by the ICT industry, further adding that STEM courses are not very much preferred in the country. 

Earlier this year, President Marcos vowed to address the lag in research and development in the fields of science and technology, engineering, and mathematics or STEM.

He even issued a statement acknowledging that the Philippines is being left behind and has “a lot to catch up” in the said field of study. 

“Unfortunately, our educational attainment when it comes to mathematics and the sciences, we do not do very well as compared to other countries,” Marcos Jr. said.

He emphasized that the country must adapt to current developments since the Philippine economy is “very largely technical-based, based on science and technical innovations.”