LEGAZPI CITY, ALBAY (PIA) --Second District Congressman Joey Salceda is the Philippines’ first recipient of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) House of Representative Exponents of Responsive and Outstanding Engagement in Science (HEROES) award held recently.

The award is in recognition of his significant efforts and legislative contributions to Science, Technology, and Innovation and support to DOST programs and projects.

“I take this award as affirming my commitment to evidence-based, data-driven, and science-informed decision-making, for our institutions, for government, and for society at large,” Salceda said.

As principal author of the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) Law, Salceda said he ensured that research and development (R&D) takes primacy among national objectives given with tax incentives and deduction to encourage private investment.

Salceda also filed and championed the Science for Change Act which he said can help the country reach the required gross domestic product (GDP) rate for R&D. As prescribed by UNESCO, the Philippines need to reach 1% of GDP as minimum R&D investment for a country to be competitive when enacted into law.-

“Given our current starting point, and assuming the next administration enacts the bill on its first year, by the end of its term, we can reach the 1% of GDP prescribed by UNESCO as the minimum R&D investment for the country to be competitive,” Salceda said.

The Albayano lawmaker commended President Duterte for lifting the moratorium on new mining agreements, noting the need to do much more to keep mining fiscally rewarding, commercially viable and ecologically sustainable. (SAA/PIA5/Albay)