Education and Research

The Philippines has started to make headway in edu¬cation thanks to policies that aim to expand access and improve quality. The need for human capital development has been the main impetus behind such educational reforms, as detailed in the cur¬rent administration’s Philippine Development Plan 2017-22. Despite notable gains, work remains, especially in terms of academic performance, the number of educational facilities and participation rates. To address these issues, the government has significantly increased education expenditure over the years, initiated structural changes in basic and higher education, and intensified partnerships with the private sector and industry. This chapter contains an interview with Fortunato T de la Peña, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology.