With more than a million Filipinos leaving the country annually for jobs abroad, the danger of losing the country’s brilliant minds is also imminent.

This is the reason why the Department of Science and Technology recently revived its Balik Scientist Program to counteract the brain drain phenomenon in the country.

Engr. Ma. Lourdes Orijola, DOST assistant secretary and director of the Balik Scientist program, said the program, a “brain cycle” phenomenon, is their response to brain drain.

She said other countries in Asia like Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and India are now benefiting from similar “brain cycle” programs whose goal is to bring home the country’s scientists and technical experts now living or working abroad to serve their home country.

She said the program has been instituted way back during the term of president Ferdinand Marcos in 1975 and was revived in 1993 under the term of president Fidel V. Ramos. However, stringent application procedures and requirements have discouraged Pinoy intellectuals abroad from applying. “There were questions on their backgrounds like their good moral character and how much money they make, siyempre nakakahiya nga naman tanungin yung mga professionals ng ganun,” she said.

Last year, DOST made the rules more relaxed and thus more experts were encouraged to apply. As of Oct. 8, Orijola said 22 experts have completed their visits, with 10 still serving. Six applications have also been approved and awaiting for deployment with five more in the pipeline.

Among the 22 experts who have completed their service is Dr. Norberto Ison, an expert in computing statistics and instructor at the University of Phoenix and University of California Berkeley in the United States. He taught two courses at the University of the Philippines Baguio from June to September and gave his recommendations to the university to improve their capability in statistics.

Ison is the second Balik Scientist Awardee who served in the Cordilleras after Dr. Daniel Peckley Jr. in the Kalinga Apayao State College.

Orijola said Baguio as a center of education and other Cordillera schools should take advantage of the program to strengthen the academe. “It is a very good intervention program for all universities to help us regain our ranking in Asia and the world,” she said.

DOST has short term and long term programs ranging from one month to three years of service. The agency will handle airfare, subsistence allowance, housing, and even research grants for successful BSP applicants.