Lawmakers have filed two bills in the Senate and Lower House for the establishment of a centralized Philippine Space Agency.
Bohol Rep. Erico Aumentado and Zamboanga del Norte 1st District Rep. Seth Frederick Jalosjos filed House Bill No. 363, while Senator Bam Aquino filed Senate Bill 1211.
“All the work that we have done in the past few years for the development of a national space program amounts to these two documents… House Bill 3637 and Senate Bill 1211 which both aim to legislate a Philippine Space Development and Utilization Policy and create a Philippine Space Agency,” wrote Filipino astrophysicist Dr. Rogel Mari Sese on his Facebook account on Tue, Oct 25.
Sese and his colleagues have been lobbying for the participation of the Philippines in space exploration. He said that depending on foreign space technology can be risky for the country, GMA News reports.
“Independent access to space is no longer a luxury but rather a necessity even for developing countries such as ours,” Sese said.
The bills are pushing for the creation of the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA), which will be responsible for the country’s space-technology needs like weather imaging and telecommunications.
“The PhilSA would be responsible for developing space science technology policies, implementing research and education programs, and establishing industry linkages between private and public sector stakeholder,” the Senate bill’s explanatory note read.
The initial response from lawmakers was positive, but it is too early to tell if the plans will push through.
Earlier this year, the First Filipino-made microsatellite Diwata-1was launched into space from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, USA via the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The microsatellite was developed and assembled by Filipino scientists in partnership with the Tohoku University and Hokkaido University of Japan.
