Marcos orders gov’t agencies to bring space tech closer to Filipinos

President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. —Official Facebook page of PCO

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered concerned government agencies to bring space technology closer to Filipinos, especially the youth, said the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) on Monday.

According to PhilSA Director General Joel Marciano Jr., Marcos gave the order during the 8th Philippine Space Council (PSC) meeting with PhilSA, the Department of National Defense (DND), and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).

Marciano said Marcos discussed with the agencies the “current state of utilization of space, science, and technology and its applications in our country.”

READ: Marcos announces upcoming launch of MULA satellite

“The President instructed us to bring space technology closer to the people, especially to the young ones,” he said.

“By bringing it to the public, we can communicate the benefits of space technology better in addressing the many programs of the government. We’re there with the other government agencies in trying to achieve better synergy for using space technology,” he added.

Meanwhile, Marciano said Marcos received updates on the development and utilization of space science and technology in the country, including the development of the Multispectral Unit for Land Assessment (MULA) satellite.

Among the updates disclosed were PhilSA’s signed partnerships and collaborations with different space agencies from several countries, including Japan, the United Kingdom, France,

South Korea, and the United States; and receiving four Pandora instruments for air quality measurement.

PhilSA also shared that it has already distributed 59,455 satellite images and maps and signed 12 space data mobilization agreements with government agencies from July 2022 to June 30, 2024.