I WAS recently invited to speak in the boot camps of The Filipino Patriot Scholars Project of the Department of Science and Technology Science Education Institute. At first, I was surprised by this because I felt, like many others, what would a history talk be doing in a science boot camp?
But Dr. Josette Biyo, the director of the institute who is an award-winning educator after whom a planet, 13241 Biyo, is named, told me that to solve the problem of the brain drain of our scholars going out of the country never to return, she wanted to inspire them to remain in the country to serve it by infusing patriotism in the program, hence, my history lecture. She started The Filipino Patriot Scholars Project about five years ago in 2017, and their data show that avoidance of the contract to serve in the country after graduation has lessened, and many of those who left are finally coming back through the Balik Scientist Program.
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