IN 1997, Republic Act (RA) 8439 was passed by Congress. Referred to as 'The Magna Carta for Scientists, Engineers, Researchers and other S and T Personnel in the Government,' its main goal was 'to provide for a program of human resources development in science and technology to achieve and maintain the necessary reservoir of talent and manpower that will sustain its drive for total science and technology mastery.'

A cursory reading would suggest that the law would cover S&T managers, supervisors and planners; members of the scientific career system; scientists, engineers and researchers; and Department of Science and Technology (DoST) technicians and related S&T personnel. Ideally and theoretically, this should not have discriminated against researchers and scientists working in state universities and colleges (SUCs). The law deemed as included DoST and its attached agencies, the Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and the Bureau of Agricultural Research of the Department of Agriculture. It should have included even those in the academe who are conducting research in SUCs in addition to their teaching responsibilities.