PHL remains on par with ASEAN peers in quantum technology — DoST

The Philippines remains on par with neighboring Southeast Asian countries in its pursuit of quantum technology, with current efforts focused on fundamental research and manpower development, according to the Department of Science and Technology (DoST) on Monday.

“If we compare ourselves to countries like Malaysia, Indonesia, or even Thailand, we are still on par,” Niñaliza H. Escorial, deputy executive director and officer-in-charge (OIC) of the office of the executive director at DoST–Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DoST-PCIEERD), said in Filipino in an interview on the sidelines of the agency’s 16th anniversary.

“What the country needs is more infrastructure, but in terms of science, we are still on par with our neighboring countries,” she added.

Ms. Escorial said DoST-PCIEERD, the lead agency for research and development in emerging technologies such as quantum, is continuing to implement the agency’s Quantum Technology Roadmap.

The roadmap envisions that by 2030, the country will already be harnessing quantum technology to drive local innovation and economic growth “by establishing a robust quantum network, developing indigenous quantum simulators, and advancing quantum metrology,” DoST-PCIEERD said on its website.

It also envisions positioning the Philippines as a key regional player in quantum technology.

Ms. Escorial said the agency is currently focused on building the scientific foundation for quantum technology, with practical applications expected in the future.

Ms. Escorial said DoST-PCIEERD is focused on developing skilled researchers through partner universities while working to address the infrastructure needs of the country’s quantum research community.

Based on the quantum technology roadmap updated on October 9, P150 million is the target budget earmarked for 2026. This aims to support the development of algorithms for quantum networks, applications of quantum cryptography, and the implementation of error-corrected logical qubits with fault-tolerant gates.

DoST-PCIEERD reported that it has two ongoing quantum technology projects, one newly approved project, and one completed project.

The ongoing projects include Quantum Computing-based Forecasting and Optimization Applied to Electric Power Grid, with a budget of P18 million from the 2024 allocation, and STArQE: Quantum Algorithms Development for E-Vehicle and Renewable Energy Infrastructure Planning, with a budget of nearly P8 million from the 2025 allocation.

Meanwhile, the newly approved and completed projects include Fabrication and Characterization of Photonic Integrated Circuits for Hybrid Quantum Computing (HyQ-PICs), which has been allocated P24 million from the 2025 budget, and the Quantum Innovation Laboratory, respectively.

Among the priority use cases for quantum technology are faster weather forecasting and applications in the financial sector, Ms. Escorial said.

She expressed hope that quantum technology would have practical use cases by 2028, in line with the roadmap.

“Right now, all of our roadmaps end in 2028. So hopefully by 2028, we will already have something useful,” Ms. Escorial said. — Edg Adrian A. Eva