Why Is TV Not Showing Science-Oriented Shows?!

Drama, K-Drama, Variety, and Entertainment- these are the shows that dominate local TV and is watched by majority of the viewing public. I have also been to many of the presscons and launch parties of  TV networks for their upcoming shows but I always find the topic of science and technology missing.

Back in the 90's there was Sineskwela, Beakman's World and many other science-oriented shows which sparked my interest and made me want to be a scientist (inventor) back then. In today's TV, there is probably one or two from the big networks (Matanglawin, Oyayi, and AHA!) but they are only shown once a week compared to the daily shows which are shown just in time for morning kids to catch them.

Though I have nothing against entertainment shows, however it is a wasted opportunity to help the youth in being exposed to the sciences. There were reports and studies on the competitiveness of Filipinos in Science and Technology which the Philippines does not fair well (Check out the worldwide competitive ranking report by the DOST and PH Schools performance to the world stage). What we excel on nowadays are social media engagement, political and social ramblings, and a growing internet population with high demands for mobile connectivity. But Science was probably the option of many as we may look at it as "too intellectual" or "para sa mayaman lang yan". 

Maybe one reason why there are not many science show is because of the perception of the TV networks who sees series like this as options to complete the genre roster. They see that it is not profitable to create a boring show because kids today want action and movement, thus they would rather have a shows that must outlast the competition. They brought in cartoons, anime, morning shows, and even movies to spice up the line up, but where is the show that would make science more cooler? They left it on another channel which is either cable-based or in digital TV format which many are still unable to view.

The best science shows are not on TV, but are found in YouTube. I find it interesting when I come across a good channel which tackles a scientific topic which is rarely discussed on TV and did not encountered in school. But I am quite disappointed that despite the growing number of YouTubers in the Philippines, I have yet to encounter a Pinoy channel that is solely focused on Filipino science, experiments and technology. Though Tech Vloggers are also a growing community, they are more dedicated to gadgets and technology which is still different when we discuss about physics and chemistry.

As the world is gearing into a very complicated and technologically-driven world, I hate to see the future generation of Filipinos lacking the drive for ingenuity. The latest technology and innovation should also come from us here, with people taking interest to troubleshoot the world by being future scientists, engineers, and researchers.

If many would say Science is a lame concept for is probably not creative enough. Look at the Big Bang Theory, one of the most successful series on TV today, which put in a mix of comedy , pop culture references, physics and lot more scientific stuff. It also raised awareness of different studies like astrophysics, astronomical engineering and pharmaceutical research and development. 

How do Filipinos make a timely science show? It will need a lot of research and consultation, integrating different methods to be accurate yet engaging. It will be a little expensive, but definitely it will be a worthwhile investment to me more than just a show but a show that will open minds and challenge them to the ever-expanding scientific universe.