President Estrada (June 30, 1998, to January 20, 2001): During his term, the Philippines was

characterized by a pro-poor platform. In terms of science and technology, he ordered the removal of all
sovereign guarantees on contracts for public projects. This meant that the Filipino people would no
longer have to assume the financial losses of private companies doing business with the government.
This move, while not directly linked to a specific science and technology project, had implications on how
such projects would be financed and managed.

During his presidency, former President Estrada implemented two major legislations that had a
significant impact on science and technology in the Philippines. The first one is the Philippine Clean Air
Act of 1999 (Republic Act No. 8749). This legislation aimed to improve air quality and reduce pollution
by implementing measures to control emissions from vehicles, industries, and other sources. It played
a crucial role in addressing environmental concerns and promoting sustainable development.

The second major legislation implemented by President Estrada was the Electronic Commerce Act of
2000 (Republic Act No. 8792). This act provided a legal framework for electronic transactions and e-
commerce in the Philippines. It facilitated the growth of the digital economy, encouraged online
business activities, and protected the rights of consumers engaging in electronic transactions.

Additionally, President Estrada launched a full-scale program based on cost-effective irrigation

technologies. This program aimed to improve agricultural productivity by providing farmers with efficient
and affordable irrigation systems. By investing in modern irrigation technologies, President Estrada
contributed to the advancement of agricultural practices in the country, leading to increased crop yields
and improved livelihoods for farmers.

President Estrada signed the IIndigenous Peoples Rights Act(IPRA) into law in 1997. This landmark
legislation recognized and protected the rights of indigenous peoples in the Philippines, including their
ancestral domains, cultural integrity, and self-governance.

During President Estrada's term, he initiated the creation of the National Kidney and Transplant
Institute (NKTI) in Quezon City, Philippines. This institution aimed to provide affordable and accessible
healthcare services for kidney-related diseases and organ transplantation.
Diwata-1
Diwata-1 is a Philippine microsatellite deployed into orbit from the International Space Station (ISS) on April
27, 2016. It is the first 50kg satellite of the Philippine Scientific Earth Observation Microsatellite (PHL-
Microsat) Program, a three-year research and development program funded by the Department of Science and
Technology (DOST) of the Philippines. The program is a collaboration between the University of the
Philippines, the DOST-Advanced Science and Technology Institute (DOST-ASTI), and Japan’s Tohoku
University and Hokkaido University. Diwata-1 has three optical instruments for scientific earth observation:
the High Precision Telescope (HPT) which can be used in studying the extent of damages from natural
disasters; a Space-borne Multispectral Imager (SMI) with Liquid Crystal Tunable Filter (LCTF) for assessing
changes in vegetation and ocean productivity studies; and the Wide Field Camera (WFC) which can capture
cloud patterns and weather disturbances. It is also equipped with one engineering control instrument, the
Middle Field Camera (MFC), which is used to help locate the images captured by HPT and SMI.

Diwata-2
Diwata-2 is the second 50 kg. earth observation microsatellite of the Philippines built by researchers from the
University of the Philippines Diliman (UPD) and the Advanced Science and Technology Institute of the
Department of Science and Technology (DOST-ASTI) in cooperation with Tohoku University and Hokkaido
University in Japan under the Philippine Scientific Earth Observation Microsatellite (PHL-Microsat) Program.
It was successfully deployed into 600 km SSO orbit on 29 October 2018 and carries the same optical cameras
for scientific earth observation found in Diwata-1. It has since captured over 3,900 images total around the
world, over 2,290 of which are of the Philippines (image count as of June 2019). Specifically, improvements in
Diwata-2 include an Enhanced Resolution Camera (ERC) for pansharpening images captured by the SMI,
experimental modules for attitude determination & sensing, and an experimental amateur radio unit (ARU)
which can be used as an alternative mode of communication for emergency response.