MANILA-The country needs more support and investments in research and development (R&D), an official of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) said Friday. "Malaki ang papel na ginagampanan ng science and technology upang patuloy na mapaunlad ang ating bansa. Nasa kamay nila ang pagkakaroon ng pagbabago at patuloy na pag-unlad(Science and technology play crucial role in the country's development. They are the key towards continuous progress)," said DOST Assistant Secretary Maridon Sahagun in a public briefing. A developing country like the Philippines, she said, needs to allocate at least 1 percent of GDP (gross domestic product) for R&D. "Thus, we need to add and sustain our support to R&D and innovation, so we could create more products for the benefit of the people," she said. Among the things that the country needs are investments in testing facilities; budget for maintenance and upgrading of infrastructure, laboratories in the regions.