As resolved on Joint Resolution No. 1 of the Thirteenth Congresss (19 February 2007)....

That a Congressional Commission on Science and Technology, and Engineering (COMSTE) be created to be composed of five (5) members of the House of Representatives and five (5) members of the Senate to be designated respectively by the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate, who shall endeavor to have the various regions of the country represented.

The Commission shall undertake a national review and assessment of the science, engineering, and technology research and development system of the country with a view to: (a) enhancing the system’s internal capability to satisfactorily implement the constitutional provisions on science and technology; (b) providing the system with the necessary funding requirement and other infrastructure support; (c) strengthening the linkages will all sectors concerned with science, and technology and engineering R&D; and (d) assisting the science and technology and engineering sector in achieving its goals and targets through policies and approaches that are consistent with the nation’s development perspectives.

...the Commission shall exercise the following functions and powers:

The Commission shall review and assess the formal educational system in both public and private schools at all levels, including graduate education. The Commission shall also review and assess the non-formal educational system. It shall produce a report of its findings and shall formulate short and long term policy and program recommendations to include each of the following areas: (i) Philosophy, goals and objectives of science and technology and engineering, (ii) Sectoral targets; (iii) Governance and management; (iv) Educational / manpower development programs; (v) Financing; (vi) Functional linkages among all departments and sectors concerned with science and technology and engineering R&D; and (vii) Educator’s training, benefits and retirement.

For the foregoing purposes, the Commission shall:

(a) Prescribe and adopt the guidelines that will govern the national review and assessment;

(b)Approve the work plan for the conduct of the national review and assessment;

(c) Approve the budget for the programs of the Commission and all disbursements therefrom, including compensation of all personnel;

(d) Hold hearings; receive testimonies, reports and expert advice on the status of Philippine science, engineering, and technology research and development and on available remedies to identify problems;

(e) Pass upon the recommendation of the Technical Secretariat which it shall organize, to be headed by an executive director, to provide the necessary technical, management, and staff services;

(f) Study and report to the President and to Congress its findings and make recommendations on actions to be taken by the Congress and the departments concerned with science, engineering, and technology;

(g) Secure from any department, bureau, office or instrumentality of the Government such assistance as may be needed, including technical information, preparation and production of reports and the submission of recommendations or plans as it may require;

(h) Hire and appoint such employees and personnel whether temporary, contractual, or on consultancy, subject to applicable rules;

(i) Summon by subpoena any public official or private citizen to testify before it, or require by subpoena duces tecum to produce before it such records, reports, reports or other documents as may be necessary in the performance of its functions; and

(j) Define other priority areas of concern in science, engineering, and technology that arise from the research and consultations conducted by the Commission and exercise all the powers necessary to attain the purposes for which it is created.

The report and the recommendation for both executive policy and legislative action will be drawn from the analysis by the Commission of the Philippine science and Technology and engineering research and development system, based on research of existing studies and other secondary sources of data, on extensive consultations with relevant stakeholders from both government and private sectors, and on interviews with key persons in the system.