Science and Technology in The Philippines

Science and technology in the Philippines
Science and technology in the Philippines represents the wide scientific and
technological advances the Philippines has made. The main managing agency
responsible for science and technology (S&T) is the Department of Science and
Technology (DOST). The science department have consulting agencies for Forestry,
Agriculture and Aquaculture, Metal Industry, Nuclear Research, Food and Nutrition,
Health, Meteorological and the Volcanology and Seismology.
Numerous national scientists have contributed in different fields of science including Fe

del Mundo in the field of Pediatrics, Eduardo Quisumbing in the field of Plant taxonomy,
Gavino Trono in the field of tropical marine Phycology, and Maria Orosa in the field of
Food technology.
Science and Technology Fields
History
Pre-Spanish Period
Even before the colonization by the Spaniards in the Philippine islands, the natives of
the archipelago already had practices linked to science and technology. Filipinos were
already aware of the medicinal and therapeutic properties of plants and the methods of
extracting medicine from herbs. They already had an alphabet, number system, a
weighing and measuring system and a calendar. Filipinos were already engaged in
farming, shipbuilding, mining and weaving. The Banaue Rice Terraces are among the
sophisticated products of engineering by pre-Spanish era Filipinos.
Spanish Colonial Period

The colonization of the Philippines contributed to growth of science and technology in
the archipelago. The Spanish introduced formal education and founded scientific
institution. During the early years of Spanish rule in the Philippines. Parish schools were
established where religion, reading, writing, arithmetic and music was taught. Sanitation
and more advanced methods of agriculture was taught to the natives. Later the Spanish
established colleges and universities in the archipelago including the University of Santo
Tomas.
The study of medicine in the Philippines was given priority in the Spanish era, especially
in the later years. The Spanish also contributed to the field of engineering in the islands
by constructing government buildings, churches, roads, bridges and forts. Biology is
given focus. Contributors to science in the archipelago during the 19th century were
botanists, Fr. Ignacio Mercado., Dr. Trinidad Pardo de Tavera and Dr. Leon Ma
Guerrero, chemist Anaclento del Rosario, and medicine scholars Dr. Manuel Guerrero,
Dr, Jose Montes and Dr. Elrodario Mercado.
The Galleon Trade have accounted in the Philippine colonial economy. Trade was given
more focus by the Spaniard colonial authorities due to the prospects of big profits.
Agriculture and industrial development on the other hand were relatively neglected. The
opening of the Suez Canal saw the influx of European visitors to the Spanish colony
and some Filipinos were able to study in Europe who were probably influenced by the
rapid development of scientific ideals brought by the Age of Enlightenment.
American Period and Post-Commonwealth era

Angel Alcala, national scientist, is seen wearing deep blue and yellow academic gown
with cap, deep blue with gold tassel.
Angel Alcala is a national scientist noted for his work in marine and aquatic biology.
The progress of science and technology in the Philippines continued under American
rule of the islands. On July 1, 1901 The Philippine Commission established the Bureau
of Government Laboratories which was placed under the Department of Interior. The
Bureau replaced the Laboratorio Municipal, which was established under the Spanish
colonial era. The Bureau dealt with the study of tropical diseases and laboratory
projects. On October 26, 1905, the Bureau of Government Laboratories was replaced
by the Bureau of Science and on December 8, 1933, the National Research Council of
the Philippines was established. The Bureau of Science became the primary research
center of the Philippines until World War II.
Science during the American period was inclined towards agriculture, food processing,
forestry, medicine and pharmacy. Not much focus was given on the development of
industrial technology due to free trade policy with the United States which nurtured an
economy geared towards agriculture and trade.
In 1946 the Bureau of Science was replaced by the Institute of Science. In a report by
the US Economic Survey to the Philippines in 1950, there is a lack of basic information
which were necessities to the country’s industries, lack of support of experimental work
and minimal budget for scientific research and low salaries of scientists employed by
the government. In 1958, during the regime of President Carlos P. Garcia, the Philippine
Congress passed the Science Act of 1958 which established the National Science
Development Board.
Marcos Era and Martial Law

During Ferdinand Marcos’ presidency, the importance given to science grew. In the
amended 1973 Philippine Constitution, Article XV, Section 9 (1), he declared that the
“advancement of science and technology shall have priority in the national
development.” In his two terms of presidency and during Martial Law, he enacted many
laws promoting science and technology.
In his Second State of the Nation Address on January 23, 1967, he declared that
science was necessary for the development programs, and thus, directed the
Department of Education to revitalize the science courses in public high schools. The
Department of Education, with the National Science Development Board (NSDB), is
organizing a project to provide selected high schools with science teaching equipment
over a four-year period.

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Science and Technology in The Philippines

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Science and technology in the Philippines

Numerous national scientists have contributed in different fields of science including Fe

Spanish Colonial Period

American Period and Post-Commonwealth era

Marcos Era and Martial Law

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