06 History of Science & Technology in The Philippines

HISTORY OF SCIENCE &
TECHNOLOGY
IN THE PHILIPPINES
Alexander Jhan P. Pasag
Department of Natural Sciences
Saint Louis College
Introduction to Filipino Indigenous Ingenuity
Filipinos in the past also survived the hardship of life on their own ingenuity.
Available materials are converted into something functional to their lives.
Before the spaniards came, Filipinos have
1. their own government (barangay and the datus and rajah)
2. their own way of educating the youth ( parents, tribal tutors, babaylan, oral
tradition, baybayin )
3. and they have scientific and technological advancement.
In other words, the ancient Filipinos have their own civilization, but was lost along
the way to modernity as the Spaniards considered anything indigenous as evil.
Introduction to Filipino Indigenous Ingenuity
Examples.
Datus and Rajahs

Laguna Copperplate
Inscription
Babaylan
Pre-Spanish Colonization
In the area of medicine, the Philippines is so abundant

with herbs with medicinal value. It was reported that
among the plants needed to come up with medicine
that cures AIDS is found in the mountain of Mindoro.
The tendency of the people to manipulate, improvise

and to convert something, they did not need
sophisticated laboratories to heal sickness. They used
plants as medicine.
In weaponry represented by the Moro of the south who

love to preserve the ancient tradition, the Filipinos have
their own style of swords for fighting which for a long
time their weapons against the invaders.
There was metallurgy in the Philippines. In Luzon
foundries are located in Manila. These metal casting
shops have produced brass cannons called lantaka.
Metallurgy is among the hard areas of human
endeavors, and if Filipinos have the wisdom in that
area, then there is no question, they can perfect other
human enterprises.
Food production in the Philippines is indigenous but a clear
demonstration of inventive people. The Banaue rice terraces did not
simply become a great engineering achievement without the great minds
that turned the mountains into rice fields. Carving the mountains into
such an exquisite design is already an expression of a sophisticated
mind; what about the channeling of water from the forest to the fields?
Doing it one needs a genius.
It is an achievement, but such an achievement goes beyond the

technological level. Carving the mountains, channeling the water,
planting and growing of rice, all these are never accomplished by a small
number of people. They are communal work; they need the entire
community to finish the multiple tasks. The Banaue rice terraces are
demonstration of solidarity. It is a smudge on the face of the earth that
tells the world about the united people who once inhabited the place. It is
a political achievement.
Impact of Spanish Colonization
The Spaniards who ruled the country for almost 400 years. Then the Americans came
who also ruled the Philippines in a shorter period of 50 years. But things have
changed.
What the Filipinos had started in the past belonged to the things of the past as new
kind of technology was ushered in. The Spaniards formalized the entry of science and
technology by embodying it in their educational system which important reform was
just enforced in the middle of the 19th century.
1. Learning institutions including University of Santo Tomas were put up in the

country. All these schools took science and technology as important
components of the curriculum.
2. Aside from the courses under the Humanities, scientifically and
technologically based programs were also offered.
3. Jose Rizal finished Surveying Program in the Philippines.
4. Courses in medicine, biology and other sciences became available in the
Philippines.
5. The natives were taught modern farming, and constructing of: building,
bridges, forts and roads.
American Period
The American period stressed science and
technology as important agency. It is not simply
integrated in the courses in schools.
1. Under the United States' Department of Interior,
the Bureau of Government Laboratories which
aimed at studying tropical diseases was put up.
2. The National Research Council was set.
3. There was improvement in food production,
medicine processing and other aspect of the
Filipino life.
Science and technology in the Philippines improved
under the American occupation.
Marcos Era and Nuclear Ambitions
After the colonization when the Filipinos were on
their own, science and technology in the Philippines
was given more emphasis. In Morong, Bataan, there
still stands today the remains of the hot and burning
desire of the late dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos to
make the Philippines nuclear powered. It died as it
gained no support from some sectors of the
populace. But Marcos did further improvements in
the area of science and technology.
Department of Science and
Technology (DOST)
Philippines had not yet fully recovered from the
damage of World War II when Marcos came to
power. But his emphasis was to restore the
country's economy, and he found science and
technology as a better means. The biggest share
of the fund from the Japanese war damage was
given to schools to finance researches and to
create programs related to society and
technology. He ordered the education sector to
give importance to science and technology. The
DOST or Department of Science and Technology
was created. Now it occupies the 35-hectare lot
in Bicutan, Taguig, which was formerly called the
Philippine Science Community.
Other Science and Technology Offices, Agencies,
Organizations, and Institutions
1. Under the dictatorship of Marcos these offices, agencies, organizations and institutions were put up:
2. Philippine Coconut Research Institute (PHILCORIN),
3. Philippine Textile Research Institute (PTRI),
4. Philippine Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC),
5. Philippine Nuclear Institute (PNI),
6. National Grains Authority (NGA) National Food Authority (NFA),
7. Philippine Council of Agricultural Research (PCAR),
8. Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development,
9. Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA),
10. Philippine National Oil Company (PNOC),
11. Plant Breeding Institute (PBI),
12. International Rice Research Institute (IRRI),
13. Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI),
14. Bureau of Forest Products (BFP),
15. National Committee on Geological Sciences (NCGS),
16. National Science and Technology Authority (NSTA).
Contributions of President Corazon C. Aquino
The succeeding presidents of the Philippines also made
respective breakthroughs in science and technology. President
Corazon Aquino designated a representative of the DOST to
the cabinet to give emphasis of its significance to
socio-economic recovery of the country. The Department
submitted the technology Master Plan to point out research
undertakings and other projects.
RA 6655 - Free Public Secondary Education Act of 1988

Contributions of President Fidel V. Ramos
President Fidel Ramos signed into law bills that concern science and technology. In his term of
office these acts were approved:
1. Republic Act No. 8439 or Magna Carta for Scientists, Engineers, Researchers, and other
Science and Technology Personnel in Government;
2. Republic Act No. 7687 or Science and Technology Scholarship Act of 1994;
3. Republic Act No. 7459 or Inventors and Inventions Incentives Act; and the
4. Republic Act No. 8792 or Electronic Commerce Act of 2000.
During Ramos' time, the program for high school students who wished to major in science and
technology in college was created .
The National Program for Gifted Filipino children in science and technology was set up.
Contributions of President Gloria Arroyo
The catchword Filipinnovation came out during the time of President Gloria
Arroyo. It refers to the goal of making the Philippines an innovation hub in Asia.
Arroyo approved the Republic Act No. 9367 or Biofuels Act, which aims to utilize
indigenous products as energy.
To modernize agriculture and fisheries, she signed into law Republic Act No.
10601 or Agriculture and Fisheries Mechanization or AFMech.
Contributions of President Benigno C. Aquino
To recognize the honor of giving science and technology great importance to

nation-building, President Benigno Aquino named a new set of national scientists.
1. Science and Technology Education. (K-12 )

2. Research and Development
3. Information and Communications Technology (ICT)
4. Disaster Risk Reduction and Management
5. Public-Private Partnerships
6. Renewable Energy and Climate Change
Recents Developments in Science and Technology
Today, the Philippines has a Space Technology Program, from which two
Philippine satellites, Diwata 1 and Diwata 2, were launched, respectively, in 2016
and 2018.
Challenges and Sustainability
Science and technology, as one can see, have improved human lifestyles. It
hastens human affairs, and it helps men solve problems in health, defense,
education, and economy. It also contributed to the dynamic of culture.
But one can see also that the same science and technology and the people's
clamor to popularize it shows that certain segments of the world are overlooked if
not exactly neglected. It sounds pessimistic, but it should be asked; if this
remaining energy the world has can sustain the next generations. If science and
technology cannot assure the world it can prevent the emptying of energy, then it
is a science and technology of failure.

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HISTORY OF SCIENCE &

Datus and Rajahs

In the area of medicine, the Philippines is so abundant

The tendency of the people to manipulate, improvise

In weaponry represented by the Moro of the south who

It is an achievement, but such an achievement goes beyond the

1. Learning institutions including University of Santo Tomas were put up in the

RA 6655 - Free Public Secondary Education Act of 1988

To recognize the honor of giving science and technology great importance to

1. Science and Technology Education. (K-12 )

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