Science Technology and Society Lesson 2: Science, Technology and Nation-Building Lesson Outcomes At the end of the lesson, the students will be able to:
01 discuss the role of science and technology in Philippine
nation-building;
evaluate government polices pertaining to science and
02 technology in terms of their contributions to nation-
building; and
identify actual science and technology policies of the
03 government and appraise their impact on the
development of the Filipino nation. Brief Historical Background of Science and Technology in the Philippines Even before the Spanish Colonization the natives of the archipelago already had practices linked to science and technology. Filipinos were 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. Science in the Pre- colonial Period Banaue Rice Terraces The Banaue Rice Terraces were carved into the mountains of Ifugao by the ancestors of the Igorot people. The terraces was named as a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO World Heritage Center in 1995. It is commonly thought that the terraces were built with minimal equipment, largely by hand. Laguna Copperplate Inscription The earliest known evidence for written literature in the history of the Philippines, the Laguna copperplate Inscription is a sheet of copper metal with ancient writing discovered in the Province of Laguna in 1989. Science in the Spanish Colonial Period a. Formal Education b. Study of Medicine c. Engineering d. Galleon Trade Science in the American and Post Commonwealth Era Established on December 8, 1933, the Bureau of Angel Alcala is a national scientist noted for his Science became the primary research center of the work in marine and aquatic biology. Philippines until World War II. Government Policies on Science and Technology The Role of Science and Technology in the Philippine Economy. This prioritization makes the country competitive in innovation and self – sustaining development that will allow the economy to lean on its own production, making international trade an icing on its economic cake. In response to the ASEAN 2015 Agenda, the government particularly the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) sought the expertise of the National Research Council of the Philippines (NCRP) to consult to various sectors in the society to study how the Philippines can prepare to meet the ASEAN goals. As a result of this consultation, the NRCP is expected to recommend policies and programs that will improve the competitiveness of the Philippines in the ASEAN Region. NCRP clustered these policies into four namely:
01 Social Sciences, Humanities, Education, International Policies
and Governance
02 Physics, Engineering and Industrial Research, Earth and Space
Sciences and Mathematics
03 Medical, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences
04 Biological Sciences, Agriculture and Forestry
Other programs supported by the government through DOST : • Overseas Development Aid (DOA) – providing funds for basic and applied research related to science and technology
• Providing scholarships for undergraduate and graduate studies of
students in the field of science and technology. • Establishing more branches of Philippine Science High School System
• Balik Scientist Program – encourage Filipino scientists to come home
and work in the country.
• The establishment of the National Science Complex and National
Engineering Complex within the University of the Philippines – Diliman Campus. Famous Filipino Scientists in the Field of Science Angel C. Alcala Alcala was named a National Scientist in the Philippines in 2014 for his research into Philippine amphibians and reptiles, as well as the conservation of marine – protected areas. Ramon Cabanos Barba Barba was name a national Scientist of the Philippines in 2014 for inventing a way to induce flowering in mango trees regardless of season, boosting the local mango industry. Maria Theresa Cruz - Capellan The CEO of the Philippine renewable energy provider SunAsia Energy Inc. and founder of the Philippine Solar Power Alliance, hopes to grow solar power industry in the Philippines. She become acquainted with solar power as the country director of a rural electrification funded by the USAID. Edgardo Gomez Gomez led the world’s first national scale assessment of damage to coral reefs, his work led him being conferred the title “National Scientist of the Philippines” in 2014. Alfredo Mahar Lagmay A professor at the National Institute of Geological Sciences, University of the Philippines Diliman, received the 2015 Plinius Medal from the European Geosciences Union for his research into natural hazards and disasters in the Philippines – volcanic hazards, earthquakes, typhoons, landslides and floods. Aisa Mijeno Mijeno is a professor of engineering at De La Salle University – Lipa in the Philippines. Together with her brother, she co – founded Sustainable Alternative Lighting (SALt), a social enterprise that is developing LED lamp that runs on just table salt and water. Gavino Cajulao Trono Jr. Trono was conferred the honor of National Scientist of the Philippines in 2014 for his research into tropical marine phycology with a focus on seaweed biodiversity. Reina Reyes Reyes has been called “The Filipina who proved Einstein right’’, after her work confirming Albert Einstein’s Theory of Relativity on a cosmic scale in 2010 during her PhD studies in the United States. Reyes currently works as an independent data scientist consulting for private companies.
