GNED 06 Lecture 06: Selected Indigenous Science and Technologies Transcript

Slide 1: Title Page

Good day students, we will be discussing a new topic for this meeting.
In this topic, we will discover the selected indigenous science and technologies in the
Philippines. For the benefit of some who might not have come across the term indigenous, it
only means originating or occurring naturally in a particular place, or simply it means native.
Let us all discover these inventions that are made by our Filipino scientists and innovators.
I am Sir/Ma’am ____, your guide for this audio lecture.
Next slide please.

Slide 2: Table of Contents

The content of this lecture will be as follows: learning outcomes (these are what are
expected from the students after this lecture), definition of terms (to properly introduce new
concepts and ideas), examples of indigenous science and technology (which will form
the main chunk of this lecture), and lastly, a very easy practical exercise for you to assess
your learnings.
Let’s keep the ball rolling.
Next slide please.

Slide 3: Learning Outcomes

The learning outcomes are the following:
1. to differentiate indigenous science and indigenous technology;
2. to know about the different indigenous S&T inventions; and
3. to discuss the importance of S&T in modern science.
Next slide please.

Slide 4: Indigenous Science and Technology

Before we proceed with the different indigenous science and technology let us first
define and compare the two terms.
Indigenous science is a product of indigenous knowledge perfected by people
through life experiences. It is the use of science process skills guided by community culture
and values composed of traditional/indigenous knowledge. So what is indigenous
knowledge?
Indigenous knowledge is one that is embedded in the cultural traditions of regional,
indigenous, or local communities. This knowledge system is passed on orally and is evident
in their stories, poems, and songs. Note that this type of knowledge also includes
superstitious beliefs and practices which maybe product of human imagination.
 Indigenous technologies, on the other hand, are processes or products resulted
from studying indigenous science. It is designed and fabricated based on the culture,
tradition and needs of people and which is adopted for use in the environment of those
people.
While some indigenous sciences and technologies are already obsolete, their
importance lie in that they helped early communities in understanding the natural
environment and in coping with their everyday lives. More so, these are part of our rich and
unique cultural heritage.
Let’s take a look at the different indigenous science and technologies developed in
the early times with some examples from our country.
Next slide, please.

Slide 5: Indigenous Science: Weather Observations

Ancient people incorporate animal behavior with weather conditions and seasons. In
the slide, you will see “if cows should choose to lay, the rain is on its way” and “if
squirrels are nesting higher, your winter will be dire.” We know that this has no scientific
basis. This may be based on coincidence to the point that they have associated it to weather
conditions. Here in the country, it was then believed that when moths fly at night, it is a
sign that it will rain. Also, if a chicken walks in the rain, the rain will stop. And to put a
modern twist on these weather observations, don’t we all agree that when someone who
can’t properly sing belts out a tune, it will definitely rain? Just kidding.
Next slide please.

Slide 6: Indigenous Science: Herbal Medicine and Traditional Health Practices

Years before the arrival of the Spaniards in the Philippines, the use of medicinal
plants was the common way of treating ailments and there were several books that
compiled these medicinal plants.
Since ancient times up to this day, medicinal plants have been used for treatment in
most countries. In fact, the Department of Health approved 10 medicinal plants (garlic,
bittermelon, sambong, guava, to name a few) to prevent and treat certain diseases. Thanks
to our ancestors who carefully observed and utilized these plants. Truly, the development of
the modern medicine is based on the practices of plant-based traditional medicine, a
hundred of years of beliefs and observations.
We also have a long list of traditional health practices that some of us still perform up
to this day. We have hilot to treat sprains and fractures, tawas to determine the cause and
nature of sudden illnesses through the use of potassium alum, and many more. One
prominent traditional practice is tuli. It was found out that this practice is not religious in
origin. It precedes the Spanish colonial era and was done to celebrate a boy’s coming of
age.
Next slide please.
Slide 7: Indigenous Science: Food Preservation
Ages-old food preservation techniques include drying, smoking, cooling, freezing,
fermenting, salting, pickling, and canning. Drying and smoking are one of the most ancient
methods of food preservation. It works because it removes much of the food's water and
therefore prevent microbial activity as we all know now.
Next slide please.
Slide 8: Indigenous Science: Classifying Soils
One of the indigenous practices of early Filipinos is classifying soils for planting.
Criteria used by early Filipino farmers in soil classification are their experiences supported
by their ability to observe attributes of soil resource. This is their way to identify the best
use, and appropriate management practices of the soil resource.
Next slide please.

Slide 9: Indigenous Technology: Yoyo

We are done with enumerating examples of indigenous science utilized by our
ancestors, now we will move on to the different indigenous technologies developed in the
country.
First, we have the yoyo by Pedro Flores. You did not expect this for sure. But this
toy had a significant role in the Spanish era. It wasn’t just a toy consisting of an axle
connected to two disks and a string looped around the axle. It was actually used by our
brave men to fight against intruders and Spaniards before.
Next slide please.

Slide 10: Indigenous Technology: Medical Incubator

We all know that a medical incubator is a device that provides sufficient warmth to
the body to maintain a desired temperature, especially used for newborn children. But did
you know that it was a Filipina named Fe Del Mundo who first invented it? She did not
create the modern medical incubator that we see now in the hospitals, but provided the
theoretical basis for it and the prototype as well.
She used two laundry baskets which were placed one inside the other and was
provided with hot water all around between the baskets to make warmth available to the
newborn babies. She is amazing as she is but did you know that was the first Asian student
at the Harvard’s School of Medicine?
Next slide please.

Slide 11: Indigenous Technology: Erythromycin

You might have come across Erythromycin before or might have actually taken
some for seven days before. It is an antibiotic used to treat a wide variety of bacterial
infections such as skin and upper respiratory tract infections.
In one fateful day in 1949, a physician named Abelardo Aguilar collected soil
samples in his backyard in Iloilo to isolate microorganisms. Little did he know that one of his
isolates would then lead to the discovery of the potent antibiotic Erythromycin. Sadly,
though, the patent was granted to his then employer, a U.S. pharmaceutical company, and
he was not given any royalty or share of sales even when he was the one who took the
samples that lead to the discovery of the drug.
Next slide please.
Slide 12: Indigenous Technology: Fish Sauce
Something good can sometimes arise from forgetting. Clearly not talking about past
relationships here, kids. I am talking about Ruperta David. "One day, she stored in jars
some salted fish, having left the salted fish for an extended period of time than necessary,
the salted fish turned into fragments even before they dried. While in jars, the fish fragments
turned into a liquid substance that tasted like our Patis today.”
Next slide please.

Slide 13: Indigenous Technology: Banana catsup

Banana Catsup is a condiment that many Filipinos love to use for almost every
known dish in the Philippines. This was the brainchild of food technologist Maria Orosa y
Ylagan (1893–1945). According to historical accounts, she created the first recipe for
banana catsup and experimented with foods that are native to the Philippines and created
food products such as calamansi nip, which is a powdered form of calamansi to make
calamansi juice, and a powdered version of soya beans called Soyalac which was used to
help save the lives of many Filipinos, Americans and others who were held prisoners in
World War II.
Next slide please.

Slide 14: Indigenous Technology: Anti-cancer Cream and Mole Remover

Rolando dela Cruz is a Filipino inventor who won the gold medal for creating an
anti-cancer cream at the prestigious International Inventor’s Forum in November of 2005. It
is called “DeBCC” cream, and was developed from cashew nuts and other local herbs. It is
used specifically for basal skin carcinoma (BSC), which is known as the most prevalent type
of skin cancer worldwide.
He was also able to develop a cream that allows removal of deep growth moles and
warts.
Next slide please.
Slide 15: Indigenous Technology: 16-bit Microchip
The first 16-BIT Microchip was developed by a Filipino. Diosdado Banatao
developed the first single-chip graphical user interface accelerator that made computers
work a lot faster. This invention has allowed computer users to use graphics for commands
and not the usual typed commands in older computers.
Next slide please.
Slide 16: Last Slide
There you have the list of our different indigenous science and technology. Indeed,
these inventions and discoveries make us all proud to be Filipinos.
I hope you enjoyed listening. Thank you very much!