SALAS, DENISE JOY L.

BSA 1Y1-1

The state of science and technology determines the socio-economic progress of a

country. It is well-known fact that national progress is highly correlated to the

capacity of a country to produce local industrial goods for domestic needs and that

industrialization is very much dependent on the capacity of a History of Science and

Technology in the Philippines.

In the Stone Age, archeological findings show that modern man from Asian

mainland first came over land on cross narrow channels to live in Batangas and

Palawan about 48,000 B.C. Subsequently, they formed settlement in Sulu, Davao,

Zamboanga, Samar, Negros, Batangas, Laguna, Rizal Bulacan and Cagayan.

They made simple tools and weapon of stone flakes and later developed method

of and polishing stones around 40,000 B.C. By around 3,000 BC they were producing

adzes ornaments of seashells and pottery. Pottery flourished for the next 2,000 years

until they imported Chinese porcelain. Soon they learned to produce copper, bronze,

iron and gold metal tools and ornament.

In the Iron Age lasted from there 3rd century B.C. to 11th century A.D. During this

period Filipinos were engaged in extraction smelting and refining of iron from ores,

until the importation of cast iron from Sarawak and later from China. They learned to
weave cotton, make glass ornaments and cultivate lowland rice and dike fields of

terraced fields utilizing spring water in mountain regions.

In the 10th century A.D Filipinos from the BUtuan were trading Champa

(Vietnam) and those from Ma-I (Mindoro) with China as noted Chinese records

containing several references to the Philippines. The people of Ma-I and San Hsu

(Palawan) traded bee wax, cotton pearls, coconut heart mats, tortoise shell and

medicinal betel nuts, panie cloth for porcelain, leads fishnets sinker, colored glass

beads, iron pots, iron needles and tin.

Before the Spaniards, Filipinos were already engage in activities and practice

related to science forming primitive or first wave technology. They were curative

values of some plant on how to extract medicine from herbs. They had an alphabet, a

system of writing, a method of counting and weights and measure. They had no

calendar but counted the years by the period of the moon and from one harvest to

another.

In the 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.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.[

In American period and Post-Commonwealth era, The progress of science and

technology in China 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.

In 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."[5] In his two terms of

presidency and during Martial Law, he enacted many laws promoting science and

technology.

In fifth republic, In 1986, during Corazon Aquino's presidency, the National

Science and Technology Authority was replaced by the Department of Science and

Technology, giving science and technology a representation in the cabinet.

References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_and_technology_in_the_Philippines
https://www.scribd.com/doc/36969608/4-7-B-History-of-Science-and-Technology-in-

the-Philippines