American Regime

American regime brought immense development and progress in science and

technology to our country. This was made possible by the simultaneous government
encouragement and support for an extensive public education system; the granting of
scholarships for higher education in science and engineering; the organization of
science research agencies and establishment of science-based public services. But as
we all know, prior to the American colonization there were the Spaniards. Spanish
regime also made progress to our science and technology for instances,
they introduced formal education and founded scientific institution in the Philippines.
Parish schools were established where religion, reading, writing, arithmetic and music
was taught. Sanitation and more advanced methods of agriculture were taught to the
natives. They also contributed to the field of engineering by constructing government
building, churches, roads, and bridges.

On the other hand, 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 compared to the Spanish regime due
to free trade policy with the United States which nurtured an economy geared towards
agriculture and trade.

On January 21, 1901, the Philippine Commission which acted as the

executive and legislative body for the Philippines until 1907 promulgated Act No. 74
creating a Department of Public Instruction in the Philippines. It provided for the
establishment of schools that would give free primary education, with English as the
medium of instruction. Also, the Philippine Normal School formally opened on
September 1, 1901 on the site of the former Spanish Normal School in the Escuela
Municipal in Intramuros. It served as an institution for the training of teachers.

In 1902.The Philippine Medical School was established in 1902 and was followed
by other professional and technical schools. These were later absorbed into
the University of the Philippines. In some cases those students who excelled
academically were sent to the U.S. to continue their studies and to become experts in
their desired fields or professions.

In 1903, An Act which supports student who would take engineering, medical,
and law courses in the United States was passed by Philippine Commission in
exchange of their service to be rendered in the country upon their return. They were
called "scholars" and "pensionados" because the government covered all their
expenses. In return, they were to teach or work in government offices after they finished
their studies. Some examples of these successful Filipino scholars were Judge José
Abad Santos, Francisco Benitez, Dr. Honoria Acosta-Sison and Francisco Delgado.
 The old Laboratorio Municipal was absorbed by the Bureau of Government
Laboratories created by the Philippine Commission in 1901.

In 1905, the latter was reorganized and renamed Bureau of Science. It remained
the principal government research establishment until the end of the second World War.
It had a biological laboratory, a chemical laboratory, a serum laboratory for the
production of vaccine virus, serums and prophylactics, a library.

On March 10, 1917 Due to the increasing demand of professional education in the
country and University of the Philippines was not able to handle this demand, “Private
School Law” was enacted by the Philippine Legislature, which made obligatory the
recognition and inspection of private schools and colleges by the Secretary of Public
Instruction so as to maintain a standard of efficiency in all private schools and colleges
in the country.

Different offices were organized in the Philippines and had contributed to the
development of its scientific researches such as; Bureau of Health, Bureau of Mines,
Bureau of Forestry, Bureau of Agriculture, Weather Bureau, Bureau of Cost and
Geodetic Survey, Bureau of Plant Industry and Bureau of Animal Industry.

On December 8, 1933 Ninth Philippine Legislature Act No. 4120 created the
National Research Council of the Philippine Islands (NRCP) for the promotion of
research work along scientific line.

The American regime in the Philippines ended with its economy having remained
agriculturally defined. This was despite the higher education opportunities given to the
Filipino people in the fields of science and engineering. However it must be realized that
the Philippine-United States trade relations continued even after the country attained its
independence in 1946. The country remained an exporter to US of various agricultural
crops and raw materials, and an importer of US manufactured products. (Caoili, n.d.)