The Historical Antecedents

of Science and Technology in the Philippines

Presented By
Group Four – Double A (Ad Astra)

Leader
Jan Marichie Z. Mojica

Members
Kurt Patrick Wes Moleño
Shania Gwyneth E. Nuga
John Archie P. Patawe
Ashly P. Pusa
Dinothelo P. Quiroga
John Herson L. Radones
The Presentation of the Topic
The copy of the PowerPoint presentation of The Historical Antecedents of Science
and Technology in the Philippines presented by Group Four is as follows:
Division of Task among Group Members
 The discussion of the division of tasks among the members of Group Four is held on
the second day of March through the Facebook group chat created. The topic assigned to
mentioned group consists of several subject matter. Members were free to select what part
they are going to work on. The distribution of labor among the members is as follows:

Member Subject Matter

Ashly P. Pusa
Dinothelo P. Quiroga
Kurt Patrick Wes Moleño
Shania Gwyneth E. Nuga
John Herson L. Radones
Jan Marichie Z. Mojica
John Archie P. Patawe
Introduction
Pre-Colonial Period
Spanish Regime
American Regime
Commonwealth Period
Period Since Independence
Summary of the Topic

Reflection
 The reflection of the members of Group Four is as follows:

Member: Jan Marichie Z. Mojica (Leader)

This lesson discusses how science and technology develop and affect the society and
environment throughout time. It influenced the way we work, our fashion, modes of
transportation and our means of communication. If we look back to the past, we can actually
say that science and technology can make our lives better.
There are many basic everyday situations that have been greatly simplified by
technological advancements that have been greatly simplified by technological
advancements. For example, clothes irons were heated by combustion, either in a fire or with
some internal arrangement but because of the introduction of electricity, it became
convenient and timesaving. Technology-based products make daily life and work easier,
helping individuals to get more things done faster. This saves time and work, allowing
everyone to accomplish more. However, each benefit does have potential to cause a
consequence, it causes pollution and exhaustion of resources. By knowing and reducing these
consequences, we can continue to grow technologically without having a major impact on
society.
It's important to maintain a balance between effectively using technology and
knowing when to turn it off. By this topic, I can say that I am thankful and happy because I
live in a generation where technology is expanding and almost everything is working with
science and technology.
Member: Kurt Patrick Wes Moleño

To be honest, I don’t really prefer reporting or presenting anything about history, nor
science. I like the two subjects, but I prefer reading than sharing my knowledge, because it’s
always a hassle to make reports and present in front of class. This time, we were tasked to
report what scientific advancements and discoveries happened in the Philippines’ history. I
read a lot about history and Philippine history because I was a curious little kid back then,
plus Sibika and HeKaSi were my favorite subjects in elementary school (aside from science).
It’s like a refresher course for me as well. After a couple hours of reading and surfing the
internet, I finished my part in the group work. I was tasked to write and report on the Spanish
colonization era specifically.
I included the part of how and why the Spanish came to the Philippines as context,
because I feel like we’re missing a significant event by excluding it and I like to make my
report as somewhat a story telling, because, well, essentially, I’m telling a story. And every
story has a beginning, although I only wrote significant technological and scientifical
advancements during the period.
Magellan heralded the Spanish colonization by coming in the Philippines, and it was
just because they got lost trying to find Moluccas. The Spanish brought a lot of things to the
country. Modernizing their new colony was just one of the side objectives they have, they
took over the country to spread their religion, Christianity. Everything they did had a
religious touch, they baptized the natives and turned them into Christians, they made
settlements that are close to a church, they taught people how to sing religious songs. They
developed one of the earliest forms of mass production and the first thing they printed is a
book full of Christian teachings and prayers. It is obvious how religious these people are, and
I’m not a fan of it.
Aside from religious stuffs, they made an extreme makeover to the landscape,
displaying their prowess in engineering and architecture. They made all kinds of
infrastructure and buildings that helped connect the country as well as made it easier to
manage it.
The influence of the Spanish to us is massive, ranging from abstract things to practical
inventions and concepts that we still use to this day. The things they’ve done during their stay
here might have questionable reasons, but one thing’s for certain, they elevated our whole
country from an archipelago full of scattered communities to a connected and consolidated
community that is up to par with what the world’s best can offer.
Member: Shania Gwyneth E. Nuga

The topic assigned to our group is The Historical Antecedents of Science and
Technology in the Philippines which tackles the development of the said field. There are
various periods the Philippines had come through. This issue is where our topic revolves.
Our group examined the growth of science and technology in the Pre-Colonial
Period, the Spanish Regime, the American Regime, the Commonwealth Period, and the
Period Since Independence. The subject appointed to me is the evolution of science and
technology in the American Regime.
The book Science, Technology, and Society, which I used as a reference, stated that
the period when the Americans occupied our country shows the rapid advancement in
science and technology. Massive encouragement and support are received to improve the
education system in the country. Various scholarships and training are offered to the
Filipinos in the American Regime. Moreover, several institutions, organizations, and
research facilities were open for the development of science and technology in the
Philippines.
Through examining what happened in the American Regime, I learned the huge
development in science and technology. When the Filipinos acquired the right to have a
proper education, although the medium of instruction is English, it opened numerous
opportunities to improve their life. Several Filipinos can study, train, and even take
courses in the United States.
Many agencies and offices were created for the development of scientific research
in the country. The Bureau of Government Laboratories and the National Research
Council of the Philippine Islands (NRCP) have significant contributions to the
advancement of science. These offices eventually helped society.
Despite the extensive support in establishing science and technology in the
Philippines during the American Regime, the country stayed agriculturally defined.
However, strengthening the ground base of science and technology in the country through
various research let the country improve in many ways.
Member: John Archie P. Patawe

Our topic starts from Pre-Colonial Period to Period Since Independence. This era if
life is very interesting, because it is the time when the Philippines is mostly composed of
indigenous people until the time when the Philippine Independence happened after the World
War II. This topic gives us many knowledge and learning from the past especially on the
things that is connected on science and technology. This topic enlightens us on what are the
things that the native people do on their society. On how they manage to be in control even if
they are not really that educated that time. They manage to discover new things and learn
new things from their selves and from other people that colonized them. Until the first ever
book that is printed in the Philippines. It is really important for us to know these kinds of
things because it may help us someday. Specially this time when we are in this pandemic and
we can’t go outside, there’s no Face-to-face classes. We can’t or it is hard for us to gain
knowledge specially in science and history by ourselves. Also, in these times we are really
hooked up into using gadgets like cellphones, personal computers, tablets and etc. Without
knowing how did this created, what did the inventors came up and do these kinds of things
that really helps our generation in terms of technology I can’t imagine that we are here in the
generation were the things that you need is just one click away. That we started from nothing
from scratch and look what we have now, very convenient very human design.
Member: Ashly P. Pusa

In our topic the Historical Antecedents in the Philippines and the development of
science and technology within the country, it talks about different faces of period on how it
showcases the blooming process of each advance they create or discover.
Through research and reading articles and e-books it allows us to be knowledgeable
and aware of what these developments go so far to our country, not just by in our country but
in the whole world and it seems like technology is now limitless. Nowadays because of
pandemic all of us needs to be well informed on how to use gadgets such as cellphones or
laptop which is made out of science and technology and because of that we might be thinking
of how did we go this far.
In advances of technological developments, we can see how it makes our lives easier
and convenient, we are now like living in a society that everything can be controlled by
science and technology. The truth is these advances has a positive and negative effect to the
society specifically in our environment to think of the numerous factories who contribute
pollution to our environment, it may be help us humans for this development but in return our
environment is getting destroyed. We cannot deny that these advances we are experiencing
right now, ease our different technological struggles like the uses of our appliances, our
gadgets, our shoes and bag everything can somehow connect to science and technology on
how we humans are taking the advantage of highly- developed machineries. For me there is
nothing wrong of using these advances because it was made for humans to make our life
easier but we must not forget our environment and nature that we should always include in
every decision and technology innovation we made, Yes it helps us but if we humans go so
far we might be lost our nature, our forests where we get our resources and at the end we are
the one who lost everything because of uncontrolled developments.
Member: Dinothelo P. Quiroga

Pre-colonial Filipinos are unlike from the Filipinos after the Spanish period. This
shows that even before the Spanish came to the Philippines, we already have established our
original way of living. The Filipinos possessed an elaborate civilization in the past, but
because of the colonization of different countries, our perception about pre-colonial Filipinos
are distorted, and somehow it’s gone. Through history, we can trace the way pre-colonial
Filipinos lived.
We can actually compare and see how far we have been developing and evolving. I
believe that every Filipinos have a characteristic, that is the reason why our culture and way
of living changes. Everything that seems bad and unjust in the past, we correct or change.
These characteristics, traits, rituals and way of living of Early Filipinos only show that the
original Filipino culture is rich and simple. Although imperfect, they concretize the way to
unlocking the true nature of Filipinos: brave, strong and powerful yet hospitable, respectful
and cheerful.
Pre-colonial period was a very liturgical in a manner that it has the so called
“abundant history”. I feel fulfilled when I were informed that the Philippine Literary history
has the highest span of time. Even though if we were colonized by many countries, still, our
country came out with its own cultures, tradition, and discoveries. I believe that there are
many beliefs, wisdom, and traditions were brought to us by those colonizers. I agree that
present day students of Philippine Literature are fortunate in that they no longer have to go by
“myth” of Pre-colonial Philippines, thanks to researches and writings about Philippine
Prehistory which have appeared during the past two decades. The dances and rituals now
found among Filipinos in the hinterlands suggest that indigenous drama had begun to evolve
from attempts to control the environment.
Most of the literary works during the Pre-colonial times seems to be based on the
categories of nature such as seas, oceans, trees, mountains, and falls. As I had observed, the
claims during present times was just a revise that shows progress from the Pre-colonial times.
Even if I didn’t experienced the gripped of the colonizers, for me, maybe experiencing it was
a very great one. I’m not saying that I wanted to be colonized but I want to feel how to fight
in our own stand. Being a proud and brave Filipino citizen is all I can give for this country of
us. Bringing out the goodness and greatness of our country is formidable but the pleasure sure
gives us the confidence on lifting this fruitful and loving country, the Philippines.
Member: John Herson L. Radones
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