PERIOD
TECHNOLOGY BREAKTHROUGHS
PRE-COLONIAL ERA
(STONE AGE & METAL/IRON AGE)
TIMELINE DEVELOPMENTS/ SCIENCE AND
Before the colonization by the Spaniards
in the Philippine Islands
900 C.E (Founded in 1989 at Lumban,
Laguna)
2,000 years ago
 Filipino natives have already
practiced sciences and
technology.
 Filipinos were already aware of
the medicinal and therapeutic
properties of plants and extracting
medicine from herbs.
 Filipinos already have their own
alphabet, number system,
calendar, and weighing and
measuring system.
 Filipinos were already engaged in
farming, shipbuilding, mining, and
weaving.
 Laguna Copperplate Inscription
was discovered. It shows the use
of mathematics of the pre-colonial
Filipinos. It is a standard system of
weights and measures is
demonstrated by the use of
precise measurement for gold,
and familiarity of rudimentary
astronomy by fixing the precise
day within the month in relation to
phases of the moon.
 Banaue Rice terraces was built
and one of the sophisticated
products of engineering by pre-
Spanish era Filipinos.
 Early years of Spanish rule in the
COLONIAL ERA Philippines  The colonization of the Philippines
(SPANISH REGIME) (1565) contributed to the growth of
science and technology of the
country.
 The Spanish introduced formal
education and founded scientific
institution in the Philippines.
 During the early years, Parish
schools were established by the
Spanish where religion, reading,
writing, arithmetic, and music was
taught.
 Spanish also taught the Filipinos
about Sanitation and more
advanced methods of agriculture.
 Later, the Spanish established
colleges and universities in the
Philippines. One of the universities
they build is the University of
Santo Tomas.
1580
 According to the accounts of
Spanish Friars, in that year,
astronomy was already known
and practiced.
 Different local names of
constellations were also
introduced such as Moroporo for
the Pleiades, Balatik for Ursa
1687 Major.

 Isaac Newton mentioned the

ancient Ptolemaic name of the
Philippines, Leuconia, in his
classic Philosopiae Naturalis
 Continuation of spanish colonization Principia Mathematica.
(1565-1898)
 Study of medicine in the
Philippines was prioritized by the
Spanish. Biology was given focus
also.
 Spanish also contributed in the
field of engineering by
1565-1815 constructing buildings, churches,
bridges, and forts.
 The Galleon Trade have
November 17, 1869 accounted in the Philippines
colonial economy.
 The opening of Suez Canal made
some Filipinos to go and study in
Europe and influenced the rapid
development of scientific ideals
brought by the Age of
Enlightenment.

AMERICAN REGIME AND POST July 1, 1901

COMMONWEALTH ERA
 The Philippine Commission
established the Bureau of
Government Laboratories which
was placed under the Department
of Interior. It replaced the
Laboratorio Municipal build during
the Spanish colonization. This
bureau dealt with the study of
tropical diseases and laboratory
October 16, 1905 projects.

 The Bureau of Government

Laboratories was replaced by the
Bureau of Science.
 December 8, 1933
POST COLONIAL ERA
(MARCOS ERA AND MARTIAL LAW)
January 23, 1967
 National Research Council of the
Philippines was established. The
Bureau of Science became the
primary research center of the
Philippines until World War II.
1946
 The Bureau of Science was
replaced by the Institute of
Science.
1958
 President Carlos P. Garcia and the
Philippine Congress passed the
Science Act of 1958 which
established the National Science
Development Board.
1973  President Ferdinand Marcos
declared in the amended 1973
Philippine Constitution, Article XV,
Section 9, that the advancement
of science and technology shall
have priority in the national
development. He enacted many
laws promoting science and
technology.
 He declared in his second State of
the Nation Address that science
was necessary for the
development programs. He
directed the Department of
Education to revitalize the science
courses in public high schools.
The Department of Education with
the National Science Development
 Board organized a project to
provide selected high schools with
science teaching equipment over
a four-year period.

January 22, 1968  During his third State of the Nation

Address, he recognized that
science was the leading factor in
economic development therefore
he increased the funs to support
the projects in applied sciences
and science education.

January 27, 1969  President Ferdinand Marcos gave

a big part of the war damage fund
to private universities to create
courses in science and technology
and to research.

April 6, 1968  He proclaimed 35 hectares in

Bicutan Taguig, Rizal as the site of
the Philippine Science
Community.
January 26, 1970
 He added the Philippine Coconut
Research Institute to the NSDB to
modernize the coconut industry.
The NSDB also established the
Philippine Textile Research
Institute. The Philippine Atomic
Energy Commission of the NSDB
explored the uses of atomic
energy for economic development.

 Marcos assisted 107 institutions

and 482 scientists, doctors,
 engineers, and technicians to
study nuclear science and provide
basic training.

January 24, 1972  He spoked about his

developmental projects such as
research and development
schools, technical institutes,
science education centers, and
agricultural colleges and
vocational high schools.

1972  He created the National Grains

Authority for the development of
the rice and corn industry.
 He established the Philippine
Council for Agricultural Research
to support the progressive
development of agriculture for the
nation.
 He established the Philippine
Atmospheric Geophysical and
Astronomical Services
Administration (PAGASA) under
the Department of National
Defense to provide environment
protection.

1973  He created the Philippine National

Oil Company to promote industrial
and economic development.

 He enacted a law to establish the

1976 National Academy of Science and
Technology to serve as reservoir
of scientific and technological
 expertise of the country.

1979  He constituted the Health

Sciences Center as an
autonomous member within the
University of the Philippines
System.
1980
 He created the National
Committee on Geological
Sciences to advise government on
matters concerning to the
development in geological
1982 sciences.

 He reorganized the National

Science Development Board into
a National Science and
Technology Authority to provide
central direction and coordination
of scientific and technological
research and development.

 He enacted a law on the

completion of the National
Agriculture and Life Sciences
Research Complex at the
University of the Philippines at Los
1986 Banos.

 He established the Mindanao and

Visayas campuses of the
Philippine Science High School.
FIFTH REPUBLIC 1986
 During Corazon Aquino’s
presidency, National Science and
 technology Authority was replaced
by the Department of Science and
August 8, 1988 technology.

 Corazon Aquino created the

Presidential task Force for
Science and Technology which
came up for the first Science and
Technology Master Plan which
aims to achieve newly
1988 industrialized country status by the
year 2000.

 Corazon Aquino created a law

which opened doors to free
education up to secondary level
(Science for the Masses Program)
which aimed at scientific and
1998 technology literacy among
Filipinos.

 In the third SONA of President

Fidel Ramos, there was a
significant increase in personnel
specializing in the science and
technology field. Philippines was
estimated to have around 3,000
competent scientists and
engineers that resulted to two
newly built Philippine Science
High Schools in Visayas and
Mindanao.
 Magna Carta for Science and
Technology Personnel was
established to give incentives and
rewards for people who have been
 influential in the field of science
1993 and technology.

 Science and Technology agenda

for National Development was
established.
 The Intellectual Property Code of
the Philippines was enacted
1999-2000 during Ramos’ Term.

 President Joseph Estrada, he

signed two major legislations
which were the Philippine Clean
Air Act of 1999 and Electronic
Commerce Act of 2000.
 President Estrada also launched a
full-scale program based on cost-
January 20, 2001- June 30, 2010 effective irrigation technologies.

 In the Gloria Macapagal

Administration, the science and
technology sector of the
Philippines was dubbed as the
“Golden Age” of Science and
Technology by then secretary
Estrella Albastro.
 Numerous law and projects were
enacted to push technology and
increase the country’s economic
scale.
 Filipinnovation was the coined
term used in helping the
Philippines to be an innovation
hub in Asia.
 Science, Technology, and
Innovations was developed further

2014
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FIELDS
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND
INNOVATION POLICY
INSTITUTIONS
SCIENCE EDUCATION IN THE
PHILIPPINES
by strengthening the education
system of Philippine Science High
School.
 Biofuels act was also enacted to
promote the development and
usage of biofuels throughout the
country.
 Drought-free rice was also highly
encouraged in her term to enable
farmers to produce rice despite
the environmental hazards that
slows or stops the production.
 The government imposes
Republic Act 10601 which
improves the Agriculture and
Fisheries Sector through
Mechanization (AFMech). It
covers research, development,
and extension of agricultural and
fisheries machinery and
equipment.
 President Aquino conferred four
new scientists for their contribution
to scientific field. (Gavino C.
Trono, Angel C. Alcala, Ramon C.
Barba, Edgardo D. Gomez)
HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION:
 Philippine Science High School
System
A specialized high school program
in the Philippines under the
 Department of Science and
Technology. It major in pure and
applied science, mathematics, and
engineering. PSHS have 12
regional campuses in addition to
main campus.
 Regional Science High School
System
A specialized high school program
in the Philippines under the
Department of Education

TERTIARY EDUCATION
Various universities offer science
courses that encompasses the
different fields of science.