LESSON 3

History of Science and Technology in the

World and in the Philippines

Lesson Objectives
• Establish a deep understanding on the
contributions of various technological
developments on the present achievements
in technological progress.
• Identify the personalities who made
significant contributions in the field of
science and technology.
• Appreciate every discoveries and
inventions in the field of science and
technology that change the course of
human civilization.
• Society-changing advances have became
increasingly common
• Edwin Hubble’s discovery in 1929
• Universe was expanding led
directly to the Big Bang theory
of the origin of the universe
(1946) by George Gamow
and others.

• The centennial anniversary to one of the

most amazing years in history (the “Miracle
Year” of 1905) us fast approaching when
Albert Einstein, one of the premier
scientists of the 20th century issued in rapid
succession on a theory of the photon, a
theory of Brownian motion, and the Special
Theory of Relativity.
• Einstein’s Theory of Relativity became
the foundations for all later physics,
contributing greatly to progress in various
fields of science.
• In 1965, Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson
• detected cosmic background
radiation pervading the universe,
providing powerful evidence for the
Big Bang Theory.
• New “sense of the universe”
• Space development have greatly expanded
the space available for possible human
activities, and opened up new frontiers for
humanity where people can dream.
• 1974 - Sherwood Rowland and Mario
Molina revealed that chlorofluorocarbon
gases were causing depletion of the ozone
layer.

Astronomy:
• Nicolaus Copernicus developed a
theory later bolstered and refined by
Johannes Kepler and Galileo Galilei,
that had a great effect on the
development and reform of society
•
1985 – Discovery of an ozone hole, had a
huge effect on efforts to protect the global
environment.
• 1915 – Alfred Wegener’s theory of
continental drift is wildly accepted around
the world today as the plate tectonics
theory
• 1950s – advances in sea floor monitoring
advanced the field of geophysics
• 1960s – Frederick Vine and Drummond
Matthews found quantitative evidence of
continental drift due to a spreading sea
floor.
Life sciences:
• 19th century
• Theory of Evolution proposed by
Charles Robert Darwin greatly
changed people’s “sense if nature,”
“sense of humanity,” and sense of
society”,
James Watson and Francis Crick
• 1953 discovery of the double helix structure
of the DNA molecule gave birth to an
entirely new field of molecular biology.
• Result has been progressive elucidation of
the structure of living things at molecular
level and rapid advances in the life science
• 1973 – Stanley Cohen and Herbert Boyer ,
establishment of gene recombinant
technology
• 1996 – birth of cloned sheep, Dolly
• 2003 – completion of the project to
sequence the entire human genome,
conducted by the International Human
Genome Sequencing Consortium
(collaboration of six countries including
Japan, and five other North American and
European countries)
• Advances in brain research hint at the
possibility of closing in on the human soul,
and progress in that area will surely have a
large effect on people’s sense of values.
IT revolution
• Culmination if many developments in
computer technology, including the concept
of the computing machine by Alan Turing
• Invention of transistor by William
Shockley, John Bardeen, and Walter
Brattain
• Advent of internet and other advances in
information and communications
technology.
• Consist of the developments of new
products
• Greatly change people’s modes of behavior
and lifestyle
• Changed the nature of society in many
dimensions, from education, medical, and
welfare transport, finance, and
manufacturing sectors to modes of work
and play.
• Advances in nanotechnology have made
possible the elucidation and manipulation of
phenomena at the atomic or molecular
levels
• Nanotechnology
• Launched by a lecture given by
Richard Feynman
• There’s plenty of room at the Bottom
• Harold Kroto
• Discovery of fullerenes in 1984
Television
• Major factor shaping our modern society as
the communications medium with the
greatest influence.
• Culmination of various scientific results over
the years
• 1895 – wireless communication by
Guglielmo Marconi
• 1897 – invention of the Braun Tube
• 1925 – invention of Yagi-Uda antenna
• 1926 – Kenjiro Takayanagi’s successful
transmission of an electronic image using a
Braun tube.
Intellectual Revolutions that Defined
Society
Nicolaus Copernicus
• Scientific ideas is called today as thought
experiment
• Canon at Frombork Cathedral in Poland
• Influenced by the book Epitome
• Commentariolus (Little Commentary)
• De revolutionibus orbium coelestium (on
the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres)
Copernicus outlined two kinds of planetary
motion:
• The orbits of Venus and Mercury lay inside
the orbit of the Earth, thus, closer to the
Sun; and
• The orbits of Mars, Saturn, and Jupiter lay
outside the Earth’s orbit, thus farther from
the Sun.
Charles Darwin
• Evolution
• A genius who came from a line of
intellectually gifted and wealthy family.
• Life was transformed when one of his
professors endorsed him to join a five-year
expedition through the HMS Beagle on the
Galapagos Island.
Charles Darwin
• 1589 – published the book The Origin of
Species
• The Descent of Man
• Introduced the idea that all organic life,
including human beings, is under the realm
of evolutionary thinking.
Sigmund Freud
• Famous in the field of Psychology
• A towering literary figure and a very
talented communicator, who did his share
to raise the consciousness of the civilized
world in the psychological matter.
• Psychoanalysis
Cradles of Early Science
Development of Science in Mesoamerica
• Mayan civilization
• Incan civilization
• Aztec civilization
Mayan civilization
• Lasted for approximately 2000 years
• Astronomy
• Chichen Itza
• calendar system
• Mayan hieroglyphics
• Concept of zero
• Develop different crops
• Hydraulics systems with waterways
• Rubber products
• Mica
Incan civilization
• Building roads covered with stones;
• Constructing stone structures that could
survive earthquakes and other natural
calamities;
• Developing quipu; system of knotted ropes
to keep records that only experts can
interpret
• Inventing a calendar with 12 months to
mark their religious festivals and prepare
them for planting season;
• Developing irrigation system and technique
for storing water for their crops to grow in all
types of land;
• Building and suspension bridge; and
• Creating inca textiles. • Iron technology, metals
• Mathematics: Lebombo bone, good in 4
Aztec civilization mathematical operations and other
• Mandatory education mathematical skill
• Antispasmodic medication
• Chinampa History of Science and Technology in the
• Invention of canoe Philippines
• Chocolates
• Aztec calendar Science and technology in the Philippines

Development of Science in Asia • Describes scientific and technological

progress made by the Philippines and
analyses related issues.
• The main agency responsible for managing
science and technology (S&T) is the
Department of Science and Technology
(DOST)
• Sectoral councils for Forestry, Agriculture,
and Aquaculture, the Metal Industry,
India Nuclear Research, Food and Nutrition,
• Iron Health, Meteorology, Volcanology and
• Medicine: Ayurveda, Susrutasamhita of Seismology
Susruta • Modern man from Asian mainland first
• Astronomy: configuration of the universe, came over land across narrow channels to
the spherical self-supporting Earth, and the live in Batangas and Palawan about 40,
year of 360 days with 12 equal parts of 30 000 B.C.
days each. • Subsequently they formed settlement in
• Mathematics: Mohenjo-daro ruler, Sulu, Davao, Zamboanga, Samar, Negros,
• Aryabhatiya (Aryabhata) number of Batangas, Laguna, Rizal, Bulacan and
trigonometric functions trigonometric Cagayan
rables and techniques and
algorithms of algebra. Stone Age (40,000 – 30, 000 B.C)
• Madhava of sangamagrama • Filipinos made simple tools and weapons of
• Founder of mathematical stone flakes and later developed method of
analysis sawing and polishing stones.
China • Produce adzes ornaments of seashells and
• Alternative medicine (Acupuncture, herbs pottery.
etc) • Pottery flourish for the next 2,000 years
• Technology: compass, papermaking, until they imported Chinese porcelain.
gunpowder, and printing tools. Iron plough, • Learned to produce copper, bronze, iron
wheelbarrow and propeller. and gold metal tools and ornaments.
• Astronomy: supernova, lunar and solar
eclipse and comets Iron Age (3rd Century B.C to 11th Century
A.D
Development of Science in Middle East • Filipinos were engaged in
Countries • Extraction, smelting and refining iron
• Ibn al-Haytham– father of optics from ores
• Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi – • Learned to weave cotton, make glass
concept of algorithm and the term algebra ornaments and cultivate lowland rice and
from al-jbr dike fields of terraced fields utilizing spring
• Jabir ibn Hayyan–Father of chemistry water.
• Ibn Sina – • Learned to build boats for trading purposes
• founded the science of experimental • Spanish chronicles noted refined plank built
medicine warship called caracao suited for
• Book of Healing and the canon of interisland trade raids.
Medicine
10th Century A.D
Development of Science in Africa • Filipinos from Butuan were trading with
• Geometry Champa (Vietnam) and China
• Center of alchemy (medieval forerunner of • The archeological findings indicated that
chemistry) the Philippines, China and Vietnam had
• Astronomy
 been well established from 10th century to
15th century A.D
• The people of Ma-I and San Hsu (Palawan)
trades bees wax, cotton, pearls, coconut
heart mats, tortoise shell and medicinal
betel nuts, panie cloth for porcelain, leads
fishnet sinker, colored glass beads, iron
pots, iron needles and tin.
Pre-Spanish
• Filipinos were already engage in activities
and practices related to science forming
primitive or first wave technology.
• Extract medicine for herbs
• Alphabet, system of writing, method of
counting and weights and measure.
• No calendar but counted by years by the
period of the moon and from one harvest to
another.
During the Spanish Regime (16th Century)
• Schools were developed such as follows:
• Colegio de San ildefonso – Cebu
1595
• Colegio de San Ignacio – Manila
1595
• Colegio De Nuestra Senora del
Rosario – Manila – 1597;
• Colegio De San Jose – Manila –
1601
• Hospital
• San Lazaro Hospital (the oldest in the
Far East)
17th and 18th Century
• 1780 – Real Sociedad Economica de los
Amigos Del Pais de Filipina by Governador
Jose Basco y Vargas encouraged
research in agriculture and industry
• The society promoted cultivation of indigo,
cotton, cinnamon, and silk industry
• 1789 - Manila was opened to Asian
shipping, inaugurating and era of increase
in export of rice, hemp, tobacco, sugar, and
indigo and imports of manufacturing goods
• 1863 – colonial authorities issued a royal
degree to reform the existing educational
system
• 1865 – Jesuits promoted meteorological
studies founding Manila observatory at the
Ateneo Municipal de Manila.
• 1871 – the school of Medicine and
Pharmacy were opened to UST
• The licentiate degree equivalent to a Master
degree was granted Bachelor’s degree in
Pharmacy to its 1st graduates who included
Leon Ma. Guerrero who was considered
as the Father of Philippine Pharmacy
due to his works on Medicinal Plants of the
Philippines.
• No school for engineering
• Nautical four year course for pilot of
merchant that includes the subjects:
• Arithmetic
• Algebra
• Geometry
• Trigonometry
• Physics
• Hydrography
• Meteorology
• Navigation
• Pilotage
• Higher education was generally viewed with
suspicion as encouraging rebellion among
native Filipinos.
19th Century
• World trade commerce was expanded
• Rapid development of Manila as
cosmopolitan center
• Steam tramways, waterworks, newspaper,
electric lights, banking system were
introduced.
During the American period
• 1901 - Philippines Commission established
the Bureau of Government Laboratories
which was placed under the Department of
Interior.
• 1905 – the Bureau of Government
Laboratories was replaced by the Bureau of
Science.
• 1933 – The National Research Council of
the Philippines was established.
• 1946 – The Bureau of Science was
replaced by the Institute of Science.
• 1958 – During the regime of President
Carlos P. Garcia, the Philippine Congress
passed the Science Act of 1958 which
established the National Development
Board.
On Post Commonwealth Era
• 1970 – Under the 1972 Philippine
Constitution, Article XV, Section 1, the
government’s role in supporting scientific
research and innovation was
acknowledged.
• 1974 – funding for science was increased
• 1983 – The National Science Development
Board was replaced by the National
Science and Technology Authority under
Executive Order No. 784. A scientific
Career in the Civil Service
Pres. Corazon Aquino’s presidency
• 1986 – the National Science and
Technology Authority was replaced by the
Department of Science and Technology
• 1988 – created the Presidential Task Force
for Science and Technology which came up
with the first Science and Technology
Master Plan or STMP.
 • Goal was for the Philippines to mango and micropropagation
achieve newly industrialized country of important crop species.
status by the year 2000. • Edgardo D. Gomez
• Steered the national scale
Pres. Fidel V. Ramos assessment of damage coral
• 1992 – 1998 reefs which led a national
• The Philippines was estimated to conservation.
have around 3,000 competent
scientists and engineers.
• Government provided 3,500
scholarship for students who were
taking up profession related to S&T.
• Believes that science and technology was
one of the means wherein the Philippines
could attain the status of new industrialized
country.
• Congress was able to enact laws that were
significant for the field:
• Magna Carta for Science and
Technology Personnel (Republic Act
No. 8439)
• Science and Technology Scholarship
Law of 1994 (Republic Act No. 7687)
• Inventors and Inventions Incentives
Act (Republic Act No. 7459)
• The Intellectual Property Code of the
Philippines (Republic Act No. 8293)
• Provides opportunities for new
businesses emerging from the
Internet driven New Economy.

Gloria Macapagal Arroyo Administration

2001 – S&T of the Philippines was dubbed as

the “golden age” by secretary Estrella
Albastro.

• Numerous laws and projects that concern

both the environment and science.
• Filipinnovation – term used in helping the
Philippines to be an innovation hub in Asia

Pres. Benigno Aquino III

• Conferred four new National Scientist for
their contribution in the Scientific field:
• Gavino C. Trono
• Helped a lot of families in the
coastal populations through
extensive studies he made on
seaweed species
• Angel C. Alcala
• Pioneer scientist and
advocate of coral reefs aside
from his contribution in the
fields of systematics,
secology, and herpetology.
• Ramon C. Barba
• Changes the seasonal supply
of the fresh fruits to an all year
round availability of mangoes
through his studies on the
induction of flowering of

Government Programs to support the
Development of Science and Technology
• DOST
• Funds for basic research and
patents on science and technology
• Scholarships
• Expanding the Philippine Science
High School system
• Balik Scientist Program
• Science and technology parks
• National Science Complex and
National Engineering Complex in UP
Diliman
Prominent Filipinos in the Field of Science
1. Ramon Cabanos Barba – mango tissue
culture
2. Lourdes Jansuy Cruz – sea snail
venom
3. Josefino Cacas Comiso – characteristics of
Antarctica
4. Fabian Millar Dayrit – Herbal Medicine
5. Jose Bejar Cruz, Jr. - electrical engineering
- Officer of the famous institute of Electrical
and Electronic engineering
6. Mari-Jo Panganiban Ruiz
– outstanding educator and graph theorist
7. Rafael Dineros Guerrero III – tilapia culture
8. Lilian Formalejo – plant biotechnology
9. Gregory Ligot Tangonan – communications
technology
10. Enrique Mapua Ostrera, Jr. – research on
drugs
11. Caesar A. Saloma – internationally
recognized physicist
12. Edgardo Gomez
– famous scientist in marine science
13. William Padolina – famous scientist in
chemistry and former president of National
Academy of Science and Technology (NAST)
14. Angel Alcala – famous scientist in marine
science
15. Emil Q. Javier – famous for his works in
developing rural agriculture
Science Education in the Philippines
• Science in the University of the
Philippine system
• UP remains to be the top university
in the country in terms of the number
of science degree programs.
• UP has several institutes and
centers for science and technology
research in the country.
• DOST funded scholarship
• DOST provides scholarship to
deserving Filipino students to take
science, technology, engineering,
agriculture, forestry, computer
science, and other science and
technology courses in various CHED
identified centers of excellence.
• Science Education in Basic Education
• Philippine Science High School
system
1. Philippine Science High School System
2. Regional Science High School
3. Special Science Education Project
4. Quezon City Regional Science High School
5. Manila Science High School
Philippine Science High School System
• Government program for scientifically and
mathematically gifted Filipino students.
• Service institute under the DOST with a
mandate to provide secondary education
program advanced science and
mathematics subjects
• Vision: to develop Filipino science scholars
with scientific mind and a passion for
excellence.
Regional Science High School
• Offer a curriculum focusing on science and
mathematics.
• System of selective admission is
implemented to these schools to ensure
that only the scientifically and
mathematically gifted students or those who
are showing interest and potential in
science and mathematics are admitted.
Special Science Education Project
• in fulfillment to DepEd Order No. 73 s.
2008, and DepEd Order No. 51 s. 2010
• Aims to develop Filipino children equipped
with scientific and technological knowledge,
skills and values.
• Mission:
 • Offer a learning environment
• Support the development of lifelong
learning skills; and
• Foster holistic development among
the learners.

Quezon City Regional Science High School

• Established on September 17, 1967
• Formerly Quezon City Science High School
• Turned into a regional science HS on 1999
• Product of a dream to establish a special
science school for talented students in
science and mathematics.

Manila Science High School

• October 1, 1963
• 1st science HS in the Philippines
• Aims to produce scientists with souls.
• Humanities are included in the curriculum
• Administer MSAT (manila Science High
School Admission Test)
• Science, Mathematics and English.

References
Alata et al. (2021). A course module for
Science, Technology and Society. GEC Series.
Rex Education.

Cabrera et. Al Science Technology and

Society. Fastbook Educational Supply Inc.