NATION BUILDING LECTURE PART 1

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND NATION-BUILDING

BRIEF HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN THE PHILIPPINES

 Even before the Spaniards came to the Philippine Islands, the natives of the archipelago already
had practices linked to science and technology.
 Modern men came to mainland Asia around 50 000 years and up until about 40 000 years ago
used stone tools and weapons.
 They also later developed shell ornaments and pottery. Remnants of these are still present today
as many people are still using clay pots in cooking.
 Eventually, Filipinos gained the skill to extract metals such as gold, copper, bronze, and iron and
use these metals for many purposes.
 Other activities such as weaving, making glass ornaments, and tools development were done by
your ancestors.

 Early Filipino also have their own system of writing, though literary tradition is still mainly oral.

 Also, systems of weighing, measuring, and time were also present in early Filipino society.

 Filipino technology in agriculture was also present and highly developed.

 There exist systems of farming and animal – raising both for food production and helping in daily
tasks.

 Early Filipinos were also engaged in various agricultural practices such as developing irrigation
systems, predicting weather conditions and seasons through animal behavior and celestial
bodies, classifying plants and animals based on their properties, preparing seeds for planting,
classifying soils according to their properties, and growing plants in yards.

 In terms of health and medicine, early Filipino have been using certain plants for their medical
properties in treating ailments and healing injuries.

 The Banaue Rice Terraces are among the sophisticated products of engineering by pre-Spanish
era Filipinos.
 Through these terraces, the people were able to cultivate crops on the mountainsides in cold
temperatures.
 They incorporated an irrigation system that uses water from the forests and mountain tops to
achieve an elaborate farming system.
 These terraces, which are still functional, show the innovative and ingenious way of the natives to
survive in an otherwise unfriendly environment.

 Pre-colonial Filipino science and technology is basically folk science and indigenous
knowledge.
 There was also no pressure for a large science and technology development because of the
relatively small population, simple needs, and abundant natural resources.

INDIGENOUS SCIENCE
 According to Pawilen (2005) and Sibisi (2004), indigenous science includes complex arrays of
knowledge, expertise, practices, and representations derived from traditional knowledge and
practices that guide human societies in their numerable interactions with the natural milieu, such
as astronomy, metallurgy, agriculture, medicine, food technology, naming and explaining natural
phenomena, and strategies for coping with changing environments.
 It has developed diverse structures and contents through the interplay between the society and
the environment.
 Pawilen (2005) also developed a simple framework for understanding indigenous science.
 THE CONCEPT OF INDIGENOUS SCIENCE

INDIGENOUS SCIENCE

USES GUIDE BY COMPOSED OF

SCIENCE TRADITIONAL
PROCESS COMMUNITY KNOWLEDGE
SKILLS CULTURE AND
VALUES

Indigenous science uses science process skills such as observing, comparing, classifying, measuring,
problem-solving, inferring, communicating and predicting. Indigenous science is guided by culture and
community values such as the following:

 The land is source of life. It is a precious gift from the creator.

 The Earth is revered as “Mother Earth”. It is the origin of their identity as people.
 All living and non-living things are interconnected and interdependent with each other.
 Human beings are stewards or trustee of the land and other natural resources.
 Nature is a friend to human beings – it needs respect and proper care.
 According to Johnston (2002), indigenous beliefs also develop desirable values that are relevant
or consistent to scientific attitudes, such as motivating, cooperating, practical, and reflective
attitudes.
 An indigenous knowledge system is embedded in the daily life experiences of young children as
they grow up. They live in society where the members of the community prominently practice
indigenous knowledge.
 Parents and other older folks served as first teacher and their methods of teaching are very
effective in transmitting cultural knowledge.
 Lessons learned (good values, life stories from daily struggles) are intimately interwoven with
their culture and the environment.
 Views about nature and their reflections on their experience in daily life are evident their stories,
poems and songs.

SPANISH COLONIAL PERIOD

 The Spanish colonial period is regarded as the time when modern science and technology in the
Philippines began.
 During this era, Spanish colonizers changed the way that the Filipino society works.
 They used of reduction in consolidating scattered communities into larger and fewer communities
within hearing distance of church bells and adopted how Filipino rule.
 They created towns, which made tax collection, forced labor, and economic activities much easier
to implement.

SCIENCE EDUCATION
 Schools were established which were primarily managed by priests and missionaries.
 Thus, religious education was given focus.
 The establishment of schools introduced concepts in science and technology, which began formal
science and technology education.
 Early science education focused on the human body, plants, animals, and heavenly bodies.
 Early technology education focused on the use and development of tools for everyday life.
 Higher education was centered in cities such as Manila.
 However, only a select few have access to these institutions, such as Spaniards, mestizos, and a
few select Filipinos.
 Medicine and advanced sciences were introduced in formal colleges and universities established
by Catholic orders, through training were generally poor.
 Biology, medicine, and pharmacy were given focus.
 For Bachelor in Arts degrees, science subjects include physics, chemistry, natural history, and
mathematics.
 Other schools were also established. Vocational education was introduced by the latter part of
19th century.

 However, there is a lack of engineering schools and nautical schools and agricultural schools
were few.
  Also, by 1863, the government initiated reforms in education where basic education and higher
education will be supervised by the government.
 However, this was not fully implemented. Overall, public education was not every progressive.

AGRICULTURE, TRADE, AND INDUSTRY

 The opening of the Suez Canal allowed the penetration of liberal ideas to the Philippines from
Europe and eased communication and transportation.
 This also allowed select Filipinos were able to go to Europe and study science and technology.
Prominent ones include Jose Rizal and Antonio Luna.
 Galleon trade allowed both goods and ideas from the West to reach the country, though this
benefited the colonizers and the Chinese merchants more than the Filipinos.
 Trade was given more focus by the Spaniard colonial authorities due to the prospect of big
profits.
 These trades allowed other ideas, crops, tools, cultural practices, technology and Western
practices to reach the country.
 Because of the Galleon trade, the shipbuilding industry progressed.
 Initially, agriculture and industry were neglected and its progress was slow. However, the
founding of the Real Sociedad Economica de los Amigos del Paris de Filipinas encouraged its
eventual development.
 Many crops were cultivated and some industries were developed.
 When the Philippines became open for foreign trade, industries such as embroidery, tobacco, and
weaving flourished.
 Traded and commerce also led to the establishment of public amenities, such as transportation,
lighting, banking, and information services, especially in Manila.

OTHER ASPECTS
 Colonization by the Spaniards provided the Philippines with modern means of construction. In
terms of engineering, Spaniards introduced town planning and building with materials such as
bricks and tiles. Because of this, churches, hospitals, and other public buildings were built.
 Hospitals became centers for research work, especially in terms of the causes and treatments of
infectious diseases, such as malaria, cholera, and leprosy.
 Herbal medicines were researched and catalogued. Sanitation was also given importance for
public health purposes. Laboratorio Municipal Ciudad de Manila was created in 1887 for public
health concerns and medical analysis.
 Some contributors in science and technology during this period are Fr. Ignacio Mercado., Dr.
Trinidad Pardo de Tavera and Dr. Leon Ma Guerrero, chemist Anaclento Del Rosario, and
medicine scholars Dr. Manuel Guerrero, Dr. Jose Montes and Dr. Elrodario Mercado.
 Though the Spaniards colonized the Philippines for more than 300 years, science and technology
did not fully grow and reached its full potential.
 This is due to superstitions and Catholic doctrines and poor administration of the Spanish
government, among others.

AMERICAN COLONIAL PERIOD AND THE COMMONWEALTH PERIOD

 The American colonial period saw a rapid growth in science and technology in the Philippines.
 These are due to progress in public education and research and science public services.
 The Americans established the public education system and created a Department of Public
Instruction in 1901.
 The public educational system is free, with English as a medium of instruction.
 They recognized school science.
 Basic education focused on nature studies and science and sanitation.
 Normal schools were also established to train teachers, as well as other professional and
technical schools.
 Industrial and vocational courses were offered but were not preferred by Filipinos at the time, and
choosing career paths that led to what they perceive as more prestigious jobs was preferred.
 It was during the American colonization period that the University of the Philippines was
established.
 The University started with mostly foreign teachers and professors.
 Filipinos were sent overseas for education and training and later on, replaced many of the foreign
professors of the University of the Philippines.
 The private education sector also flourished.
 They started out to be ill-equipped and inadequate in equipment and facilities, but regulations by
the American colonial government improved the sector eventually.

 Studying overseas was also encouraged by the American government and select students were
sent to be trained as engineers, physicians, teachers, nurses, and other professionals.
 They were asked to serve in the Philippines as a return for this privilege.
 Science and technology focused on agriculture, food processing, forestry, medicine and
pharmacy.
  The Americans established the Bureau of Government Laboratories in 1901 to deal with the study
of tropical disease and laboratory projects.
 This was replaced with the Bureau of Science in 1905 to nurture the development of science and
technology.
 In this bureau, serums and prophylactics needed by the Philippine General Hospital and Bureau
of Health were manufactured and diseases were studied.
 Reorganization of different offices based on their specializations were also done during this time,
such as the Weather Bureau, Bureau of Health, Mines, Forestry, Agriculture, Coast and Geodetic
Survey, Plant Industry, and Animal Industry.
 The American colonial government also improved engineering works and health conditions by
creating more public hospitals than the Spaniards and by doing research to control disease.
 They improved transportation and communication.
 New technologies were also introduced by American scholars in the country.
 The Americans have more influence in the development of science and technology in the
Philippines compared to the Spaniards.
 American occupation modernized almost all aspects of life in the country.
 However, the Philippines remained as agricultural country and industrialization was still slow.
 This seems to stem from the focus on agricultural and medical sciences characteristics during
this time.
 Also, mineral resources in the country were exploited during this time. In addition, the Philippines
was not able to become fully Independent due to the economic ties with the Americans.
 Unfortunately, the Japanese government occupied the Philippines between 1942 and 1945,
which halted science and technology development in the Philippines.
 After colonization by Japan, the country focused on building institutions and public facilities such
as schools, hospitals, and transportation systems as well as providing technological training and
human resource development.
 Human resource development focused on producing engineers, scientists, technology experts,
doctors, and other professionals.
 Though limited in resources, the country focused in improving science and technology.
 One way is through the use of overseas development Allocations (ODA) to help in scientific
productivity and technological capability.
 Also, many more government agencies were established such as the Institute of Science,
Institute of Nutrition, Science Foundation of the Philippines, and Commission on Volcanology.
 However, government support for science and technology was still inadequate.
 For example, in 1950 US Economic Survey Mission to the Philippines reported that the budget for
research as well as compensation for scientists is still low.
 Because of this, the Institute of Science was the reorganized to become the Institute of Science
and Technology, with the additional mandate to improve technological development and explore
natural resources for economic growth.
 By 1957, the state of science and technology in the Philippines was still declining.
 Due to this, the Science Art of 1958 was enacted.
 This established the national Science Development Board, the Philippine Atomic Energy
Commission, and the National Institute were also established.
 By 1960s, the Philippine Inventor’s Commission and Philippine Coconut Research Institute were
also established.
 Also, by 1964, the Philippine Science High School started its operation through Republic Act
3661 signed by President Diosdado Macapagal.
 One of the presidents who ushered in advancements in science and technology was former
president and Dictator Ferdinand Marcos.
 During his term, many agencies were established such as the
a. Philippine Textile Research Institute,
b. National Grains Authority (now the National Food Authority0
c. Plant Breeding Institute
d. International Rice Research Institute,
e. Philippine Council for Agricultural Research (now the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic,
and Natural Resources Research and Development),
f. Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration,
g. National Committee on Geological Sciences,
h. Philippine National Oil Company, National Academy of Science and Technology.

The current site of the Department of Science and Technology in Taguig was then proclaimed as the
Philippine Science Community.

It was during Marco’s term that the National Science Development Board and its agencies were
reorganized into a National Science and Technology Authority to provide central direction and
coordination of scientific and technological research and development.
  SECOND SONA (January 23, 1967): He declared that science was necessary for the
development programs, and thus, directed the Department of Education to revitalize the science
courses in public high schools.

 THIRD SONA (January 22, 1968): He recognized that technology was the leading factor in
economic development, and channeled additional funds to support projects in applied sciences
and science education.

 FOURTH SONA (January 27, 1969): He gave a big part of the war damage fund to private
universities to encourage them to create courses in science and technology and to research. The
government also conducted seminars for public and private high school and college science
teachers, training programs and scholarships, and workshops on fisheries and oceanography.

 FIFTH SONA (January 26, 1970): He emphasized that the upgrading of science curricula and
teaching equipment is crucial to the science development program. He also assisted 107
institutions in undertaking nuclear science and technology abroad, and providing basic training to
482 scientists, doctors, engineers, and technicians.

 SEVENTH SONA (January 24, 1972): He spoke about his major development projects in
reforming sectors of education. Such projects included research and development schools,
technical institutes, science education centers, and agricultural colleges and vocational high
schools.

The presidency of Corazon Aquino saw the replacement of NSTA to DOST.

 She also created the Presidential Task Force for Science and Technology which came up with
the first Science and Technology Master Plan or STMP.
 The goal of STMP was for the Philippines to achieve newly industrialized country status by the
year 2000.
 It was during her term that Executive Order No.128 was signed, which reorganized the National
Science and Technology Authority.

During Fidel Ramos’ presidency, the number of science and technology personnel increased, more
Philippine High Schools were established (in Visayas and Mindanao), and health care services were
given importance through programs such as “Doctors to the Barrio Program.”
 His administration also saw the establishment of the
a. Magna Carta for Science and Technology Personnel (Republic Act. 8439),
b. Science and Technology Scholarship Law of 1994 (Republic Act No. 7687),
c. Inventors and Inventions Incentives Act (Republic Act No. 7459), and
d. The Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines (Republic act No. 8293), and
e. The Science and Technology Agenda for National Development (STAND) was established.

The presidency of Joseph Estrada saw the legislation of Philippines Clean Air Act of 1999
(Republic Act No .8749) and Electronic Commerce Act of 2000 (Republic Act No. 8792).
 He also has a full- scale program for cos-effective irrigation technologies and programs for social
and social service for those in need.

During Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s term,

a. Projects for the environment and science and technology (like the “Biofuels” act) was given focus
to increase economic level.
b. “Filip innovation” was also coined to help the Philippines to be an innovation hub in Asia. The STI
was developed further by strengthening the schools and education system such as the
Philippines Science High School (PSHS)...

 During Benigno Aquino III’s term, he conferred four new National Scientist for their contribution in
the scientific field.