INDIGENOUS SCIENCE

AND TECHNOLOGY IN
THE PHILIPPINES
 LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• Discuss the concept of indigenous science; and

• Discuss the contribution of indigenous science
in the development of science and technology
in the Philippines.
• Filipinos, especially during the early times, tried to
invent tools that will help them in everyday life.
• They developed alternative ideas in explaining
various phenomena and in explaining the world
around them.
• This system of knowledge is called Indigenous
Knowledge, the foundation of Indigenous Science
WHAT IS INDIGENOUS
KNOWLEDGE?
 WHAT IS INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE?

• A body of knowledge built up by a group of people through

generations of living in close contact with nature (Johnson 1992).
• The knowledge used by local people to make a living in a particular
environment (Warren 1991)
• is the systematic body of knowledge acquired by local people
through the accumulation of experiences, informal experiments and
intimate understanding of the environment in a given culture.
(Rajasekaran 1993)
INDIGENOUS SCIENCE & CULTURE
 SOME EXAMPLES OF INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE THA ARE TAUGHT AND PRACTICED BY THE
INDIGENOUS PEOLE ARE:

Predicting weather conditions and seasons using knowledge in observing

animal’s behavior and celestial bodies
SOME EXAMPLES OF INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE THA ARE TAUGHT AND PRACTICED BY THE
INDIGENOUS PEOLE ARE:

Using herbal medicine

SOME EXAMPLES OF INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE THA ARE TAUGHT AND PRACTICED BY THE
INDIGENOUS PEOLE ARE:

Preserving food
 SOME EXAMPLES OF INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE THA ARE TAUGHT AND PRACTICED BY THE
INDIGENOUS PEOLE ARE:

Classifying plants and animals into families and groups based on culture properties
 SOME EXAMPLES OF INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE THA ARE TAUGHT AND PRACTICED BY THE
INDIGENOUS PEOLE ARE:

Preserving and selecting good seeds for planting

SOME EXAMPLES OF INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE THA ARE TAUGHT AND PRACTICED BY THE
INDIGENOUS PEOLE ARE:

Using indigenous technology in daily lives

 Coconut Scrub

Clay pot
 Torch

Mortar and
Pestle
 Winnower

Paddle Laundry
Lounge
Snare traps
 Weaving

Heated Iron
 Cane

Flute
SOME EXAMPLES OF INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE THA ARE TAUGHT AND PRACTICED BY THE
INDIGENOUS PEOLE ARE:

Building local irrigation system

 SOME EXAMPLES OF INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE THA ARE TAUGHT AND PRACTICED BY THE
INDIGENOUS PEOLE ARE:

Classifying different types of soil for planting based on culture properties

SOME EXAMPLES OF INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE THA ARE TAUGHT AND PRACTICED BY THE
INDIGENOUS PEOLE ARE:

Producing wine and juices from tropical fruits

• Tuba (also called Coconut Red Wine, Coconut Toddy, Jungle Wine, Bahal or
Bahalina)
• Lambanog (also called Coconut white wine or Coconut Vodka)
• Basi (Sugar Cane Wine)
• Bignay/Bugnay (Wild Berry Wine)
• Laksoy (Palm Liquor)
• Tapuy (Rice Wine)
• Coffee Wine
• Strawberry wine
 TUBA
• In the Visayas Islands, coconut wine also called tuba,
bahal, or bahalina. In Luzon, it is usually
called lambanog. The difference between the two is
their mixture and color. The variety that comes from
Luzon is made from the pure sap resulting in an almost
colorless or milky white liquid sometimes referred to
as coconut vodka.
• In the Visayas Islands, particularly in Leyte, tuba is the
product of mixing barok (the reddish bark of the
mangrove tree) with the coconut sap, making the tuba
red in color. This is sometimes called coconut red
wine.
•
 LAMBANOG
• Lambanog
(Philippines Coconut Wine) is a
wine made from coconut.
Lambanog is well-known for its
strength that ordinarily carries
regarding 80 to 90 proof
alternatives. It is mostly
produced in the Quezon
Province, Philippines.
 BASI
• Basi is a fermented alcoholic
beverage made from sugarcane in
the Ilocos region of northern
Luzon in the Philippines
 LAKSOY

• Laksoy is a liquor
distilled from the sap of
a nipa palm. It is widely
made and available in
Caraga,Mindanao
 TAPUY

• PhilRice Tapuy (rice wine) is a naturally

fermented alcoholic beverage made from
cooked glutinous rice
• This value-added rice-based food product is
a result of 15 years of extensive research and
development by the Philippine Rice Research
Institute (PhilRice).
SOME EXAMPLES OF INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE THA ARE TAUGHT AND PRACTICED BY THE
INDIGENOUS PEOLE ARE:

Keeping the custom of growing plants and vegetables in the yard

is a process by which Indigenous people
build their empirical knowledge of their
natural environment
 According to Cajete (2004),
includes everything, from metaphysics to
philosophy and various practical technologies
practice by indigenous people both past and
present
IRRIGATION SYSTEM OF CHAMP DE LAITUE

www.canstockphoto.comchamp+de+laitue&gs_l=i
mg
 Greg Tabios Pawilen
• is a graduate of Doctor of Philosophy in Education from
the University of the Philippines in Dilliman major in
Curriculum Studies, in which he has earned the award
“the most outstanding research for his dissertation
“Model for Developing Curriculum Standards for
Preschool Teacher Education.”
 Greg Tabios Pawilen

• He earned his Master of Education Degree major in

Curriculum Development in Science Education in Ehime
University, Matsuyama City, Japan and Master of Arts in
Education – Major in Curriculum Studies in University of
the Philippines, Dilliman. College of Education, University
of the Philippines, Dilliman. He is currently the Education
Consultant, REX Publishing Company and Harris
Memorial College.
• Pawilen (2006) developed a simple framework for understanding
indigenous science
INDIGENOUS SCIENCE
Uses Composed of

Guided by

SCIENCE PROCESS SKILLS COMMUNITY

TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE
CULTURES AND
VALUES

• Accordingly, indigenous science is composed of traditional knowledge

that uses science process skills and guided by community values and
culture
1. Indigenous Science uses science process skills such as observing,
comparing, classifying, measuring, problem solving, inferring,
communicating and predicting.
2. Indigenous Science is guided by culture and community values such
as the following:
• The land is the 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 nonliving things are interconnected and interdependent
with each other.
• Human beings are stewards or trustee of the land and other natural
resources. They have a responsibility to preserve it.
• Nature is a friend to human beings ----- it needs respect and proper care
3. Indigenous Science is composed of traditional knowledge practiced
and valued by people and communities such as ethno-biology, ethno-
medicine, indigenous farming methods, and folk astronomy
The End