Science and Technology and Nation-

building
Brief Historical Background of Science and
Technology in the Philippines

 Pre-Colonial Period
1. Early Filipinos used certain plants and herbs as
medicines.
2. There exist systems of farming (such as terracing
as exemplified by the Rice Terraces in the
Cordilleras) and animal-raising both for food
production and helping in daily tasks.
3.Science and technology is used for transportation
(both for land and sea), engineering, mining,
weaving, tool development, military purposes, and
even music.
4.Filipinos already had an alphabet, number system,
a weighing and measuring system and a calendar.
5.Trade with other countries such as China,
Indonesia, and Japan influenced Filipino science
and technology.
6.Ancient Filipino science and technology are
considered folk science or indigenous science.
Colonial Period
1. Spanish colonization
a.Sanitation and more advanced methods of agriculture was
taught to the natives.
b.Schools were established for introduction of concepts in
science and technology, which began formal science and
technology education.
c.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.
d. Medicine and advanced sciences were introduced in
formal colleges and universities established by Catholic
orders. Biology and medicine were given focus.
e. Galleon trade allowed both goods and ideas from the
West to reach the country, though this benefited the
colonizers more than the Filipinos.
f. Selected Filipinos were able to go to Europe and study
science and technology.
g. 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.
h. However, superstitions and Catholic
doctrines did not allow science and technology
to grow and reach its full potential.
American colonization
a.The Americans established the Bureau of
Government Laboratories to deal with the study
of tropical diseases and laboratory projects.
This was replaced with the Bureau of Science to
nurture the development of science and
technology. This was again replaced by the
Institute of Science.
b. Science and technology focused on
agriculture, food processing, forestry, medicine and
pharmacy
c.They established the public education
system and established the University of
the Philippines.
d.They reorganized school science.
Basic education focused on nature
studies and science and sanitation.
e. They improved engineering works and
health conditions by creating more public
hospitals than the Spaniards and by doing
research to control diseases.
f.They improved transportation and
communication.
g.New technologies were introduced
by American scholars in the country.
h.However, mineral resources in the
country were exploited during this
time.
 Post-Colonial Period
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Human resource development focused on producing
engineers, scientists, technology experts, doctors, and
other professionals.
During Ferdinand Marcos' term
a. He mandated the Department of Education, Culture
and Sports (DECS) now known as the Department
of Education (Dep Ed). To promote science courses
in public high schools
b. Additional budget for research projects in applied
science and science education was granted by
Marcos.
c. Part of the war damage fund from the Japanese was
donated to private universities and colleges for the
creation of science and technology-related courses
and to promote research.
d.The 3.5-hectare lot in Bicutan, Taguig was
proclaimed in 1968 as the Philippine Science
Community, now the site of Department of Science
and Technology (DOST).
e.Seminars, workshops, training programs, and
scholarships on fisheries and oceanography were
also sponsored by the government.

f.The Philippine Coconut Research

Institute (PHILCORIN) was tasked
to promote the modernization of the
coconut industry.
Several agencies and organizations were established
a) Philippine Textile Institute
b) Philippine Atomic Energy Commission (now the
Philippine Nuclear Institute)
c) National Grains Authority (now the National Food
Authority)
d) Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic, and
Natural Resources Research and Development)
e) Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and
Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA)
f) Philippine National Oil Company
g).Plant Breeding Institute
h)International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)
i)Bureau of Plant Industry
j)Bureau of Forest Products
k)National Committee on Geological Sciences
l)National Science Development Board (NSDB) was
organized as the National Science and Technology
Authority (NSTA) in 1981
m)In 1976, National Academy of Science and
Technology (NAST) was established to be the
reservoir of scientific and technological expertise in
the country
n)Salary increases for teachers and administrators
at the Philippines Science High School were granted
o)The Philippine Science High School in Visayas
and Mindanao were established
During Corazon Aquino's presidency
a. The National Science and Technology Authority
(NSTA) was replaced by the Department of
Science and Technology (DOST), giving science
and technology a representation in the cabinet.
b. 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.
c. It was during her term that Executive Order No.128
abolished R.A. No. 3859, also known as the “Philippine
Inventors Incentive Act.” This Philippine Inventors
Commission was under the Science Development
board.
It gave assistance to Filipino inventors through giving
financial aid, patent application assistance, legal
assistance, and to help inventors market their products
domestically and abroad.
d. Despite the abolishment of the Philippine Inventors
Commission, her administration gave rise to new
avenues for the government to aid the progress of
Science and Technology in the country.
During Fidel Ramos’ presidency
a. There was a significant increase in personnel
specializing in the science and technology field.
b. The Philippines had approximately 3,000
competent scientist and engineers.
c. The “Doctors to the Barrion” Program made
healthcare accessible even in far-flung areas in
the country
d. The National Program for Gifted Filipino Children
in Science and Technology was created for high
school students who wanted to major in science
and engineering in college
e.The Magna Carta for Science and Technology
Personnel (Republic Act No. 8439), Science and
Technology Scholarship Law of 1994 (Republic Act
No. 7687),
f.Inventors and Inventions Incentives Act (Republic
Act No. 7459), and The Intellectual Property Code of
the Philippines (Republic Act No. 8293) were
established.
g.During his term, Science and Technology Agenda
for National Development (STAND) was established.
During Joseph Estrada's term
a. Two major legislations that he signed were
Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999 (Republic Act No.
8749) and Electronic Commerce Act of 2000
(Republic Act No. 8792).
b. He launched a full-scale program based on cost-
effective irrigation technologies.
c. He also announced that Dole-outs are out, which
meant basic health care, basic nutrition, and useful
education for those who want, but cannot afford it.
d.He said that they would speed up the program to
establish one science high school in every province
During Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s term
a. The science and technology sector were developed
to strengthen the education system and to address
poverty
b. The term "Filipinnovation" was the coined term used
in helping the Philippines to be an innovation hub in
Asia.
c. The “Biofuels” act (RA 9367) was promulgated to
utilize indigenous materials as source of energy
d. RA 10601 - Agriculture and Fisheries Mechanization
(AFMech) Law was also passed to modernized
agricultural and fisheries machinery and equipment.
During Benigno Aquino III’s term
a.He conferred four new National

Scientist for their contribution in the

scientific field.
a)Gavino C. Trono - Marine Biology

b)Angel C. Alcala - Biological Science

c)Ramon C. Barba - Horticulture

d)Edagrdo D. Gomez - Marine Biology

Today, Rodrigo Duterte’s term
a. The science and technology sector is seen to be a priority
based on the budget for research and development
(R&D) that grew by nearly six times over the same period
b. The focus of DOST is to put the results of R&D into
commercialization in order to gain new intellectual
properties
c. Currently, the Philippines has the Philippine Space
Technology program which launched Diwata-2 in 2018
after the launch of Diwata-1 in 2016, that displayed the
Philippine flag in space.
d. The current administration also gives importance to
agriculture and disaster preparedness
Government Policies on Science and Technology
 In 2015, DOST has sought the expertise of
NCRP to consult various sectors of society to
study how the Philippines can prepare itself in
meeting the ASEAN 2015 Goals. The following
were the policies that were the results of the
consultation.
1. SocialSciences, Humanities, Education,
International Policies and Governance
a.Integrating ASEAN awareness in basic
education without adding to the
curriculum
b.Emphasizing teaching in the mother
tongue
c.Developing school infrastructure and
providing for ICT broadband
d.Local food security
2.Physics, Engineering and Industrial Research,
Earth and Space Sciences, and Mathematics
a.Emphasizing degrees, licenses, and employment
opportunities
b.Outright grants for peer monitoring
c.Review of RA 9184
d.Harnessing science and technology as independent
mover of development
3.Medical, Chemical, and Pharmaceutical Sciences

a.Ensuring compliance of drug-manufacturing firms with

ASEAN-harmonized standards by full implementation of
the Food and Drug Administration
b.Creating an educational council dedicated to
standardization of pharmaceutical services and care
c.Empowering food and drug agencies to conduct
evidence-based research as pool of information
d.Allowing two percent of the GDP to research
e.Legislating a law supporting human genome project
4.Biological Sciences, Agriculture, and Forestry
a.Protecting and conserving biodiversity by full
implementation of existing laws
b.Use of biosafety and standard model by
ASEAN countries
c.Promoting indigenous knowledge systems and
indigenous people’s conservation
d.Formulation of common food and safety
standards
Other programs supported by the Philippine government
through DOST include:
1. Providing funds for basic research and patents related
to science and technology
2. Providing scholarships for studies of students in
science and technology
3. Establishing more branches of Philippine Science High
School System
4. Creating and developing science and technology parks
5. Establishment of Balik Scientist Program
6. Establishment of National Science Complex and
National Engineering Complex
The Philippine-American Academy of Science and
Engineering identify several capacity building
programs such as:
1. Establishment of national centers of excellence
2. Manpower and institutional development programs
3. Establishment of regional centers to support
scientific industries
4. Establishment of science and technology business
centers
5. Strengthening of science education at an early
age
Science education focuses on teaching, learning, and
understanding science. In the field of science education,
several science-related programs and projects were
created to develop scientific literacy. These include:
1. Special science classes
2. Special science elementary schools
3. Philippine Science High School System
4. STEM track of the K-12 educational system
5. PICARI project
6. Offering basic science courses in the General
Education curriculum
The Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022 (PDP) is a massive
undertaking in improving the country’s infrastructure, increasing energy
access, lowering costs for citizens, keeping up with economic growth, and
staying within the bounds of global agreements for climate change and
sustainable growth. It was approved by the National Economic and
Development Authority (NEDA) Board and President Rodrigo Duterte on
February 20th, 2017. The impact will be manifested in the following
outcomes:
1. The Philippines will be an upper middle-income country by 2022.
2. Growth will be more inclusive as manifested by a lower poverty
incidence in rural areas – from 30 percent in 2015 to 20 percent in 2022.
3. The Philippines will have a high level of human development by 2022.
4. The unemployment rate will decline from 5.5 percent to 3-5 percent in
2022.
5. There will be greater trust in government and in society.
6. Individuals and communities will be more resilient.
7. Filipinos will have greater drive for innovation.
The pillars of the said program are
1. Malasakit: refers to the goal to regain people’s trust in public
institutions and each other. These strategies aim to promote
awareness of anti-corruption measures, invigorate the public sector,
increased access to legal aid, and promoting culture sensitive
governance.
2. Pagbabago: aimed at reducing inequality by increasing opportunities
for growth and transformation. The popularized term has been
‘inclusive growth’. Universal social protection, basic education, and
other social services will be improved upon while also raising the
country’s status in the global market for more opportunities.
3. Patuloy na Pag-unlad: focuses on economic growth. The Philippines
have seen massive growth in the past decade or so through their
change from an agricultural economy to industry and manufacturing
focused powerhouse. The Philippines plan to focus on continued
growth of their technology, R&D, and innovation sectors.
Philippine Congress has also created laws that serve
as legal framework for science and technology.
Some other areas that the country is looking forward
related to science and technology include:
1. Use of alternative and safe energy
2. Harnessing mineral resources
3. Finding cure for various diseases and illness
4. Fighting climate change and global warming
5. Increasing food production
6. Preservation of natural resources
7. Coping with natural disasters and calamities
8. Infrastructure development
Some Famous Filipinos in the Field of Science and Technology

1. Aisa Mijeno. Invention of SALT lamp.

2. Angel Alcala. Outstanding contributions to marine science
3. Caesar Saloma. Outstanding contributions to physics
4. Dominic Chung, Lamberto Andrada, and Antonio Llave.
Invention of salamander amphibious tricycle.
5. Edgardo Gomez. Outstanding contributions to marine science
6. Enrique Ostrea, Jr. Invention of the meconium drug testing
7. Fabian Dayrit. Outstanding contributions to herbal medicine
 Fe del Mundo. Invention of medical incubator from indigenous
and cheap materials
8. Gregory Tangonan. Outstanding contributions to
communications technology
9.Jose Cruz, Jr. Outstanding contributions to electrical
engineering
10. Josefino Comiso. Outstanding contributions to Antarctica
satellite imaging
11. Lilian Patena. Outstanding contributions to plant biotechnology
12. Lourdes Cruz. Outstanding contributions to sea snail venom
13. Mari-Jo Ruiz. Outstanding contributions to education and
graph theory in mathematics
14. Rafael Guerrero III. Outstanding contributions to tilapia culture
15. Ramon Barba. Outstanding contributions to tissue culture in
Philippine mangoes
16. William Padolina. Outstanding contributions to chemistry
 
Indigenous Science
 Some examples of indigenous knowledge
that are taught and practiced by the
indigenous people are:
1. Predicting weather conditions and
seasons through animal behavior and
celestial bodies
2. Using herbal medicine
3. Preserving foods
4. Classifying plants and animals based on cultural
properties
5. Preserving and selecting good seeds for planting
6. Using indigenous technology
7. Building local irrigation systems
8. Classifying soils for planting based on cultural
properties
9. Producing beverages from tropical fruits
10. Keeping the custom of growing plants and
vegetables in the yard