CHAPTER 1: GENERAL CONCEPTS AND

HISTORICAL EVENTS IN STS

Lesson 1: Historical Antecedents in which Social

Considerations Changed the Course of Science and
Technology
OBJECTIVES
• Discuss the history of the development of Science and
technology and how it affects the society.

• Analyze how scientific revolution is done in various parts of the

world like in Latin America, East Asia, Middle East and Africa.
History of Science and Technology in the
World: Ancient, Middle, and Modern Ages
- 2.3 million years ago
- roughly shaped stones used for
chopping and scraping
- found primarily in Eastern Africa
 Some of the earliest record of Science came from
Mesopotamian cultures around 400 BC.

Diseases symptoms, chemical substances, and astronomical

observations were some of the evidence of emerging Science.
During the same period in the Nille Valley of
Egypt, information on the treatment of
wounds and diseases and even some of the
mathematical calculations such as angles,
rectangles, and triangles and the volume of
the portion of a pyramid have been around
for thousands of years.
300- 400 BC
Archimedes,
founder
engineering
mechanics and
Euclid, calculated a
founder of value of pi which
modern is still used to
geometry this very day
3000 BC
Bronze Age
A search for finding pigments used to
color the human skin, copper was
discovered, then it was realized that
alloying copper with tin resulted into
bronze which in those days were used to
make swords and other weapons.
3000 BC

The first pyramid was built in

Egypt.
3500 BC
In Mesopotamia, two-
wheeled carts were created
and it became the most
frequently used mode of
transporting heavy goods
from one place to another.
 450- 1450 AD

Middles Ages- Dark Ages

- birth to many scientific and

Medieval port crane for mounting
technological development masts and lifting heavy cargo in the
former Hanse town of Gdańsk

- Warfare had improved

tremendously
 1450- 1600 AD
The Renaissance Era in Europe that Gutenberg developed a
printing press
began in 1450 and lasted until 1600
AD was the period known as rebirth
of knowledge.
Copernicus
rediscovered what some
of the ancient Greeks
had known that the sun
was at the center of the Leonardo da Vinci, a great
solar system and that the pioneer in arts, architecture,
Earth revolves around it. engineering, and science.
1600 AD
Galileo was the first to use modern scientific methods based on
experiment and testable observations. In 1608, some spectacle maker
came to the republic of Venice where Galileo was staying with their
new invention, a spyglass for identifying ships well before they enter
a harbor. Galileo heard about it and promptly set about figuring how
it worked. He not only succeeded in constructing his only spyglass,
but went on to build a second one with the magnification stepped up
by eight, and finally thirty times which is now known as the
telescope. He was able to discover craters and mountains on the
moon.
1600 AD

Isaac Newton was born in 1642. He helped define

the laws of gravity and planetary motion, co-
founded calculus, and explained the laws of light
and color.
In the late 1800, the light bulb
began to replace candles and oil
lamps.
Albert Einstein became the most famous
scientist of the 20th century. His work had
profound impact on everything from quantum
theory to nuclear power and the atom bomb,
and came up also with the famous equation
e=mc2 used in Calculus.
The 20th century gave birth to
the radio, the first car to run
with engine power. The first
man went to space in a rocket.
It was also the beginning of
communication, electronic, and
computer era.
Science and Technology in the Philippines:
A Historical Perspective
Spanish Colonial Period
• Introduced formal education and founded scientific institutions.
• Parish schools were established (religion, reading, writing, arithmetic, and music were
taught).
• Sanitation and more advanced methods of agriculture were taught to the natives.
• They established colleges and universities ( e.g. University of Santo Tomas).
• Study of medicine and pharmacy was given priority.
• They promoted meteorological studies and founded the Manila Observatory at the Ateneo
Municipal de Manila in 1865.
American Period and Post Commonwealth Era
• On July 1, 1901, the Philippine Commission established the Bureau of Government
Laboratories which was placed under the Department of Interior.
• On October 26, 1905, the Bureau of Government Laboratories was replaced by Bureau of
Science.
• On December 8, 1933, the National Research Council of the Philippines was recognized .
• The Bureau of Science became the primary research center of the Philippines until WW2.
• In 1946 the Bureau of Science was replaced by Institute of Science
• Science Act of 1958 was passed by the Philippine Congress.
Marcos Era and Martial Law
• In the amended 1973 Philippine Constitution , Article XV, Section 9 (1), he declared that
the “advancement of Science and Technology shall have priority in National
Development”.
• On January 23, 1967, he declared that Science was necessary for the development
programs.
• The National Science Development Board (NSDB) established the Philippine Atomic
Energy Commission to explore the uses of atomic energy for economic development.
• The Philippine Council for Agricultural Research was established to support the
progressive development of agriculture, forestry, and fisheries.
Marcos Era and Martial Law
• Agencies established during Marcos’ administration:
- PAGASA
- Philippine National Oil Company
- National Academy of Science and Technology
• In 1979, the government funded scientific research conducted by National Science
Development Board (NSDB)
• The National Committee on Geological Sciences was created in 1980.
• NSDB was reorganized and was named National Science and Technology Authority
(NSTA)
• The Mindanao and Visayas campuses of the Philippine Science High School were
established in 1986.
Fifth Republic- Corazon Aquinos’ Administration
• The National Science and Technology Authority was replaced by the Department of
Science and Technology.
• Under the Medium Term Philippine Development Plan for the years 1987-1992, Science
and Technology’s role in economic recovery and sustained economic growth was
highlighted.
• Science and technology was one of the three priorities of the government towards an
economic recovery.
• The first Science and Technology Master Plan (STMP) was formulated on August 8,
1988.
• RA 6655 or the Free Public Secondary Act of 1988 opened free education at the
secondary level.
President Fidel V. Ramos’ Term
• There was a significant increase in personnel specializing in Science and Technology.
• In 1988, Philippines was estimated to have around 3,000 competent scientists and engineers.
• The Department of Science and Technology initiated a Science and Technology Agenda for
Development (STAND).
President Fidel V. Ramos’ Term
• Another Science and Technology framework plan entitled “Competence, Competitive Conscience:
the Medium-Term Plan of the Department of Science and Technology (1999-2004). Its six flagship
programs are:
- Comprehensive program to enhance technology enterprises
- Integrated program on clean technologies
- Establishment of a packing R and D center
- Expansion of regional meteorology centers
- S & T intervention program for the poor, vulnerable and disabled
- Comprehensive science and technology program for Mindanao
President Joseph Estradas’ Term
• Two major legislations were signed
(a) Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999
(b) Electronic Commerce Act of 2000

• He launched a full-scale program based on cost-effective irrigation technologies.

• He also announced that dole outs are out.
President Gloria Arroyos’ Term
• Dubbed as the “golden age” of Science and Technology
• Numerous laws and projects that concern both the environment and Science.
• “Filipinovation” was the coined term used in helping the Philippines to be an
innovation hub in Asia.
• The Science, technology, and Innovation (STI) was developed.
• RA 9367 or Biofuels Act was passed.
• Drought-free rice was also highly encouraged to be used during her term.
President Benigno Aquinos’ Term
• The government passed RA 10601 which improves the Agriculture and
Fisheries Sector through Mechanization (AFMech).
• He was considered as the “Father of Organic Agriculture” because of his work
on the RA 10068 or Organic Agricultural Act of 2010.
• In 2014, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increased by 6.13%. The Gross Value
Added (GVA) in agriculture and fishing went up by 1.60% and this accounted
for 10% of the GDP increase.
• On May 23, 2016, RA 19844 or DICT act of 2015 was signed into law.
President Rodrigo Dutertes’ Current Term
Science and technology in the country scored another milestone with the signing of the Balik Scientist law by
President Rodrigo Roa A. Duterte on 15 June 2018. Republic Act No. 11035, also known as an “Act
Institutionalizing the Balik Scientist Program,” would give more incentives to returning Filipino experts,
scientists, inventors, and engineers who would share their expertise in the country.

The enacted law would strengthen the implementation of the Department of Science and Technology’s (DOST)
Balik Scientist Program which was first established in 1975 through Presidential Decree No. 819 but was only
implemented in 1986. Since its implementation, several scientists have come back to the country on short- and
long-term basis to mentor science and engineering students and faculty along their line of expertise through
research and development, teaching, and other activities. This sharing of expertise significantly contributed to the
acceleration of the scientific, agro-industrial and economic development of the country.
President Rodrigo Dutertes’ Current Term
President Rodrigo Duterte has approved two technologies that will help the government collect
data for environmental hazards and assess situations for immediate disaster response. He said
one of the technologies, GeoRisk Philippines Initiative, is meant to further improve data
gathering for environment hazards, Panelo said.

“It is an integrated system or database where one can map or locate hazards in a specific
location and view it on an application called the Hazard Hunter Philippines,” he added.

Panelo said another application is the Situation Data Mapper, which “receives real time
assessment on a situation and can provide analysis for high
level decisions for disaster response”.