RIZAL TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY

Cities of Mandaluyong and Pasig

SESSION NO. 1-3/ WEEK NO. 3

MODULE NO.3: Selected Indigenous Science and

Technologies

The following are the topics content of this module:

1. Indigenous science
2. Philippines Indigenous technology

Overview

Indigenous mostly refer to a person, a thing or any phenomena that was

naturally originated and occurred in a particular place. When indigenous people
developed independent work through the use of science concept, it is an indigenous
science. If we understand ‘indigenous’ to relate to people who have a long-standing and
complex relationship with a local area and ‘science’ to mean a systematic approach to
acquiring knowledge of the natural world, then Indigenous science is the process by which
Indigenous people build their empirical knowledge of their natural environment. (Living
Knowledge, 2008)
There are two main reasons to include Indigenous Knowledge in the science
curriculum: firstly, by introducing students to the concept of Indigenous Knowledge in their
science education they will have an increased awareness of the original culture and
identity, and secondly, modern day environmental problems have social and cultural
dimensions which benefit from perspectives other than Western science. While scientific
knowledge is needed to solve these problems, science alone is often not sufficient and
Indigenous Knowledge may make a useful contribution. (Living Knowledge, 2008)
This module will feature some of the indigenous Filipino Scientist that made
significant contributions in the field of science and technology.

Study Guide

This module was designed to provide the students with meaningful opportunities for
guided and independent pace of learning. Students will be able to process the learning
context in their own flexible time.

This module has the following parts:

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 RIZAL TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
Cities of Mandaluyong and Pasig

a. Learning outcomes
b. Topic presentation
c. Learning activities
d. Assessment
e. Assignment
f. References

Students are required to finished every module by finishing learning activities,

answering the assessment and complying with the given assignment.

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the learning episode, the students are expected to:

1. Discuss some indigenous materials that has a useful contribution to science

and technology
2. Appreciate the contribution of science and technology to society

Topic Presentation

Specific Objectives:
1. Compare the indigenous science with indigenous technology.
2. Analyze the importance of some indigenous knowledge and science in
our lives.

Indigenous science is a product of indigenous knowledge affected by people p

through life experiences. Indigenous knowledge may connote traditional and non-
scientific knowledge because it includes superstitious beliefs and practices which
maybe products of human imagination. However, these products also become the
foundation of people's creativity, originality and inventiveness in defining the world
where live in. (Ilagan, 2018)
The following are examples of indigenous science:

• knowledge in observing animal behavior to predict weather conditions

• traditional health habit practices
• the use of herbal medicine foods knowledge preserving food
• preservation and selection of good seeds for planting
• building irrigation system
• classifying different types of soil for planting
• making wines and juices from fruits

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 RIZAL TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
Cities of Mandaluyong and Pasig

• local methods of growing vegetables in the yard

• indigenous method of calculating estimating
• knowledge on mineral resources found in the community
• making products such as vinegar, cheese, and nata de coco

Indigenous Technologies:

These are the process or products which are the results of studying indigenous
science. Here are some of the indigenous technologies that have emerged out of
people’s creativity, originality and inventiveness.

Yoyo
Is a toy consisting of an axle
connected to two disks and a string looped
around the axle. It is played by holding the
handle (string) by inserting one finger into a
knot at its free end. This was used by
people then, to fight against intruders and
Spaniards. This toy was a product of the
creative mind of Pedro Flores, an
undergraduate law student at that time. But
even if the inventor of this toy was a
Filipino, it was the Americans who mass
produced the product which became one of
the most distinct toys in the history (Bellis,
https://www.google.com/search?q=yoyo&tbm=isch&tbs=il
2017).

Medical Incubator
This equipment was invented by Dr.
Fe del Mundo, the first Asian student at the
Harvard University's School of Medicine.
She made this incubator out of two laundry
baskets which were placed one inside the
other. This was provided with hot water all
around between the baskets to make
warmth available to them. This tool was
purposely invented to regulate the body
temperature of newborn babies .

https://www.google.com/search?q=medical+incubator&tbm
=isch&ved

Science, Technology and Society 3

 RIZAL TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
Cities of Mandaluyong and Pasig

Erythromycin

In 1949, Dr. Abelardo Aguilar

discovered the antibiotic erythromycin
produced by the bacterium Streptomyces
erythreus found in the soil from his own
province in Iloilo. He sent this to his
employer in the U.S. to separate the strain
but unfortunately did not get the credit for
the discovery (Son, 1994).
https://www.google.com/search?q=erythromycin&tbm=isch
&ved
Patis of Fish Sauce

Ruperta David, who was popularly

known as Aling Tentay was the woman
behind the discovery of this condiment. She
accidentally discovered patis in the 1940s
when she noticed that some of the salted
fish that she stored in a jar turned into
fragments and these fragments turned into
liquid which tasted like the patis we are
using today. From then on, the business
started but was only officially registered in https://www.google.com/search?q=fish%20sauce&tbm=isc
1949 as Tentay Food and Sauces, Ine. (Lui, h&tbs=i

2013)

Banana Catsup

Maria Orosa y Ylagan focused on

creating another flavor of catsup, the
banana catsup. Filipinos love to use this
condiment for every fried food served on
the table. Orosa was also the brain behind
the creation of other food products like
desiccated powdered form of calamansi
called calamansi nip, and a powdered
preparation of soya beans called soya-lac
which was used to save the lives of many
prisoners held by Japanese during World
War II (Lui, 2013; Torrecampo, 2017).
https://www.google.com/search?q=banana%20catsup&tbm
=isch&tbs=il

Science, Technology and Society 4

 RIZAL TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
Cities of Mandaluyong and Pasig

Anticancer Cream

Due to the increasing incidence of

cancer, a Filipino scientist, named Rolando
de la Cruz developed an anticancer cream
from cashew nuts and other local herbs to
treat basal skin carcinoma (BSC) which is
considered to be the most prevalent type of
skin cancer all over the world. He called this
cream DeBCC anticancer cream which
won him a gold medal award in the
International Inventors ' Forum in
https://www.google.com/search?q=anti+cancer+skin+crea
November 2005 (Proudly Philippine Made, m&tbm=isch
2010; Pinoy p. and Profile, 2013).

16-bit Microchip

For a much faster computer works,

Diosdado Banatao developed the first
single chip graphical interface user
accelerator. This chip allows the computer
make graphical presentation users to for
Data using graphics Commands.
processing is made much quicker using
board (Filipino small chip instead of large
Discoveries, Inventions, Innovations and
Products, 2013).
https://www.google.com/search?q=16-
bit+microchip&tbm=isch&ved
Mole Remover

Another Invention was made by

Rolando de la Cruz in 2000. This is called
mole remover which is a cream formulated
to remove warts and moles on the skin
(Filipino Discoveries, Inventions,
Innovations, and Products, 2013; Lui,
2013)

https://www.google.com/search?q=mole+remover+by+rola
ndo+dela+cruz

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 RIZAL TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
Cities of Mandaluyong and Pasig

Other famous indigenous Filipino scientists and their discovery or invention:

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 RIZAL TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
Cities of Mandaluyong and Pasig

Guided Exercises / Learning Activities

(see separate activity sheets)

Assessment

To evaluates the level of mastery in achieving the learning outcomes, validates

the concepts, and provides more opportunities to deepen the learning, QUIZ will be
given.

References

Bellis, M. (2017). The History of Yoyo, what goes up must goes down. Humanities,
History and Culture. Thought Co.
Ilagan, Y. et al (2018) Science Technology and Society. Panday Lahi Publishing
House, Muntinlupa City, Philippines

Living Knowledge, 2008. Retrieved from:

http://livingknowledge.anu.edu.au/html/educators/02_questions.htm
Lui, B. (2013). Top 12 Filipino Inventions You May Want To Know. Definitely Filipino.
The Blog of Online Filipinos.
Torrecampo, R.R. (2017). Maria Orosa:Taal-borne Scientist credited with the
invention of Banana CArsup. Rex RAymund Torrecampo’s Life to Mundane in
Batangas.
Son, J. (1994). Medicine-Philippines. Who Really Discovered Erythromycin? An Inter
Press Service Feature. Inter Press Service News Agency
Pinoy, P. & Profile, V (2013). DeWart DeMole and now DeCancer by Rolando Dela
Cruz. Filipinoinventionsanddiscoveries.blogspot.com. Retrived: Sept 13, 2020
at http:// Filipinoinventionsanddiscoveries.blogspot.com/2013/06/dewart-
demole-and-nowde-cancer-by-html

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