LESSON 2

S C I E N C E , T E C H N O L O G Y

A N D N A T I O N - B U I L D I N G

LESSON OBJECTIVES:
At the end of this lesson, the students should be able to:
discuss the role of science and technology in Philippine nation-
building
evaluate government policies pertaining to science and
technology in terms of their contributions to nation-building; and
identify actual science and technology policies of the government
and appraise their impact on the development of the Filipino
nation.
 Brief Historical Background of Science and

Technology in the Philippines

The history of science and technology

in the Philippines started way back
before the country gained
independence from the American
colonizers.
Before the coming of the Spanish
colonizers, the early inhabitants of
the archipelago had their own
culture and traditions.
Science, in pre-Spanish Philippines, is
embedded in the way of life of the
people.
 Technology is used by people in building houses,
irrigations, and in developing tools that they can use
in everyday life.
The different archeological artifacts discovered in
different parts of the country also prove that the
Metal Age also had a significant influence on the lives
of early Filipinos.

Also, trading with China, Indonesia, Japan, and

other nearby countries have influenced their
lives by providing different opportunities for
cultural and technological exchange.
All these ancient practices in science and
technology are considered now as indigenous
science or folk science.
 When the Spaniards colonized the country, they established schools for boys and
girls and introduced the concept of subjects and disciplines. It was the beginning of
formal science and technology in the country, known now as school of science and
technology. Learning of science in school focuses on understanding different
concepts related to the human body, plants, animals, and heavenly bodies.
Technology focuses on using and developing house tools used in everyday life. The
Filipinos developed ways to replicate the technology brought by the Spaniards using
indigenous materials. Medicine and advanced science were introduced in formal
colleges and universities established by the Catholic orders.
 The galleon trade has brought additional technology and development in the
Philippines. Some Filipino students who were able to study in Europe also
contributed to the advancement of medicine, engineering, arts, music, and
literature in the country. Although the country is blessed with these developments,
the superstitious beliefs of the people and the Catholic doctrines, and practices
during the Spanish era halted the growth of science in the country.
 The Americans have more influence in the development of science and
technology in the Philippines compared to the Spaniards. They established
the public education system, improved the engineering works and the health
conditions of the people. They established a modern research university, the
University of the Philippines, and created more public hospitals. The mineral
resources of the country were also explored and exploited, transportation
and communication systems were improved, though not accessible
throughout the country.

The Americans did everything to

"Americanize" the Philippines by
reorganizing the learning of science and
introduced it in public and private schools.
 In basic education, science education focuses on nature studies and science
and sanitation, until it became a subject formally known as "Science." The
teaching of science in higher education has also greatly improved and
modernized. Researches were done to control malaria, cholera, and tuberculosis
and other tropical diseases.
The desire of the Americans to develop the human resources of the
Philippines to serve their own interests is, somehow, beneficial in the country.
These allowed American scholars to introduce new knowledge and technology in
the country. The Protestant church missions in different places in the country also
brought hospitals and schools to far-flung areas.
Little by little, these efforts built a stronger foundation for science and
technology in the country. However, World War II has destabilized the
development of the country in many ways. Institutions and public facilities were
turned into ashes, houses were burned, and many lives were destroyed. The
country had a difficult time to rebuild itself from the ruins of the war.
 The human spirit to survive and to rebuild the country may be strong but
the capacity of the country to bring back what was destroyed was limited. The
reparation funds focused on building some institutions and public facilities like
schools, hospitals, and transportation systems. The reparation money from
Japan was also concentrated on building highways and in providing
technological training and human resource development in the country.
Since the establishment of the new republic, the whole nation has been
focusing on using its limited resources in improving its science and
technological capability. It has explored the use of ODA or Overseas
Development Allocations from different countries to help the country improve
its scientific productivity and technological capability.
Human resource development is at the heart of these efforts focusing on
producing more engineers, scientists, technology experts, doctors, and other
professionals in the country. The development of science and technology in the
Philippines, based on its brief history, is shaped by several factors and
influences. Like in the history of science in other countries, it is always shaped
by human and social activities, both internal and external.
"INFLUENCES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF SCIENCE
INTERNAL INFLUENCES
AND TECHNOLOGY IN THE PHILIPPINES" SURVIVAL
CULTURE
ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES
DEVELOPMENT OF

SCIENCE AND

TECHNOLOGY IN

EXTERNAL INFLUENCES THE PHILIPPINES

FOREIGN COLONIZERS
TRADES WITH FOREIGN
COUNTRIES
INTERNATIONAL
FIGURE 3:

ECONOMIC DEMANDS
 GOVERNMENT POLICIES ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

The Philippine government introduced and implemented

several programs, projects, and policies, and policies to
boost the area of science and technology.

Padilla-Concepcion (2015) reported that in 2015, in response

to the ASEAN 2015 Agenda, the government, particularly the
DOST, has sought the expertise of the NCRP to consult
various sectors in the society to study how the Philippines
can prepare in meeting the ASEAN 2015 Goals.
THE NCRP CLUSTERED THESE

POLICIES INTO FOUR, NAMELY:

1. Social Sciences, Humanities, Education,

International Policies and Governance.

Integrating ASEAN awareness in basic education

without adding to the curriculum.

Emphasizing teaching in the mother tongue.
Developing school infrastracture and providing for

ICT broadband.
Local Food Security.
THE NCRP CLUSTERED THESE

POLICIES INTO FOUR, NAMELY:

2. Physics, Engineering and Industrial Research,

Earth and Space Sciences, and Mathematics

Emphasizing degrees, licenses, and employment

opportunities.
Outright grants for peer monitoring.
Review of R.A 9184
Harnessing science and technology as independent

mover development.
THE NCRP CLUSTERED THESE

POLICIES INTO FOUR, NAMELY:

3. Medical, Chemical, and Pharmaceutical Sciences

4. Biological Sciences, Agriculture, and Forestry
Protecting and conserving biodiversity by full

implementation of existing laws

Use of biosafety and standard model by ASEAN

countries.
Promoting indigenous knowledge systems and

indigenous people’s conservation.

Formulation of common food and safety standards.
THERE ARE ALSO OTHER EXISTING PROGRAMS
SUPPORTED BY THE PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT
THROUGH DOST.

PROVIDING FUNDS FOR BASIC

RESEARCH AND PATENTS RELATED
TO SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY.

PROVIDING SCHOLARSHIPS FOR

UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE
STUDIES OF STUDENTS IN THE
FIELD OF SCIENCE AND
TECHNOLOGY.
(PAASE, 2008) IDENTIFIED SEVERAL

CAPACITY-BUILDING PROGRAMS

SUCH AS:

Establishment of national centers of excellence

Manpower and institutional development programs, such as the Engineering and
Science Education Program (ESEP) to produce more PhD graduates in science and
engineering
Establishment of regional centers to support specific industries that will lead the
country in different research and development areas
Establishment of science and technology business centers to assist, advise, and
incubate technopreneur ship ventures
Strengthen science education at an early stage through the Philippines Science High
School system
 Special science classes were organized and special science
elementary schools were established in different regions. The
current K to 12 education program included Science,
Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) as one
of its major tracks in the senior high school program to
encourage more students to enroll in science-related fields in
college.
Lately, the Commission on Higher Education launched
its Philippine-California Advanced Research Institutes
(PICARI) Project to allow several higher education
institutions in the Philippines and some US-based
laboratories, research institutes, and universities to work on
research and projects related to science, agriculture,
engineering, health, and technology.
 There are many other areas and fields that the country is looking
forward to embark various research and projects.
The following are some of them:
1. Use of alternative and safe energy
2. Harnessing mineral resources
3. Finding cure for various diseases and illness
4. Climate change and global warming
5. Increasing food production
6. Preservation of natural resources
7. Coping with natural disasters and calamities
8. Infrastructure development
 The Philippine Congress has also created various laws related to
science and technology. These laws very according to different themes
such as: conservation, health-related, technology-building, and
supporting basic research, among others. Some laws and policies are
in line with international treaties such as United Nations (UN), United
Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO),
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and other
international agencies.
FIGURE 4: DEVELOPMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN THE PHILIPPINES

National Goals

International Treaty SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Policies
Programs
Legal Frameworks Projects

Social Needs, Issues, and

Problems
FAMOUS FILIPINOS

IN THE FIELD OF

SCIENCE

School science is filled with names of foreign scientists:

Einstein, Galileo Galilei, Newton, Faraday, Darwin, and many other
Western scientists. We rarely hear of Filipino scientists being
discussed in science classes. Lee-Chua (2000) identified 10
outstanding Filipino scientists who have made significant
contributions in Philippine science. These scientists are also
famous abroad especially in different science disciplines:
agriculture, mathematics, physics, medicine, marine science,
chemistry, engineering, and biology.
 THESE FILIPINO SCIENTISTS ARE:

1. Ramon Cabanos Barba for his

outstanding research on tissue
culture in Philippine mangoes

2. Josefino Cacas Comiso for his

works on observing the
characteristics of Antarctica by
using satellite images
 THESE FILIPINO SCIENTISTS ARE:

3. Jose Bejar Cruz Jr. - known

internationally in the field of
electrical engineering; was elected
as officer of the famous Institute
of Electrical and Electronic
Engineering

4. Lourdes Jansuy Cruz - notable

for her research on sea snail
venom
 THESE FILIPINO SCIENTISTS ARE:

5. Fabian Millar Dayrit - for his

research on herbal medicine

6. Rafael Dineros Guerrero III -

for his research on tilapia
culture
 THESE FILIPINO SCIENTISTS ARE:

7. Enrique Mapua Ostrea Jr. for

inventing the meconium drugs
testing

8. Lilian Formalejo Patena for

doing research on plant
biotechnology
 THESE FILIPINO SCIENTISTS ARE:

9. Mari-Jo Panganiban Ruiz - for

being an outstanding educator and
graph theorist

10. Gregory. Ligot Tangonan - for

his research in the field of
communications technology
 THERE ARE OTHER OUTSTANDING FILIPINO
SCIENTISTS WHO ARE RECOGNIZED HERE AND
ABROAD FOR THEIR OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTIONS
IN SCIENCE:

· Caesar A. Saloma – an
internationally renowned
physicist

· Edgardo Gomez – famous

scientist in marine science
 THERE ARE OTHER OUTSTANDING FILIPINO
SCIENTISTS WHO ARE RECOGNIZED HERE AND
ABROAD FOR THEIR OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTIONS
IN SCIENCE:

· William Padolina – chemistry and

president of National Academy of
Science and Technology (NAST) –
Philippines

· Angel Alcala – marine science

SUMMARY

This lesson discussed the influence of

science and technology in the development of
the Philippines as a country. Even before the
time of Spanish colonization in the
Philippines, various people and communities
already practiced science.
Through the years, many Filipino were able to
establish themselves as scientists and science
educators in various scientific areas and
fields.