COLEGIO DE SAN JOSE

Member: Daughters of Charity - St. Louise de Marillac Educational System

E. Lopez Street, Barangay Our Lady of Fatima, Jaro, Iloilo City

HIGHER EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

MODULE 2
I Main Topic: Science, Technology and Nation Building
II Intended Learning Outcomes.
At the end of this lesson, you 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.

III Materials/Resources:

IV Overview/Introduction:
This lesson will discuss the influence of science and technology in the
development of the Philippine society. It identifies government programs,
projects, and policies geared toward boasting the science and technological
capacity of the country. We will also include discussions on Philippine Indigenous
science and technology.
V Discussion/Activities
The Brief Historical Background of Science and Technology in the Philippines
• Pre-Spanish Philippines:
- The early inhabitants of the archipelago had their own belief system
and indigenous knowledge system.
- Science was observed in the way they interpreted the movements of
heavenly bodies to predict seasons and climates, and in organizing
days into months and years.
- Scientific knowledge was observed in the way they planted their crops,
in taking care of animals, and for food production.
They used science in preparing the soil for agricultural purposes and like
any other ancient cultures.
 They developed tools for planting, hunting, cooking, and fishing; for fighting
their enemies during war or tribal conflicts.
They also developed technologies in creating musical instruments.
The Metal Age had a significant influence on the lives of early Filipinos.
Sophisticated designs of gold and silver jewelry, ceramics, and metal tools
proved that their technological ideas helped in the development of
different tools.

• Spanish Era:
- The Spaniards brought with them their own culture and practices.
- 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.
- 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 had brought additional technology and development in the
Philippines.
Filipino students who were able to study in Europe also contributed to the
advancement of medicine, engineering, arts, music, and literature in the
country.
• American Era:
- The Americans established the public education system, and
improved the engineering works and the health conditions of the
people.
- They reorganized the learning of science and introduced it in public
and private schools.
 - They established a modern research university, the University of the
Philippines.
- They created more public hospitals than the former colonial master.
- The mineral resources of the country were also explored and
exploited during the American time.
- Transportation and communication systems were improved, though
not accessible throughout the country.
- The Americans did everything to “Americanize” the Philippines.
Science education in basic education focuses on nature studies, until
it became a subject formally known as “Science”. In Higher
Education, researches were done to control malaria, cholera,
tuberculosis and other tropical diseases.’
- The desire of the Americans to develop the human resources of our
country to serve their own interest, is somehow beneficial in the
country. These allowed American scholars to introduce new
knowledge and technology.
- The Protestant church missions in different places in the country also
brought hospitals and schools to far-flung areas.
- However, World War II had 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 to bring back what was destroyed was
limited.
Since the establishment of the new republic, the whole nation had been
focusing on using its limited resources in improving its science and
technological capability.
It has explored the use of Overseas Development Allocation from different
countries to help improve its scientific productivity and technological
capability. Human resource development focuses on producing more
 engineers, scientists, technology experts, doctors and other professionals in
the country.
Influences in the development of science and technology in the Philippines
are internal (survival, culture, economic activities) and external (foreign
colonizers, trades with foreign countries, international economic
demands) .
Improving the quality of science education still remains as a big challenge in
the country.
Government Policies on Science and Technology
The Philippine government introduced and implemented several programs,
projects, and policies to boost the area of science and technology.
The goal is to prepare the whole country and its people to meet the demands
of a technologically driven world and capacitate the people to live in a world
driven by science.
The National Research Council of the Philippines (NCRP) clustered these policies
into four, namely:
1. Social Sciences, Humanities, Education, International Policies and
Governance
2. Physics, Engineering and Industrial Research, Earth and Space Sciences, and
Mathematics
3. Medical, Chemical, and Pharmaceutical Sciences
4. Biological Sciences, Agriculture, and Forestry

There are also other existing programs supported by the Philippine government
through the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).
Some of these projects are the following:
1. Providing funds for basic research and patents related to science and
technology
2. Providing scholarships for undergraduate and graduate studies of students
in the field of science and technology. The country needs to produce more
doctoral graduates and produce more research including engineering.
 3. Establishing more branches of the Philippine Science High School System
for training young Filipinos in the field of science and technology.
4. Balik Scientist Program to encourage Filipino scientists abroad to come
home and work in the Philippines
5. Developing science and technology parks in academic campuses to
encourage academe and industry partnerships
6. The establishment of the National Science Complex and National
Engineering Complex within the University of the Philippines campus in
Diliman.
The Philippine-American Academy of Science and Engineering (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;
• Establishment of science and technology business centers to assist,
advise, and incubate technopreneurship ventures; and
• Strengthen science education at an early stage through the Philippine
Science High School system.
• Special science classes were organized and special science
elementary schools were established.
• The current K to 12 education program includes Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)
• The Commission on Higher Education has launched its Philippine-California
Advanced Research Institutes (PICARI) Project to strengthen the STEM
competitiveness of the country.
• The Philippine Congress has also created various laws related to science
and technology. These laws vary 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:
• The United Nations (UN);
• United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO); and
• Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Science and technology policies ensure that the whole country will experience the
progress that science can bring.
Famous Filipinos in the Field of Science
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
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
5. Fabian Millar Dayrit – for his research on herbal medicine
6. Rafael Dineros Guerrero III – for his research on tilapia culture
7. Enrique Mapua Ostrea Jr. – for invention of the meconium drugs testing
8. Lilian Formalejo Patena – for doing research on plant biotechnology
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
 • William Padolina – chemistry and president of National
Academy of Science and Technology (NAST)–Philippines
• Angel Alcala – marine science
UP Los Banos – science paradise for agriculture, forestry, plant and animal science
and veterinary science.
UP Visayas- national center for marine science, fisheries and other related
sciences.
UP Manila – center and excellence and has produced many researchers, doctors,
health professionals and scientists in the area of medical and public health.
UP Diliman- has established a national science and engineering complex to
develop more research and produce more scientists and engineers in the country.
*Many Filipino scientists, whether they are in the country or abroad always excel
in their job. The Filipino spirit in their souls has never faded. They continue to
bring honor to the country. They make ordinary things in an extraordinary way.
They are always at par with other scientists in spite of the limited facilities we
have here in the country. They were taught and inspired by great teachers!

VI Evaluation:
1. What are the laws related to science ad technology in the Philippines from
the year 2000?
2. How are these laws implemented?
VII Sources
Books:
1. Science, Technology and Society 1stst edition (2018) Serafica, Janice
Patria J; Pawilen, Greg T; Caslib, Jr Bernardo N; Alata, Eden Joy P. Rex
Bookstore Inc. Manila
2. Environmental Science (2013) Agsalud, Priscilla et al Jimczyville
Publications Malabon City