Unit 4:

Science and
Technology and
Nation Building
Unit 4: S&T and Nation Building

This unit discusses:

1. the history of Philippine S&T
2. how it affected the society and the physical
environment through the years
3. S&T roles in nation building.
 Intended Learning Outcomes:

At the end of this Unit, students are expected to

demonstrate the following:

1. Recall the history of Philippine S&T

2. Discuss how developments in Philippine S&T
affect society and the physical environment
3. Relate how Filipino philosophical point of
views affect the development of S&T
4. Relate S&T roles in nation building
 Diagnostics: Learning Checkpoint
Instruction: Search and identify a major contribution of each of
the following scientist:
1. Anacleto Del Rosario
2. Francisco Quisumbing
3. Gregorio Zara
4. Julian Banzon
5. Manuel Guerrero
6. Ignacio Mercado
7. Trinidad Pardo de Tavera
8. Maria Orosa
9. Agapito Flores
10. Juan Salcedo, Jr.
 Discussion
• herbal medicines
• Business: use of the
alphabet, numbers,
weighing and measurement
systems, and calendar
• Farming, building of ships,
mining minerals and
weaving for clothing were
Usage of herbs – Pre-Spanish era the first skills developed by
www.spot.ph Filipinos for livelihood
• a superb architectural
design like the Banaue rice
terraces
Banaue rice terraces
www.worldatlas.com
 Discussion
• formal education and creation of
scientific organizations
• schools were mandated to teach
religion, mathematics, reading
and writing, and music and arts
• Health and sanitation were also
taught to locals.
University of Santo Tomas
• innovative approaches on farming www.rappler.com
• medicine and biology were given
focused
• focused on engineering:
construction of buildings,
churches, bridges, roads and forts
• trade was prioritized due to
possible bigger profits Religion was taught
thefirst.website
 Discussion
• the former Laboratorio Municipal was
replaced by the Bureau of Government
Laboratories under the Department of
Interior
• The Bureau was established for the
purpose of studying tropical diseases
and other related research projects
• In 1905, the Bureau was changed to
the Bureau of Science, which became Bureau of Science
the main research center of the www.pinterest.com
Philippines
• In 1933, the National Research Council
of the Philippines was established
• focused on agriculture, medicine and
Medicine
pharmacy, food processing and forestry
histclo.com
• In 1946 the Bureau of Science was
substituted by the Institute of Science
 Discussion
• President Ferdinand Marcos mandated
Department of Education to do a
promotion of science courses in public
high schools
• budget for research projects in applied
sciences and science education
• fund for private universities and colleges
for the creation of courses related to S&T Department of Science and
and to promote research Technology (DOST)
• 35-hectare lot in Bicutan, Taguig, Rizal commons.wikimedia.org
was proclaimed in 1968 as the Philippine
Science Community (now DOST site)
• Seminars, workshops, training programs
and scholarships on fisheries and
oceanography were sponsored by the
government
 Discussion
• Philippine Coconut Research, Philippine
Textile Research Institute, Philippine
Atomic Energy Commission, National
Grains Authority, Philippine Council for
Agricultural Research, PAGASA,
Philippine National Oil Company, Plant
Breeding Institute, International Rice
Research Institute, Bureau of Plant
Industry, Bureau of Forest Products, Research on coconut
National Committee on Geological agriculture.com.ph
Sciences, National Science
Development Board, and National
Science and Technology Authority
• National Academy of Science and
Technology (NAST)
• Mindanao and Visayas campuses of the
Philippine Science High School were NAST
built and operated. nast.ph
 Discussion
• In 1986, President Corazon Aquino
replaced the National Science and
Technology Authority to
the Department of Science and
Technology (DOST) for S&T to be
represented in the cabinet
• S&T to have part on sustainable
economic recovery and growth
• created S&T Master Plan aimed to
update the production sector,
improve research activities, and
develop infrastructure used for S&T.
• The R&D Plan determined research
areas of priority based on local
Former Pres. Corazon C. Aquino materials, likelihood of success,
philnews.ph potential of product to be exported,
and its tactical nature.
 Discussion
• In 1998, during the presidency of Fidel V.
Ramos, the Philippines had approximately
3,000 competent scientists and engineers.
• The "Doctors to the Barrio Program”
brought an improvement of life expectancy
from 67.5 years to 69.1 years between
1992 to 1995.
• Incentives were given to people who
played significant role in S&T.
• National Program for Gifted Filipino
Children in S&T
• Republic Act (RA) No. 8439: Magna Carta
for S&T Personnel; RA No. 7687: S&T en.wikipedia.org
Scholarship Law of 1994; RA No. 7459:
Inventors and Inventions Incentives Act;
and RA No. 8293: The Intellectual
Property Code of the Philippines.
 Discussion
• RA No. 8749: The Philippine
Clean Air Act of 1999 and RA No.
8792: Electronic Commerce Act
of 2000 were both signed and
mandated during the term of
President Joseph E. Estrada
• He was also responsible in
implementing cost-effective
pesoreserve.com irrigation technologies,
distribution of basic health care,
nutrition, and education for those
who were willing but could not
afford.
Modernization of the • He also laid down a 15-year
Philippine Armed modernization program of
Forces by Pres. the Armed Forces of the
Joseph E. Estrada Philippines.
pt.wikipedia.org
 Discussion
• During the administration of Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo, Science, Technology
and Innovations (STI) was developed to
strengthen the educational system and to
help the poor.
• "Filipinnovation" was coined that aimed to
make the Philippines an innovation hub in
Asia.
• RA No. 9367: "Biofuels" Act to utilize
indigenous materials as source of energy
while having cleaner emissions
• use drought-free rice, rice that can "Filipinnovation"
withstand environmental hazards koronadalcitynews.blogspot.com
• RA No. 10601: Agriculture and Fisheries
Sector through Mechanization (AFMech)
was also passed that aimed to modernize
agricultural and fisheries machinery and
equipment
 Discussion
In 2014, President Benigno Aquino,
Jr. conferred new National Scientists:
• Gavino C. Trono, who studied
seaweed species
• Angel C. Alcala, who pioneered
Gavino C. Trono Angel C. Alcala on coral reefs
archimedesheatray.blogspot.com en.wikipedia.org • Ramon C. Barba, who changed
the seasonal supply of
mangoes
• Edgardo D. Gomez, who
spearheaded the assessment of
damaged coral reefs and their
conservation
Ramon C. Barba Edgardo D. Gomez
en.wikipedia.org ovpaa.up.edu.ph
 
 Discussion
• President Rodrigo R. Duterte: S&T
budget for R&D grew by nearly six
times over the same period of time
• Formulation of programs and policies
that will aid in shaping the country
• “Science for the People”
• DOST to help transfer technology and
to put R&D results into
commercialization gaining 1,000 new
intellectual properties in only a year
• Philippine Space Technology Program Philippine 1st satellite: Diwata-1
launching Diwata-2 in 2018, after the news.abs-cbn.com
launching of Diwata-1 that put our flag
in space.
• S&T on agriculture and disaster
preparedness
 Discussion

• Philippine S&T effects on society and the physical environment and vice versa
• S&T has numerous positive contributions to society and the physical environment. Agriculture
being the number one source of our food needs to be mechanized so as to cope with the
rapidly and exponentially growing population. Water pumps and sprinkler cope with the
damaging heat cause by the changing climate and weather. S&T has also made it possible to
produce genetically modified crops, which grow faster and are more resistant to pests and
diseases. Fertilizers needed by the crops to increase nutrients in the soil, enhance the growth
of the crops and produce high-quality yields are developed thru S&T. S&T has improved
transportation by road, by air, by water and even by space for the benefits of society for
comforts and business for profit. S&T has made communication even better to transfer
information or voice out their concerns or reach each other or to grow and improve customer
services among societies and among institutions thru radios, televisions, internet, and social
media. S&T has enhanced the learning process and eventually good quality education can
help boost our economy. Learning management systems have been used in education
nowadays like computers, mobile phones, tablets, projectors, and internet.  Visual learning
and on line learning have become popular for even difficult subjects like mathematics,
physics, biology, geography, economics and others.
• No matter how numerous positive impacts S&T has given individuals like us and the society
as a whole, there will always be accompanying adverse impacts it brings to us. One is
resource depletion. The increasing number of new and advanced technologies brings about
higher depletion of earth’s natural resources, plus increasing wastes generated and emitted
as these technologies are manufactured, and eventually when the products are disposed.
S&T has also increased our population. Advanced birth control methods may help balance
population and the resources but only in developed countries. In developing countries, there
is no control on birth rate, mortality rate is high, resources like food are scarce and health and
sanitation are also poor.
• The behavior of society also affect the growth of S&T and eventually may either increase or
decrease the S&T impacts to us in return. In order to contribute to the development of the
Philippines, Filipinos must attain certain level of scientific literacy since science is linked to
technology and industrialization. Filipinos are having difficulty attaining this literacy due to
lack of science culture, deficiencies or congested curriculum, poor teaching learning process,
lack of instructional materials and teacher training, lack of textbooks, and lack of laboratories.
The introduction of K to 12, a 12-year program for learning under basic education and is
accepted globally, may help bridge the gap. Government has continuously prioritize
education in their national budget. Issues and concerns about S&T focus on lack of funding in
research and development (R&D), lack trained and skilled R&D manpower, institutional gaps,
and lack and failure or policies and regulations. Projects most of the time have no focus due
to differences in interests of the proponents and funding institutions. Unlike in other countries,
there is no mechanism for possible collaboration with industries. Individuals who are member
of the society, the government and the private sectors thus, need to continuously look for the
public good.
S&T effects on society and the environment and
vice versa
• Mechanized agriculture
• Water pumps and sprinkler cope with the
damaging heat cause by the changing climate
and weather.
• Production of GMO crops which grow faster
and are more resistant to pests and diseases.
• Fertilizers needed by the crops to increase
nutrients in the soil, enhance the growth of the Mechanized farming
crops and produce high-quality yields
lusakastar.com
• Improved transportation by road, by air, by
water and even by space
• Better communication thru radios, televisions,
internet, and social media.
• S&T has enhanced the learning process and
quality education
• Visual learning and on line learning On-line learning
www.teachingonline.net
S&T effects on society and the environment and
vice versa
• Resource depletion
• Increasing wastes generated and
emitted as these technologies are
manufactured, and eventually when the
products are disposed
• S&T has also increased our population.
• Advanced birth control methods Resource depletion and pollution
may help balance population and news.mb.com.ph
the resources but only in developed
countries.
• In developing countries, there is no
control on birth rate, mortality rate is
high, resources like food are scarce
and health and sanitation are also
poor. Poor sanitation
www.wpro.who.int
Filipino philosophical point of views
•  Gripaldo (2007) believed that Philosophy needs:
• clarification of meaning for intrinsic good
• application so as to get its extrinsic good or the introduction of a
concrete solution to an identified problem
• coincides with Aristotelian fashion, both epistemic (basic concepts
of natural sciences) and phronetic (aspects of philosophy).
• S&T is a means to address public good
• benefiting both individually and socially the largest number of the
local or national population
• consideration of individual interests build unity and subsidiarity,
which is working together for the common good
• government must exercise utilitarian perspective that a
development project or a government service like education, public
health, transportations, infrastructure, military defense and other
social services must promote common welfare of the population
Filipino philosophical point of views

•  The idea of the public good must be balanced

between its ideal (economic) logic and its practical
(ethical) logic.
• applying the Aristotelian concept that is an individual
seeks not only his personal needs or wants but also
those of others in order to survive
• The government should be on top of ensuring public
good with rational perspective.
• Private groups or civil societies may pursue a public
good through their own initiative even if the
government cannot support them financially so as to
promote welfare of everybody, be it on community,
institutional, or national level.
Filipino philosophical point of views

• Filipinos must attain certain level of scientific literacy

since science is linked to technology and
industrialization
• Filipinos are having difficulty attaining this literacy due
to:
• lack of science culture, deficiencies or congested
curriculum, poor teaching learning process, lack of
instructional materials and teacher training, lack of
textbooks, and lack of laboratories
• The introduction of K to 12 may help bridge the gap.
• Government has continuously prioritize education in
their national budget.
Filipino philosophical point of views

• Issues and concerns about S&T focus on:

• lack of funding in research and development (R&D),
lack trained and skilled R&D manpower, institutional
gaps, and lack and failure of policies and
regulations.
• Projects most of the time have no focus due to
differences in interests of the proponents and funding
institutions.
• No mechanism for possible collaboration with
industries.
• Individuals who are member of the society, the
government and the private sectors thus, need to
continuously look for the public good.
 Activity 1
Unit 4. Exercise 1.0. Philippine S&T Innovation
Instructions: Choose among the following Filipino scientists and
inventors
Paulo Campos Baldomero Olivera Raymundo Punongbayan
Angel Alcala Dioscoro Umali Gavino Tronio
Ricardo Sigua Diosdado Banatao Proceso Alcala
Maria Ligaya Braganza Ame Garong
Alfredo Galang and Benito Lumen

Create a trump card (A4 size) showing the profession of the

scientist/inventor, his specialization and his most significant
contribution. Be ready to discuss the trump card and its content in
the classroom.
 Activity 2
Unit 4. Exercise 2.0. The Impacts of Philippine S&T
Innovation
Instructions:
Using the same subject in your trump card, discuss
using a powerpoint presentation:
• the significance of the invention to society
• how the invention affects the physical environment
Meta-Cognitive Reading Report
Assignment 1. Meta-Cognitive Reading Report
Readings:

• Caoli, Olivia. “A History of Science and Technology of the

Philippines,” in Analysis of Conditions for National Scientific
and Technological Self-Reliance: The Philippine Situation,
Quezon City: University of the Philippines, 1986.
• Dayrit, Fabian. “Sustainable Development: An Evolving
Paradigm for the 21st Century,” in Stellar Origins, Human
Ways: Readings in Science, Technology, and Society, ed. Ma.
Assunta Cuyegkeng, Quezon City: Ateneo de Manila
University Press, 2011.
• Gripaldo, Rolando M. (2007). The concept of the public good:
a view from a Filipino philosopher