BRIEF HISTORICAL

BACKGROUND OF SCIENCE
AND TECHNOLOGY IN THE
PHILIPPINES
• Started way back before the country
gained its independence from the
American colonizers.
• The early inhabitants had their culture
and traditions before the Spanish
colonizers come.
• Had their own belief system and
knowledge system.
 PRE-SPANISH

• Science is embedded in the way of life.

• Scientific knowledge is observed in:
• The way they plant their crops.
• Taking care of animals to help them in
their daily tasks, and for food production.
• Science is observed in the way they
interpret the movements of heavenly
bodies to predict seasons and climates,
and in organizing days into months and
years.
• Use science in preparing the soil for
agricultural purposes
• Discovered the medicinal uses of plants.
• Technology is used by people in building
houses, irrigations, and in developing tool
that they can use in everyday life.
• They developed tools for planting, hunting,
cooking, and fishing; for fighting their
enemies during war or tribal conflicts; and
transportation.
• Developed technologies in creating musical
instrument.
• Metal Age had a significant influence
on the lives of early Filipinos.
• The sophisticated designs of gold and
silver jewelry, ceramics, and metal
tools proved that their technological
ideas helped in the development of
different tools.
• 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 as indigenous
science or folk science.
 SPANISH COLONIZATION

• They brought 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 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.
• Life became modernized, adapting
some Western technology and their
ways of life.
• 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.
• Trades allowed other ideas, crops, tools, cultural
practices, technology, and Western practices to
reach the country.
• Some Filipino student studied in Europe
contributed to the advancement of medicine,
engineering, arts, music, and literature in the
country.
• The Philippines, being one of the centers of
global trade in Southeast Asia during that
time, was considered to be one of the most
developed places in the region.
• The superstitious beliefs of the people and
Catholic doctrines and practices during the
Spanish era halted the growth of science in
the country.
 AMERICAN COLONIZATION

• 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 condition of the people.
• They established a modern research
university, the University of the Philippines,
and created more public hospitals.
• They explored and exploited the mineral
resources in the country.
• Transportation and communication systems
were improved, though not accessible
throughout the country.
• The Americans did everything to
“Americanized” the Philippines.
• They recognized 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 greatly improved and
modernized.
• Researches were done to control
malaria, cholera, and tuberculosis and
other tropical diseases.
 WORLD WAR II

• World War II has destabilized the

development of the country in many
ways.
• The country had a difficult time to
rebuild itself from the ruins of the war.
• The reparation money from Japan was
concentrated on building highways and in
providing technological training and human
resource development in the country.
• It has explored the use of ODA (Overseas
Development Allocations) from other 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.
INFLUENCES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN THE
PHILIPPINES

Internal Influences
• Survival
• Culture
• Economic Activities
Development of
Science and
Technology in
the Philippines
External Influences
• Foreign Colonizers
• Trades with Foreign
Countries
• Internal Economic
Demands
TASK:

• 1. What are the significant contributions of the Spaniards

and Americans to the development of science and
technology in the Philippines?
• 2. What can you say about the state of science and
technology during the Spanish and American period?
• 3. How does school science shape science and
technology in the country.