ADA R.

RAMO

BEED-1A

HISTORY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN THE PHILIPPINES

Nowadays, in a new generation technologies are more important to acquire and
learned. Science and technology for our country has generally been recognized as one of the
imperatives of socio economic progress in the contemporary world. Among third world
countries, an important dimension of this concern is the problem of dependence in science and
technology as this closely tied up with the integrity of their political sovereignty an economic
self-reliance. The information about pre-colonial science and technology, the development
during Spanish, American and commonwealth regime are one of the important things to know on
how science and technology has become widespread concern of governments especially since the
post-world war II years.
According from the reliable written information about society, culture and technology
before the arrival of the Spanish in 1521.Pre-colonial science and technology, Archaeological
findings indicate that modern men (homo sapiens) from the Asian mainland first come over-land
and across narrow channels to live in Palawan and Batangas around 50,000 years ago. For about
40,000 years, they made simple tools or weapon of stone flakes but eventually developed
techniques for sawing, drilling and polishing hard stones. By about 3,000 BC in pre-colonial they
producing adzes ornaments of seashells and pottery of various designs. Pottery flourished and
developed for about 2000 years until it came into competition with imported Chinese porcelain.
When time is over pottery will declined, and only has survived is the lowest level of manufacture
of ordinary pot among several local communities. By the tenth century A.D, Chinese records
which have now been translated contain a lot of references to the Philippines, the most frequently
cited Chinese account in Philippines history textbook is that of Chao Ju-Kua in 1225. He
described the communities and trading activities in the islands of Ma-i (Mindoro) and San-hsu
(literally three islands which present day historians think refer to the group of Palawan and
Calamian Islands.). The Filipinos in Mindanao and Sulu traded with Burneo, Malacca and parts
of the Malay Peninsula. This trade seems to have antedated those with the china. 1565 Spaniard
time came to colonies the Philippines, they found many scattered, autonomous village
communities (called barangays) all over the Archipelago. These communities is exhibited
uneven technological development. Settlement along the coastal areas which had been exposed
to foreign trade in cultural contacts such as manila, Mindoro, Cebu, Southern Mindanao and
Sulu, seem to have attained more sophisticated technology. These reports indicate that the
Filipinos in Manila had learned to make and use modern artillery. The Spanish colonizers noted
that all over the island, Filipino were growing rice, vegetables and cotton, raising wine, goats and
fawls; making wine, vinegar and salts; weaving clothes and producing beeswax and honey. On
the whole pre-colonial Filipinos were still highly superstitious.
 Beginning of modern science and technology in the Philippines can be traced during the
Spanish regime. Spaniards established Schools, hospitals and started scientific research and other
important consequences for the rise of the country’s profession. Primary instruction during the
Spanish regime was generally taken care of by the missionaries and parish priests in the villages
and towns. The Dominicans had the Colegio de san Juan de Letran (1640) in Manila. Access to
these Schools was, however, limited to the elite of the colonial society the European born and
local Spaniards, The Mesticos and a few native Filipinos. On the whole, however, higher
education was pursued for the priesthood or for clerical positions in the colonial administration.
It was only during the latter part of the nineteeth century that technical /vocational Schools were
established by the Spaniards. Throughout the Spanish regime, the royal and pontifical University
of Santo Tomas remained as the highest institution of learning. Run by Dominicans, it was
established as a college in 1611 by Fray Miguel de Benavides. In 1876, the university granted the
bachelor’s degree in pharmacy to its first six graduates in the school of pharmacy. Among them
was Leo Ma. Guerrero, who is usually referred as the “father of Philippine Pharmacy” because of
his extensive work on the medicinal plants of the Philippines and their uses. 164 the total number
of graduates in pharmacy during Spanish period. In 1887, the Manila school of Agriculture was
created by royal decree but it was able to open only in July 1889. Agricultural station were also
established in Isabela, Ilocos, Albay, Cebu, Iloilo, Leyte and parts of Mindanao. The School was
finance by the government but it appears that its direction was also left to the priests. The attitude
of the Spanish friars towards the study of the science and medicine was even more discouraging.
As one Rector of the University of Santo Tomas in the 1960s said; “Medicine and the natural
sciences are materialistic and impious studies”. Sir John Bowring, the British governor of
Hongkong who made an official visit to the Philippines in the 1850s wrote. In the University of
Santo Tomas no attention is given to the natural sciences nor have any of the educational reforms
which have penetrated most of the Colleges of Europe and America found their way to the
Philippines. These included Jose Rizal who was able to pursue studies in Medicine and
specialize in ophthalmology in Spain and Germany; Graciano who studies in Madrid; Antonio
Luna who obtained his PH.D.in pharmacy in Madrid and later worked with renowned scientist in
Ghent and Paris; Jose Alejandro who took up engineering in Belgium and others. It was this
group of students which set up the propaganda movement in Europe that eventually led to the
Philippine revolution against Spain. Science and Technology during the first republic 1898-1900
Government took steps to establish a secular educational system by a decree of 19 October 1898
was created the Universidad Literaria de Filipinas as a secular, state-supported institutions of
higher learning.
Science and Technology in the Philippines advanced rapidly during American regime. This
was made possible by the simultaneous government encouragement and support fir extensive
public education system, the granting of scholarship for higher education in science and
engineering, the organization of science research agencies and establishment of science-based
public services. In 1916, the school forestry and conservatory of music were established and in
1918 the college of Education was opened. Before 1910, the American colonial government
encouraged young men and women to get higher professional education as much as possible in
American colleges. The Philippine commission introduced science subjects and industrial and
vocational education into the Philippine school system but they found that industrial and
vocational education courses were very unpopular with the Filipinos. When the Bureau of public
works was created in 1901, the American engineers had to be imported. As a consequence a
special effort was made to attract Filipinos to pursue advanced studies leading to careers as
engineer. During the American regime, the development of science gained more government
support along with efforts to establish an old extensive public school system and public health
programs. Aside from working for the promotion of scientific research, the NRCP actively
participated in the deliberations and drafting of provisions affecting science and industry in the
1934 constitutional convention.
In 1935, the Philippine Commonwealth was inaugurated and ushered in a period of
transition to political independence. The Commonwealth government worked towards the
development of economic self-reliance which would be necessary to sustain genuine political
independence. It created the National Economic Council to prepare an economic program and
advise the government on economic and financial questions. Higher education was provided
mainly by the private sector. By 1936, there were 425 private schools recognized by the
government, 64 of which we institutions at the college level and 7 were universities. The
commonwealth government likewise adopted measures to encourage and provide assistance to
private Filipino businessmen in the establishment of industries and manufacturing enterprise.
The occupation Philippine by the Japanese during the war brought educational and scientific
activities practically to halt as able bodied citizens joined the resistance movement. Science and
technology since independence has basically remain unchanged and the state universities and
colleges has been increasing since in 1946. The growth of there is not been based on a rational
plan. The rise of professional organizations of scientist and engineers followed closely the
growth of higher education in the Philippines. On the whole, there has been little innovation in
the education and training of scientist and engineers since independence in 1946. In 1960s
additional science agencies were created by the law which thereby expanded NSDB’s
organization and function. Which is the Philippine inventors commission (1964, Philippine
Coconut research institute (1964), and forest products research and industries development
commission (1969). In March 1983, executive order NO. 889 was issued by the president which
provided the establishment of a national network of excellence in basic sciences.
The development of science and technology has been greatly influence the development
of our country because of some learning that we noticed before. We cannot wider our ideas
without the experience of colony of Spain and the United States. Critically government re-
examined the interrelation between past and presents education in the Philippines, to be able
redirect these toward from the goal of attaining self-reliance economy and society.