A HISTORY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN THE PHILIPPINES

By
Olivia C. Caoili

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

The article "A History of Science and Technology in the Philippines" says that science is
concerned with the systematic discovery and interpretation of natural laws. Research is at
the heart of scientific activity and the result is the discovery or creation of new information.
This further information may or may not have immediate or direct application.

The term "systematic understanding of the industrial arts" is frequently used to describe
technology. Technology has developed to signify both knowledge and the ways by which it
has been put into practice, that is, "a knowledge of techniques," as this information has now
been put into effect through methodology. Modern technology, like science, necessitates
methodical investigation, but the ultimate result is more tangible: the creation of "a thing, a
chemical, a process, anything that can be purchased and sold."

Science and technology have evolved independently, primarily due to trial and error in
response to a specific human need. However, growth is inextricably linked. The
advancement of new technologies has given rise to scientific knowledge. Recent scientific
discoveries have led to the development of entirely new ones.

OBJECTIVES

The dependence of science and technology with the honesty of its political dominance and
economic independence is an essential aspect of this concern. Widening gap between
industrialized countries and developing countries in terms of scientific and technical
progress. In science and technology, the issue of dependency versus autonomy has been a
hot topic at conferences. The objective is to describe and identify the interrelated effects of
geography, colonial trade, economic and educational policy, as well as sociocultural
variables on the development of modern Philippine science and technology.

PRE-COLONIAL PERIOD

Adzes ornaments of seashells.

They were making adzes decorations of seashells and earthenware of diverse patterns by
around 3,000 B.C. Shells were used to make both tools and decorations. Personal
decorations such as earrings, anklets, bracelets, and beads are available in addition to adzes,
scoops, spoons, dippers, and other tools. These shell items were discovered at a variety of
archaeological sites around the country.

Percussion flaking and grinding were used to make shell adzes. A portion of shell was
removed from the main shell using either direct percussion flaking or bipolar percussion
flaking, which included sticking against an anvil beneath. For the final shaping and finishing
process, shell buffing against a wet abrasive surface such as sandstone or buffing against
loose wet sand applied to a hard surface was used. The most significant pieces of shell are
produced in a giant clam in two places. The hinge is one, while the ribs are the other. The
thickest pieces of shell and the largest adze come from sections cut from these places.

The giant shells were formed into large spherical beads with holes in the middle, while the
cone shells were crushed into earrings. Perforations were drilled in the center of the disc.
The bracelets and anklets were made from giant clams and cone shells. Late Neolithic shell
bracelets, constructed from the upper shoulder of the convolutions of conical clams (Conus
litteratus), are widespread. The natural spiral that runs around the shoulders of the shell
acts as a beautiful pattern.
Shells were the most common material for tools and decorations prior to the Metal Age, but
shell technology reached its pinnacle during the Neolithic Age. People who live near the
Tabon Caves in Palawan still make bracelets out of seashells. Stone tools are used to drill
and polish the shell decorations. 4,444 shells were found to be helpful in prehistoric times
when they served as an alternative material for making tools and allowed for the evolution
of prehistoric humans.

SPANISH REGIME

Conquest and colonization of the archipelago by the Spanish

The Spanish founded schools, hospitals and began scientific studies, all of which had a
significant impact on the development of the country's professions. However, the
participation of religious orders in the conquest and colonization of the archipelago and the
economic and commercial policies of the colonial government influenced the direction and
pace of scientific and technological growth.

In order to give a history of science and technology in the Philippines, one must examine the
interplay of these factors and the resulting socio-economic and political developments.

The application of essentially religious policies previously in force in Latin America

contributed significantly to the Spanish conquest and colonization of the archipelago.
Downsizing means combining Barriodörfer villages that were widely distributed into smaller,
bigger, and more compact settlements within hearing distance of church bells. This was a
necessary response to the Philippines' initial lack of Spanish missionaries. A mixture of
religious conversion and military force was used to carry out this program.

The formation of towns and the construction of the current system of local administration
were the net results of reduccion. The Spanish colonial administration accepted the pre-
colonial ruling class, the datus, and their hereditary heirs into this new structure to serve as
the heads of the lowest level of local government, the Cabezas de barangay. The colonial
authorities saw the new structure as an efficient way to establish centralized political
control over the archipelago, including the imposition and collection of the tribute tax, the
enforcement of compulsory labor services among native Filipinos, and the implementation
of the mandatory sale of local products to the government.

The Filipinos naturally opposed reduction since it moved them away from their customary
livelihoods of rice fields, streams, and woods, as well as subjecting them to the colonial
government's onerous economic demands. In many regions, the first century of Spanish
administration resulted in significant socio-economic disruption and a decrease in kin
agricultural output and traditional crafts. Filipinos from around the walled city of Manila
came to the city from their barangays to serve in the monasteries to avoid forced labor in
shipyards and forests. Over the decades, this population migration would exacerbate
congestion in Manila and its suburbs.

AMERICAN REGIME

The awarding of scholarships for scientific and engineering universities.

Science and technology grew rapidly in the Philippines during the American occupation. This
was made possible by the promotion and support of the government for a comprehensive
public education system, awarding scholarships for further study in the natural and
engineering sciences, creating scientific research organizations, and establishing science-
based public services at the same time.

Scientific subjects and industrial and vocational education were introduced into the
Philippine school system by the Philippine Commission, although industrial and vocational
courses proved unpopular with Filipinos. When the Manila Commercial Institution first
opened in 1901, it was difficult for the school to attract students to these courses. Middle-
class Filipinos, with nearly 400 years of colonial experience among Spaniards, had developed
a general aversion to manual labor and a preference for prominent professions of the time
such as clergy, law, and medicine. Education in these areas was seen as an opportunity to
make optimal use of the limited possibilities of the Spanish colonial administration and thus
grow beyond one's social level. As a result, even at the newly opened University of the
Philippines, it was challenging to get students interested in medicine, engineering, and other
practical sciences. Therefore, the government awarded scholarships to attract a sufficient
number of students to attend the courses required to fill technical positions in the public
sector.

Family servants were frequently responsible for transporting the students' books to school
when common schools were initially created in the Philippines under the American
occupation. Students showed a strong dislike for any industrial labor. This reflected their
parents' views on the goals of education and the dignity of labor. Today, however, this
aversion to industrial education is still visible, even in areas like gardening and corn
production.

When the Bureau of Public Works was established in 1901, the Americans discovered that
there were no qualified Filipino engineers, so they had to import American engineers. As a
result, there has been a deliberate push to encourage Filipinos to seek further degrees that
lead to engineering careers. In many cases, the government offered them financial
assistance to help them complete their professional education in the United States. They
were hired as junior engineers in the Office of Public Works after completing their
professional degrees. Many of them moved up the ranks quickly. The fact that in 1913 only
18 Filipino engineers were employed by the Bureau of Public Works and the rest were
Americans shows their progress. At the end of 1925, out of a total of 190 engineers, only 16
Americans and 174 Filipinos remained in the office.

COMMONWEALTH PERIOD

National Economic Council

The Commonwealth Administration sought to promote the economic self-sufficiency

necessary to maintain true political independence. It established the National Economic
Council to draft an economic plan and provide economic and financial advice to the
government.
Several government companies have been reorganized and new ones formed to deal with a
wide variety of tasks, including the exploitation and development of natural resources (for
example, the National Energy Corporation); Develop and promote local industries (for
example, the National Development Company (NDC) and its subsidiaries); And so on. The
National Abaca and Other Fibers Corporation); agricultural production and commercial
promotion; and similar activities. Successful research findings from state scientific agencies
(such as the Bureaus of Science, Animal Industry, and Plant Industry) were specifically
entrusted to the NDC.

The Commonwealth government has also taken steps to promote and support private
Filipino entrepreneurs in creating industries and manufacturing businesses. For example, it
established new organizations, such as the Bureau of Mines, to support mining exploration
and development companies. It also raised funding for the Bureaus of Science, Plant, and
Animal Industry, allowing more scientific research for industrial objectives.

INDEPENDENCE ERA

Professional groups made changes to the collegiate curriculum for their area of expertise
and sought to improve educational standards.

By restricting enrollment in medical institutions and increasing the number of courses

required to study medicine, the Philippine Medical Association (PMA) has made a vigorous
effort to improve the standards of medical education. Scholars in the profession have
questioned the applicability of a Western-style medical curriculum to Philippine
circumstances. As a result, new efforts have been developed in the field of medical
education, such as: For example, greater contact of students with community medicine and
an experimental curriculum to train doctors for areas in the countryside

In the field of engineering, the Philippine Institute of Chemical Engineers organized a series
of conferences to examine changes in the profession's curriculum. The results of these
conferences were then recommended to the Department of Education and Culture (DEC) for
formal adoption. In other areas of engineering, the government, through the Ministry of
Education, convened meetings of educators, members of professional review boards,
representatives of professional associations, and the private sector to update and adopt
uniform core curricula that all universities and colleges should follow. These events occurred
between 1973 and 1974.

Since independence in 1946, there has been minimal innovation in the education and
training of scientists and engineers. One of the reasons for this is the conservative character
of professional self-regulation. Professional associations could not understand the dynamic
link between science, technology, and society and the relevance of their experience to the
Philippine reality due to specialized training, vertical organization by discipline, and lack of
contact between professions.