Camarines Sur Polytechnic Colleges
GE 7 - SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIETY
CHAPTER 3
Ejay F. Barcinilla, MAEDTECH
Instructor
The development of science and technology in
the Philippines has already come a long way.
Many significant inventions and discoveries have
been accomplished by or attributed to Filipinos.
Science and technology in the country represents
the wide scientific and technological advances
the Philippines has made. The main managing
agency responsible for science and technology is
the Department of Science and Technology
(DOST). The science department have consulting
agencies for Forestry, Agriculture and Aquaculture,
Metal Industry, Nuclear Research, Food and
Nutrition, Health, Meteorological, and the
Volcanology and Seismology.
Numerous national scientists have contributed in
different fields of science and technology
including Fe Del Mundo (Pediatrics), Eduardo
Quisumbing (Plant Taxonomy), Gavino Trono
(Tropical Marine Phycology), and Maria Orosa
(Food Technology).
Scientific and technological development in the Philippines began in the pre-colonial period.
Even before the Spaniards came to the Philippine islands, early Filipino settlers were already
using certain plants and herbs as medicines.
Systems of farming and animal-raising were also implemented.
Early Filipinos had also developed different modes of transportation, whether terrestrial or
maritime.
A complicated engineering feat was achieved by the natives of the Cordilleras when they
built rice terraces by hand. Through the terraces, the people were able to cultivate crops on
the mountainsides in cold temperatures. They incorporated an irrigation system that uses
water from the forests and mountain tops to achieve an elaborate farming system.
Early Filipinos had an alphabet, number system, a weighing and measuring system, and a
calendar.
Filipinos were also already engaged in shipbuilding, mining, and weaving.
A complicated engineering feat was achieved by the natives of the Cordilleras when they
built rice terraces by hand. Through these terraces, the people were able to cultivate crops on
the mountainsides in cold temperatures.
Early Filipinos also incorporated an irrigation system that uses water from the forests and
mountaintops to achieve an elaborate farming system.
Colonization by the Spaniards provided the Philippines with modern means of construction:
walls, bridges, and other large infrastructures were built using some of the engineering skills
and tools brought about by the Spaniards.
The Spanish government developed health and education systems that were enjoyed by the
principalia class.
The Spaniards also introduced formal education and founded scientific institutions. During
the early years of Spanish rules in the Philippines, parish schools were established where
religion, reading, writing, arithmetic and music were taught.
Sanitation and more advanced methods of agriculture was taught to the natives.
Later the Spanish established colleges and universities in the archipelago including the
University of Santo Tomas.
The study of medicine in the Philippines was given priority in the Spanish era, especially in the
later years.
Biology is given focus. Contributors to science in the archipelago during the 19th century were
botanists, Fr. Ignacio Mercado., Dr. Trinidad Pardo de Tavera and Dr. Leon Ma Guerrero,
chemist Anaclento del Rosario, and medicine scholars Dr. Manuel Guerrero, Dr, Jose Montes
and Dr. Elrodario Mercado.
The Galleon Trade have accounted in the Philippine colonial economy. Trade was given more
focus by the Spaniard colonial authorities due to the prospects of big profits. Agriculture and
industrial development on the other hand were relatively neglected.
The opening of the Suez Canal saw the influx of European visitors to the Spanish colony and
some Filipinos were able to study in Europe who were probably influenced by the rapid
development of scientific ideals brought by the Age of Enlightenment.
The progress of science and technology in the Philippines continued under American rule of
the islands. The American occupation modernized almost all aspects of life in the country.
On July 1, 1901, the Philippine Commission established the Bureau of Government Laboratories
which was placed under the Department of Interior. The Bureau replaced the Laboratorio
Municipal, which was established under the Spanish colonial era. The Bureau dealt with the
study of tropical diseases and laboratory projects.
On October 26, 1905, the Bureau of Government Laboratories was replaced by the Bureau of
Science and on December 8, 1933, the National Research Council of the Philippines was
established. The Bureau of Science became the primary research center of the Philippines
until World War II.
Science during the American period was inclined towards agriculture, food processing,
forestry, medicine and pharmacy. Not much focus was given on the development of
industrial technology due to free trade policy with the United States which nurtured an
economy geared towards agriculture and trade.
S&T in the Philippines advanced rapidly during the American regime: this was made possible
by the simultaneous government encouragement and support for an extensive public
education system, the granting of scholarships for higher education in science and
engineering, and the organization of science research agencies and establishment of
science-based public services.
They introduced a system of secularized public school education as soon as the civil
government was set up in the islands. Technical and medical schools were also established.
The colonial authorities adopted a coordinated policy for the promotion of higher education
in the sciences and government institutions/agencies performing technical functions.
The Philippine Commonwealth was established in 1935, ushering in a period of transition to
political independence.
The Commonwealth government took steps to promote, support, and provide assistance to
private Filipino businesspeople in establishing industries and manufacturing firms.
Prior to World War II, there was a considerable rise of skilled scientists and engineers in the
Philippines. Despite all of its efforts, the Commonwealth administration was unable to reach
its aim of economic self-sufficiency. This was largely due to the American government's
continued control over international commerce and tariff policy.
The favorable status of agricultural raw material exports was also maintained as a result of
the continuation of free trade relations. Furthermore, the Pacific War started out in 1941, and
Japanese soldiers invaded the Philippines.
During the war, the Japanese occupation in the country effectively halted educational and
scientific pursuits as able-bodied Filipinos joined the resistance struggle. Worse, during the
liberation fighting in 1944 to 1945, most people in the nation were reduced to rubble.
In general, higher education was mostly offered by the commercial sector.
In 1946 the Bureau of Science was replaced by the Institute of Science.
In a report by the US Economic Survey to the Philippines in 1950, there is a lack of basic
information which were necessities to the country’s industries, lack of support of experimental
work and minimal budget for scientific research and low salaries of scientists employed by
the government.
In 1958, during the regime of President Carlos P. Garcia, the Philippine Congress passed the
Science Act of 1958 which established the National Science Development Board.
After achieving independence from the colonizers, the Philippines under different
administrations, continued to pursue programs in the field of science and technology. Each
leadership had its own science and technology agenda.
Some Philippine presidents posted more developments in the field than others.
PRESIDENT FERDINAND MARCOS. One of the presidents who ushered in advancements in
science and technology was former president and dictator Ferdinand Marcos. Under his term,
many agencies in S&T were established and strengthened, including the Philippine
Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) in place of the
abolished Weather Bureau; the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST), and
the reconstituted National Science and Technology Authority (originally established in 1958
as the National Science and Development Board and now the Department of Science and
Technology), among others. Marcos saw that the key to nation-building is the continued
development of science and technology.
PRESIDENT CORAZON AQUINO. In 1986, under President Corazon Aquino, NSTA was renamed
Department of Science and Technology (DOST). This was done in order for the science and
technology sector to be represented in the cabinet, and thus play an integral role in the
country's sustainable economic recovery and growth. The "Science and Technology Master
Plan" penned by DOST aimed to update the production sector, improve research activities,
and develop infrastructures for the science and technology sector.
PRESIDENT FIDEL RAMOS. In 1987, during the presidency of Fidel Ramos, the Philippines had
approximately 3,000 competent scientists and engineers. The "Doctors to the Barrio Program"
made healthcare accessible even in far-flung areas. Incentives were given to people who
played significant roles in the S&T sector. The "National Program for Gifted Children in Science
and Technology" was created for high school students who wanted to major in science and
engineering in college. It was also during his term that a number of laws and statutes related
to S&T sector were mandated such as the RA 8439, RA 7687, RA 7459, and RA 8293.
PRESIDENT JOSEPH ESTRADA. The Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999 and the Electronic
Commerce Act of 2000 were both signed and mandated during the term of Estrada. He was
also responsible for implementing cost-effective irrigation technologies and providing basic
healthcare services for those who could not afford them.
PRESIDENT GLORIA MACAPAGAL ARROYO. During the administration of PGMA, the S&T sector
was developed to strengthen the education system and to address poverty. The term
Filipinnovation was coined to refer to the Philippines as an innovation hub in Asia. She also
promulgated RA 9367: Biofuels Act, to utilize indigenous materials as sources ot energy.
However, the act was not able to produce positive outcomes because of the lack of
technology to source raw materials. It was also in Arroyo's term that farmers were
encouraged to use rice that can withstand environmental hazards. RA 10601: Agriculture and
Fisheries Mechanization (AFMech) Law was also passed to modernize agricultural and
fisheries machinery and equipment.
PRESIDENT BENIGNO AQUINO III. In 2014, President Benigno Aquino III named new National
Scientists namely, Gavino C. Trono, for Marine Biology, Angel C. Alcala, for Biological Science,
Ramon C. Barba, for Horticulture, and Edgardo D. Gomez, also for Marine Biology. His
administration provided an inclusive growth and poverty reduction framework. He raised the
competitiveness of industries by improving the business environment, raising productivity
and efficiency, and inculcating quality consciousness among manufacturers and producers
to offer quality goods and services comparable to global brands. The Aquino's administration
focused on good governance and anti-corruption, human development and poverty
reduction, economic development, security, justice and peace, and climate change
adaptation/mitigation.
PRESIDENT RODRIGO DUTERTE. The S&T sector was seen to be a priority based on the budget
for research and development (R&D). The formulation of programs and polices relevant to
S&T have aided in shaping the country. The focus of DOST was to put the results of R&D into
commercialization in order to gain new intellectual properties. Besides space technology, his
administration also gave importance to agriculture and disaster preparedness.
Science and technology hold the key to the progress and development of
any nation. Science is a branch of knowledge that is concerned with the
observation and classification of facts and formulation of general truth.
Science suggests ideas and technology operationalizes them.
Science clarifies and justifies how an objective may be achieved. The "how" is translated into
practical realization and from here, technology takes over and complements science
(Williams, 1998). This therefore shows that there is a symbolic relationship between science
and technology. Science which is a systematic search for truth provides the basis for
technology. Without technology, science becomes impotent, and without science,
technology does not exist.
Science and technology have been central in the progress and development of virtually all
the nations of the world. It has contributed immensely in all sector of the economy. Science
and technology are intimately connected with development because; they have historical
record of bringing advances that have led to healthier, longer, wealthier and more
productive lives and they are key ingredients to solutions to the most serious poverty
alleviation and economic development challenges that we currently face and are likely to
ENTER NAME
face in the future. The many ways in which science and technology impact poverty
alleviation across various sectors and economic growth merit attention. Job Position
Science and technology have been central in the progress made to date in the fight against
poverty and in stimulating economic growth.
Advances in science and technology are, in many ways, the ultimate Global Public Good: once
discovered, their benefits can be extended to additional users at little or no marginal costs. In
most basic and critical areas of human need, science and technology have made possible
significant progress to date, and they hold the best prospects for continued progress, particularly
with respect to agriculture, health, energy, water, and environmental concerns.
Advances in scientific knowledge and its application have helped slow the trend of high fertility,
high mortality and led to increasingly better health for many people all over the world. Vector and
water borne diseases, AIDS, inadequate pre-natal and maternal/child create a tremendous
burden in the developing countries.
Over the past century, science and technology provided the basis for the largest ever aggregate
improvements in human health. Certain scourge diseases have been eliminated (e.g., smallpox)
while the morbidity and mortality associated with everyday health-related events like childbirth
and routine infectious disease have declines sharply. Indoor air pollution, dysentery, water-borne
disease (e.g. cholera), vectorborne disease (e.g., malaria, dengue, etc.) and AIDS account for
millions of deaths annually and are hitting hardest the countries that are least prepared and can
least afford to deal with them. Some of these issues can be addressed using current knowledge,
(e.g., dysentery) while still others require scientific breakthroughs in science and technology (e.g.,
AIDS, malaria and even Ebola).
Advances in science and technology have facilitated higher yields, greater efficiency and greater
nutritional content in the worlds food supply. Food production, however, must double in the
coming decades to meet rising demand and meet the challenges entailed in improving
resistance to drought, pests, salinity and temperature extremes, raising the nutritional content
and reducing post-harvest loss all in an environmentally and socially sustainable manner.
In the domain of food security, advances in science and technology provided the foundation for
Green Revolution, and have allowed food prices to remain at historical lows for the past decades.
Improved knowledge of plant biology and breeding techniques led to better seeds and
cultivation practices that drastically increased yields.
Rapid advances in the understanding of plant biology and related areas (especially via
genomics) hold hope for solutions to problems as varied as increased productivity, nutritional
content of food, food as a carrier of vaccines, soil/land degradation, post-harvest loss, and
drought and pest resistance.
Access to affordable energy is essential for people currently living without electricity and is a pre-
requisite for economic growth.
Further advancement and application of research is needed to find new environmentally and
socially sustainable technology that can meet the energy needs of developing countries. Other
problem, such as the needs of people who live without access to adequate fresh water, or whose
health and livelihood are endangered by environmental degradation call for development of new
technologies (along with appropriate policy frameworks) to mitigate these problems and their
effects on poor people. Timely local adoption often requires significant indigenous technological
capacity.
Modern clean, renewable energy technologies (e.g., solar, wind, modern biomass) need to be
developed further and there needs to be an increase in the efficiency and sustainability of energy
use in transportation, industry, and housing.
Water is another vital but scarce resources for which, in the absence of technological innovation,
current and projected use patterns can only lead to severe crises. Today, about, 1.3 billion people
lack access to an adequate supply of safe water and two billion people do not have access to
adequate sanitation.
Water pollution causes millions of preventable deaths each year, especially among children.
Water pollution is expected to continue to degrade freshwater and marine ecosystems, with a
significant loss of biodiversity.
The challenge is to leverage new technologies to provide an adequate supply of safe water in
urban and rural areas to all users in a growing-wealthier population: households, agriculture and
industrial sectors (e.g., inexpensive desalination).
Environmental degradation at the local, regional and global scale adversely affects the
livelihoods, health and vulnerability of poor people. Local issues include indoor and outdoor air
pollution and water pollution, regional issues include acid deposition, and global issues include
climate change, stratospheric ozone depletion, and loss of biological diversity, land degradation
and desertification. These changes in the environment can adversely affect the incomes of poor
people who depend on natural resources for their livelihood.
Environmental changes may also adversely affect human health through air and water pollution,
an increase in the exposure to vector-borne disease such as malaria and dengue, and an
increase the vulnerability of poor people to extreme weather phenomena (e.g., floods and
droughts) and sea level rise due to climate changes.
Environment degradation threatens poverty alleviation and long-term sustainable development.
The key challenge is to recognize that local, regional global environmental issues are inextricable
linked and affect sustainable development.
Science and technology are tragically important to economic opportunity and growth.
For many years policymakers have suspected a close link between economic growth and
productive investment in science and technology and now mounting evidence supports this, in
three principle ways. First, since the industrial revolution, rich (developed) countries have had the
most science and technology capacity and have grown fastest. From 1870 to the present,
scientifically and technologically-advanced countries have become increasing wealthy and their
rates of growth have not diminished as this occurred. Second, returns to rural and development
have been shown to be consistently positive and high in countries where science and technology
are properly established. In such case, there is always a correlation between innovation and
growth.
No economy has ever becomes developed with this skew in their system of education and
training for national manpower supply and/or human capital development. The utter disregard
for science and technology education as an instrument of development has caused incalculable
damage to our corporate existence.
The problems of mismanaged economy, mass unemployment, collapse of health and
educational services, insecurity, inflation, collapsed infrastructure, etc. can all be traced to the
inadequate attention paid to science and technology.
What education should be shaping is critical, analytical, and creative thinkers. Science and
technology is not just about learning already established facts and laws; it is about teaching the
scientific method and the value of concretizing solutions to certain issues or problems.
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Quezon City, Philippines: C & E Publishing, Inc.
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