1.2

• Science and technology in the Philippines

  Experienced periods of intense growth as well as long periods of stagnation
• National scientists in the Philippines

  • Fe del Mundo in Pediatrics
  • Eduardo Quisumbing in Plant taxonomy
  • Gavino Trono in tropical marine Phycology
  • Maria Orosa in Food technology
• Filipinos in the pre-Spanish era were already aware of the medicinal and therapeutic properties of plants and the methods of extracting medicine from herbs
• Filipinos in the pre-Spanish era already had an alphabet, number system, a weighing and measuring system, and a calendar
• Filipinos in the pre-Spanish era were engaged in farming, shipbuilding, mining, and weaving
• The Banaue Rice Terraces are among the sophisticated products of engineering by pre-Spanish era Filipinos
• The first inhabitants in the Philippines settled in Palawan and Batangas around 40,000 years ago and made simple tools or weapons of stone which eventually developed techniques for sawing, drilling, and polishing hard stone
• The primitive technology of the first inhabitants in the Philippines involved hunting wild animals, gathering fruits and vegetables in the forest
• The early Filipinos learned to extract, smelt, and refine metals like copper, gold, bronze, and iron from nature and fashion them into tools and implements
• The inhabitants of the Philippines showed a deeper understanding of nature as they obtained valuable resources from it
• The early Filipinos settled near water sources, learned to weave cotton, engaged in agriculture, and built boats for coastal trade
• Primitive Filipinos practiced science and technology in their everyday lives, living in harmony with nature and understanding how nature operates
• The Spanish introduced formal education and founded scientific institutions in the Philippines
• During the early years of Spanish rule in the Philippines, parish schools were established teaching religion, reading, writing, arithmetic, and music
• Sanitation and more advanced methods of agriculture were taught to the natives by the Spanish
• The Spanish established colleges and universities in the Philippines, including the University of Santo Tomas
• The Galleon Trade contributed to the Philippine colonial economy
• Trade was given more focus by the Spanish colonial authorities for big profits, while agriculture and industrial development were relatively neglected
• The influx of European visitors to the Spanish colony after the opening of the Suez Canal allowed some Filipinos to study in Europe, influenced by the rapid development of scientific ideals brought by the Age of Enlightenment
• Dr. Jose Rizal was a scientist, a doctor, and an engineer, epitomizing the Renaissance man in the Philippine context
• DR. JOSE RIZAL: 'Dr. Jose Rizal is the epitome of the Renaissance man in the Philippine context. He is a scientist, a doctor, an engineer (he designed and built a water system in Dapitan), a journalist, a novelist, an urban planner and a hero'
• Charity hospital became the breeding ground for scientific researches on pharmacy and medicine, with great focus on problems of infectious diseases, their causes and possible remedies
• Creation of Laboratorio Municipal de Ciudad de Manila

  1. Conduct biochemical analyses for public health

  2. Undertake specimen examinations for clinical undertaken during that time
• The exploitation of natural resources of the country through agriculture, mining of metal and mineral and establishing various kinds of industries were started during this time to further promote economic growth
• In the 19th century, Manila has become a cosmopolitan center and modern amenities were introduced to the city
• The Philippines had evolved into a primary agricultural exporting economy, largely due to the influx of foreign capital and technology which brought modernization of some sectors, notable sugarcane and hemp production
• During the American occupation, there was a rapid growth in science and technology
• The government's extensive public education system from elementary to tertiary school enabled the growth in science and technology
• Enrollment in veterinary medicine, engineering, agriculture, applied sciences, and industrial-vocational courses were dismal, leading the government to offer scholarships to attract students
• The Bureau of Science served as the primary training ground for Filipino scientists and paved the way for pioneering scientific research, especially on the study of various tropical diseases prevalent during those times like leprosy, tuberculosis, cholera, dengue fever, malaria, and beri-beri
• The Bureau of Science published the Philippine Journal of Science, which reported global scientific developments relevant to Philippine society
• The National Research Council of the Philippines was established

  December 8, 1933
• The Philippine Commission established the Bureau of Government Laboratories under the Department of Interior


  July 1, 1901
• The Bureau of Government Laboratories was replaced by the Bureau of Science


  October 26, 1905
• 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 the free trade policy with the United States, nurturing an economy geared towards agriculture and trade
• The Bureau of Science was replaced by the Institute of Science


  1946
• In a report by the US Economic Survey to the Philippines in 1950, there was a lack of basic information necessary for the country's industries and a lack of support
• Economic focus during Commonwealth Period

  • Agriculture
  • Trade
• In a report by the US Economic Survey to the Philippines in 1950