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• Indigenous science


  Part of indigenous knowledge system, multi-dimensional processes to acquire knowledge and expertise that guide human societies in their interactions with the natural phenomenon, practices in agriculture, medicine, and strategies in coping with the changing environment
• Examples of indigenous knowledge

  • Use of herbal medicines
  • Preserving foods
  • Selecting seeds for planting
  • Building local irrigation system
  • Classifying different types of soil for planting
  • Producing wines and juices
  • Backyard farming
• Indigenous science is an important component that gave birth to the development of science and technology not just only during the ancient civilization but also to the modern age
• In 1999, United Nations Educational Scientific & Cultural Organization (UNESCO) recognized indigenous science as a historical and valuable contribution to science and technology
• Pre-colonial Philippines


  • Filipinos already invented tools, built structures, studied the medicinal uses of herbs, observed natural phenomenon to predict seasons and weather, and adopted indigenous science in domestication of plants and animals
  • Filipinos developed different means of transportation in the sea and land
  • Rice terraces built by hand by the natives of Cordillera is considered the most complicated engineering feat achieved by indigenous communities
  • Filipinos had a system of governance, education, a prosperous economy, diverse culture, and religious belief systems
• Science in pre-Spanish Philippines is embedded in the way of life of the Filipinos, technology is used in building houses, irrigations, and developing tools that they can use in everyday life
• The different archaeological artifacts discovered in different parts of the country proved that the Metal Age had a significant influence on the lives of early Filipinos
• Empowerment of Filipino Women in pre-colonial Philippines

  • Gender equality between men and women in society in terms of family hierarchy, societal placement, leadership, and professionalism
  • Women owned and inherited property, they had equal opportunities in most of the professions and skills, and they both led their territories
• Diplomatic relationships with foreign countries in pre-colonial Philippines


  • Filipinos had very good relations with foreigners, they traded with the Arabs, Indians, Japanese, Indonesians, Chinese, and Europeans
  • Filipinos had honest lifestyle, friendliness, and hospitality which greatly surprised the Chinese and improved their trade relations
• Tribal Communities in pre-colonial Philippines

  • Indigenous Filipinos composed of 134 tribal communities that existed before the coming of the modern Filipinos and 135 languages still exist till now
  • Highlanders maintained their "Igorot" (northern Philippines) and "Lumad" (mainland Mindanao) indigenous cultures
  • Lowlanders were influenced by their colonizers' culture
• Professions that existed in pre-colonial Philippines

  • Hunting
  • Fishing
  • Mining
  • Seafaring
  • Weapon making
  • Weaving
  • Textile making
  • Tin smithing
  • Creating musical instruments
  • Carpentry
• Islam was the major religion in pre-colonial Philippines, it was the oldest religion that existed and caused trade relations between the ancient Filipinos and Muslim traders to flourish
• Resistance against foreign invasion in pre-colonial Philippines

  • The tribe of Datu Lapulapu known as "Tausug" Muslims were considered the deadliest and most fearless warriors of ancient Filipinos
• Developments during the Spanish colonial period

  • Spaniards provided the Philippines the modern ways of construction of walls, roads, bridges, and infrastructures using engineering skills and tools
  • Spaniards developed health care services and established schools for boys and girls that introduced the concepts of subjects and disciplines
  • Galleon Trade brought additional technology and development to the Philippines, allowing new ideas, tools, crops, technology, and Western cultural practices to reach the country
• Developments during the American colonial period

  • Americans established the public educational system, improved the engineering works, public health hospitals to improve the health conditions of the Filipinos
  • Americans established government agencies, created the Bureau of Science to nurture developments in the field of science and technology, modernized research in the university, and established the University of the Philippines
  • Americans reorganized the learning of science and introduced it in public and private educational institutions until it became a subject formally known as "Science Subject"
• World War II brought a lot of damage to the Philippines and destabilized the development of the country in countless ways
• Developments in the post-colonial period


  • The Philippines became dependent on Overseas Development Allocation (ODA) from different countries especially the United States for assistance to help its scientific productivity and technological capability using its human resource development
  • Under different leaderships, the Philippines continued to pursue programs in science and technology, with agencies like PAGASA, NAST, and DOST being established and strengthened
• Today, the Science and Technology in the Philippines represents a wide-variety of scientific and technological advances managed by the DOST with its consulting agencies