Historical Background of Science and Technology in the Philippines –

Colonial Period

Objectives:
 To learn the Colonial Period in the Philippines.
 To learn how the Spanish contributed to the Science and Technology
Development in the Philippines.
.

Introduction

Colonization is the act of building an

extended territory by subjugating a one
nation, exploiting their natural resources
and conquering its population while forcing
them to adopt the colonists' own language,
traditions and cultural norms. Colonization
is also defined as “control by one power
over a dependent area or people.”

Generally, the concept of Colonization is closely related to imperialism, which is the

principle of being a sovereign state using authority and influence to dominate
another nation including its people.
 History of Colonization

In ancient times, Colonization

was already costumed by the realms
such as Ancient Greece, Ancient
Rome, Ancient Egypt, and Phoenicia.
For about 1550 B.C and beyond, these
civilizations all augmented their bounds
into surrounding and non-contiguous
areas in order to intensify their power by
constructing colonies from the nation of
the people they had conquered.

Benefits and Harms of Colonization

Colonial governments subsidized the development of infrastructure and trade. They

dispersed medical and technological knowledge that helped to improve the nation’s health and
care system. Moreover, they stimulated education, induced the democratic institutions and
codified the political system. However, Colonization as well greatly caused struggles and
conflicts. They influence environmental degradation, extensive economic mutability, the ingress
of new diseases and especially the loss of native’s culture and identity.

The Colonial Period in the Philippines

It was asserted that the first colonial era of the

Philippines began when explorer Ferdinand Magellan
accidentally came to the islands in 1521 and claimed it
as a colony for the Spanish Empire. Ferdinand
Magellan, is a Portuguese in the service of the Spanish
crown, he was looking forward to a westward route to
the Spice Islands of Indonesia, but on March 16,1521,
Magellan’s expedition landed on Homonhon islands in
the Philippines.
 The colonization of the Philippine Islands was not successful on the first attempt. However,
when Philip II succeeded the throne in 1556, he instructed Luis de Velasco, the viceroy of Mexico,
to prepare a new expedition, to be headed by Miguel Lopez de Legazpi. On February 13, 1565,
Legaspi’s expedition landed in Cebu island. After a short struggle with the natives, he proceeded to
Leyte, then to Camiguin and to Bohol. That is when the Philippine colonial history continues. The
Philippines has a long colonial history that lasted from the 16th to the 20th centuries (1565 up to 1946).
The Philippines was colonized by Spain for 333 years before being handed over to the United States
in 1898.

The Philippines' history of colonization

contributed to the community's cultural bereavement
and loss of cultural identity. When the Spaniards
founded their first colony in the Philippines, they used
the value of Christianity to force Filipinos to forsake
their ancient traditions and adopt a new way of life in
order to achieve their economic goals. This may be
observed in the way Spaniards organized their
communities around a plaza complex near important
Spanish infrastructure like churches, schools, and
municipal halls.
Communities were forced to settle near the plaza complex in order to facilitate surveillance
and regulation. The importance of Christianity was also used to impose the Spanish will on the
Filipinos. Furthermore, Filipinos were forced to speak Spanish and condemned anyone who would
return to their old practices.

Scientific and Technology Discoveries/Developments in the Philippines During

Colonial Time

 The Spanish colonization in the

Philippines’ archipelago contributed to the
advancement of science and technology in
a way that Spanish introduced formal
education and founded scientific
institutions. Later the Spanish established
colleges and universities in the
archipelago, including the University of
Santo Tomas.
  Religion, reading, writing,
arithmetic, and music were all
taught at parish schools at the
time.

 Proper sanitation, boosted

agricultural systems and
techniques were taught to the
locals.

 The Spanish contributed to the

field of engineering in the islands by
constructing government buildings,
churches, roads, bridges and forts.

 The study of medicine prioritized

and engrossed Biology. Botanists Fr.
Ignacio Mercado, Dr. Trinidad Pardo
de Tavera, and Dr. Leon Ma Guerrero,
chemist Anaclento del Rosario, and
medicine academics Dr. Manuel
Guerrero, Dr. Jose Montes, and Dr.
Elrodario Mercado all contributed to
science in the archipelago throughout
the 19th century.
 The Galleon Trade has accounted for
the Philippine colonial economy which has
been the key for the Filipinos to study
abroad making them more knowledgeable,
especially on scientific knowledge. They
were able to study abroad because of the
opening of the Suez Canal, an inflow of
European tourists to the Spanish colony
occurred.

Aside from that, the Galleon Trade played a significant role in the colonial economy of the
Philippines. Because of the potential for large earnings, the Spaniard colonial rulers placed
a greater emphasis on trade. On the other hand, agriculture and industrial growth were
mostly ignored.

 Indigenous structures in the

Philippines were manifestations of the
community's fundamental lifestyle, in which
everything is structured to meet their basic
requirements to assure survival. The advent
of the Spaniards offered a full turn around
by arranging villages into organized
communities centered on a plaza
surrounded by important Spanish structures
such as churches, municipio or municipal
hall, schools, and convents for
evangelization purposes and easy
supervision of their colony.

 The Spaniards facilitated the

construction of mud-brick houses,
converting traditional bahay kubo structures
composed of light materials like as dried
cogon grass and bamboo.
Conclusion
To summarize all of the above information, the Spaniards made a significant contribution to
the development of education in the Philippines. Aside from that, they greatly influence the Filipinos
with their religion. They also helped in the construction of infrastructure in the Philippines, and
medicine and science were taught during the period.
There have been many unfortunate events during this time, but there are also good benefits
to the Philippines. The Spanish Colonial made the Filipinos learn more about their surroundings,
especially with science and technology.

Reference

Blakemore, E. (2019, February 20). What is colonialism? Retrieved from

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/colonialism
Cruz, G.R.C. (2019, February). A Review of How Philippine Colonial Experience Influenced the
Country’s Approaches to Conservation of Cultural Heritage. Retrieved from
https://www.dlsu.edu.ph/wp-content/uploads/pdf/conferences/arts-congress-
proceedings/2019/FAC-02.pdf
Damucos, R. (2015, August). Philippine Colonial Education System. Retrieved from
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/280610684_Philippine_Colonial_Education_System
Hisour. (n.d.). Philippine Science History. Retrieved from https://www.hisour.com/philippines-science-
history-37197/
NBC News. (n.d.). 120 years after Philippine Independence Spain Hispanic Influence remains.
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independence-spain-hispanic-influence-remains-
n912916https://www.researchgate.net/publication/280610684_Philippine_Colonial_Education
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