As a human being, we cannot picture our daily lives without the advancements

brought to us by science and technology. Each human who has ever walked the face of
the earth has experienced their own era of science and technology and every time, it
progresses; making human existence easier and more enjoyable in certain aspects.
However, advances in science and technology has always impacted on people's way of
life greatly but with regards to a person’s health, be it physically, mentally or
emotionally, it is quite damaging.

The Philippines had its own science and technology, such as medicinal and
therapeutic techniques of getting medicines from plants, even before the Spanish rule
(1521). Eventually, though, we were colonized. Some of the reasons for this
colonization were the intention of the Spanish to get spices, introduce formal education,
aid the conversion of the Filipinos to Roman Catholicism, and the establishment of a
stratification system was one of their goals. Although the natives called “Indios” were at
the bottom of the social class hierarchy and having the “Peninsulares” at the top,
through this system and East Asian trade, the Philippines still resulted to good social,
political, and economic status at the time. As a reader and as a Filipino, I have mixed
feelings for this because the Philippines would not be who it is today because of the
Spaniards but the idea of having the first people to reside in my home country as slaves
infuriates me quite a little.

Despite the fact that many things were perceived as unfavorable for the Filipinos,
America did its best to assist us. In the community, they adapted college or higher level
education and taught them better methods to thrive. In my opinion, American
colonization is better than Spanish colonization since it has provided us with more
options in a variety of areas. They also taught us their language, which is English, to
which I am glad for because it is the most widely spoken language today making us
communicate easier with foreigners.

With the “help” of the colonizers, mainly with education, the Philippines can now
develop a more highly-trained professional Filipino. However, like all tools, it can help
produce beauty as well as make destruction. With the Philippines being in a
“underdeveloped” state in terms of its economy, the idea of “brain drain” can impact the
person because of the stratification system that is kind of still being used to this day as it
makes people leave their home country where they are much better off. In such a
contemporary world, science and technology progresses and develops and helps us be
our best selves, making us know our worth and leads us to better opportunities outside
the country.

Besides being been conquered by outsiders more than twice, the Philippines' has
finally has had a taste of freedom. Despite this, science and technology growth has
been heavily influenced by its shared history with the Spanish and American colony.
The reading has taught me that new inventions relating to science and technology is a
necessity to help improve the human race and continue to progress as a community
and that science and technology can bring people together. Though colonized, I guess it
was for the better as the Philippines would not be who it is today without those events
happening as the Philippines continues to thrive with the help of excellent scientists who
generate increasingly devoting more time, money and resources to these topics and
fields of study. That being said, one thing is for sure ― science and technology can
keep up with the times as it still is evolving to this day.