GECSTS-18 - Science, Technology, and Society

What Filipino invention from the lesson do you like most? Why?

- The lantaka (also known as kanyon in Tagalog) were a type of bronze swivel
gun mounted on merchant vessels travelling the waterways of Malay
Archipelago. Its use was greatest in precolonial South East Asia especially
in Malaysia, the Philippines, and Indonesia. The guns were used to defend
against pirates demanding tribute for the local chief, or potentate. Although most
lantaka weighed under two hundred pounds, and many only a few pounds, the
largest ones exceeded a thousand pounds, and some weighed over a ton. Many
of these guns were mounted on swivels and were known as swivel guns. The
smaller ones could be mounted almost anywhere including in the rigging.
Medium-sized cannon were frequently used in reinforced sockets on the vessel's
rails and were sometimes referred to as rail guns. The heaviest swivel guns were
mounted on modified gun carriages to make them more portable. High quality
metal casting, artillery, and other metal works had been traditions throughout the
ancient Philippines. The metal smith, or panday piray of Pampanga was skilled at
making weapons, and many individuals with the surnames Viray and Piray are
said to be descendants of people who were once members of the guild of smiths
who followed the tradition of the panday pira. Ancient peoples used
small arquebuses, or portable cannons made up of bronze. Larger cannons, on
the other hand, were made of iron and resembling culverins provided heavier
firepower. The iron cannon at Rajah Sulaiman III's house was about 17 feet long
and was made from clay and wax moulds.

Why did I choose a Filipino invention, because it was one of the ones used to
fight the Philippines against the invaders even though many people gave their
lives for the Philippines.