Far Eastern University

General Education Department

GED0104 – Science, Technology, and
Society

Midterm Summative Assessment #1

Submitted by:
Alarva, Christine Mae
Andaluz, Chanel Ma. Kristine
Binuya, Samantha Lauren

Section 20 – Subsection A

Submitted to:
Mr. Kaizen Zuño

Submitted on:
June 30, 2023
I. Individual Reflection
A. Alarva, Christine Mae
During the early 21st century the Philippines was regarded as one of the fastest
growing economies in Asia which only grew in the early 2010s due to the administration of
the government. Yet, despite the growth of our economies the state of industries within our
country lacks support and innovation causing many local industries to be undermined by
international corporations. The Philippines was regarded as one of the fastest growing
economies in Asia which only grew in the late 2010s due to the administration of the
government (Mendoza, 2021). Yet, despite the growth of our economies, the state of
industries within our country lacks support and innovation causing many local industries to
be undermined by international corporations. Economic growth and progress within the fields
of science and technology became stagnant due to this decline in interest towards local
industries and resources by the government. This also resulted in a myriad of problems such
as “unemployment” and “brain drain” along with the overall decline of our economic growth
causing high inflation rates causing leading many to suffer its consequences.

The learning material first discussed the problem of both unemployment and brain
drain because of the low support for local industries within our country. Small businesses
cannot thrive and prosper, leaving many business owners and employees to become bankrupt
and unemployed. Due to this low support from the government, our local scientists and
engineers would rather prefer pursueing their research overseas than endure the small
grants for their research within the country. This caused a massive downfall within the field
of academic research and without these bright minds, the natural resources that the
country is rich in cannot be utilized in order to create industries that propel economic
growth towards the right direction unlike in other countries like Singapore and Japan where
their local industries thrive due to their collective effort in giving high support and funding
for the research and development of their industries and resources.

The proposed solution to these problems within industries here in our country is to
focus on giving support and budgets for our local research and development of industries.
Second is for us to spread awareness about the importance of local industries towards our
economic growth in order to keep up with first world countries which I greatly agree on but
should be implemented slowly and through an action plan created by the government to avoid
overwhelming businesses with sudden changes.
 The second module focuses on our perception of ourselves in cyberspace and the
internet. but iIt also educateds us on the dangers of using these cyberspaces towards our
privacy, data, mental health, and identities. Protecting our privacy and data in the online
environment can be difficult due to the volatile nature of how information spreads throughout
various platforms on the internet. Thus, proper protection of one`s information is essential
while surfing the internet while being aware of the dangers that pose a threat to our security.
Cyberspace is also prone to the spread of false information regarding events that might
disrupt our way of thinking. Thus, it's essential to protect ourselves from these non-credible
sources. Due to the rise of the use of the internet, many users started getting concerns
regarding their mental health due to what social media shows their feeds making them feel
inferior to those around them because they are only average or cannot keep up with the trends
that their friends do, resulting in low self- confidence and feeling inferior to their friends.

B. Andaluz, Chanel Ma. Kristine

As society progresses to a more innovative state, the world also shifts and creates new
technological advances for the people to cope with. These modern- day advances have
brought a lot of changes to how society behaves as a whole. In the Philippines, technology
has become rampant. However, in terms of industrial prowess, the country still has
shortcomings,. Wwhich are evident in the country's hardship to sustain development. Moreso,
factors are contributing to the lack of industrial progress, such as poor management from the
government. Whilst these technologies have given the Filipinos aid on helping their
economy, it also gave them access to the vast world of the internet. Netizens are exposed to
various cyberspace platforms, with the freedom to connect and share their own thoughts
online. However, this also comes with harmful effects, like misinformation, lower self-
esteem, and dependence. Overall, science, technology, and society all intertwine when it
comes to such things. Which is why it is important to know and discuss.

During the first module, it was discussed in the learning material that even though
society has progressed during the 21st century, the Philippines is still behind. According to
Tapang (2020), the country is rich in natural resources, however Filipinos still pay other
countries to make infrastructures for them and import goods. Due to the westernization of the
market, many Filipinos don’t patronize goods made by their fellow Filipinos, resulting in the
international market being more fruitful than the local ones. When it comes to trades, the
Philippines is behind by 15.5%, than its neighboring countries who export more products
(International Trade Administration, 2023). This is a recurring problem, the urge for people
to buy international products is not just to flaunt, but due to the rooted mindset of Filipinos
that international imports are superior to local ones. To combat such problems, it’s important
to have proper management of the market industry first. Due to this big scale project, the
government must work harder to implement and support more markets to further develop in
the country. On thea smaller scale, consumers may opt to buy local products in support of the
growing local markets in the country.

Moving forward, it was discussed in the second module, that technological advances
also give way to more people having access to the internet. This progress has brought many
positive impacts, since it offers connectivity and easier communication. It also aids students
and researchers to have access to millions of available information online. However, despite
its helpfulness it still poses a negative impact. The freedom to post anything in cyberspace
has made a lot of information become available for people to consume. This information is
sometimes inaccurate since people could only be stating opinions and not facts. People could
be spreading misinformation in the internet unknowingly. , that’s why fact checking is
crucial. Moreover, some people could also be purposely spreading disinformation. Which has
the intent to manipulate the post. That's why it’s very important to check the sources and
verify whether the uploaded information is credible.

In conclusion, society is progressing more each day, thus resulting in various

technological advances being integrated into the world. Adapting is a way for humans to keep
up with these advances and use it for their own good. Innovation is here to aid people to
make their life convenient. Proper management, and administration of new projects and goals
to make the local industry more developed is required to help the economy of the country.
Moreover, the help and support of the people could also help the industry grow larger.
Furthermore, while technology is advancing, people gain more access to the internet. While
Iit does provide a lot of positive impact, it also poses harm on people. That’s why it is very
important for people to double check their sources and think twice before they post
something. It is also helpful to check the well-being of one’s self if they are still being the
genuine version of themself. Overall, science, technology, and society must be learned and
understood to be able to combat such changes that come with the change of time. As it was
stated earlier, we should always learn to adapt and conform to these changes.
C. Binuya, Samantha Lauren
In our day-to-day lives, we are surrounded by the products of technology. These
products were thoroughly researched and innovated to become something worthy of our
money. Every nation on Earth has an economy that is active, and these economies each have
their particular areas of expertise. Some products have a higher import rate, while others have
a higher export rate. According to the Philippine Statistics Authority (2023), the imports of
the Philippines accounted for 67.7 percent of the country's total foreign trade in the month of
January 2023. This indicates that our nation places a significant amount of reliance on
imports, which also suggests that we do not have sufficient levels of self-sufficiency. As
students, it is our responsibility to understand how the above facts may have a negative
impact on the status of our economy. That is also the use of the internet, to gain facts and
comprehend these information. The fact that we are internet users also has an effect on the
way we contribute to nation development. Hence, Modules 1 and 2 are very important
subjects that students need to learn about in order to have a primary understanding of the
function that science and technology play in the economy that we live in.

The talk of by Dr. Giovanni Tapang, opened my eyes on the current situation of the
country in terms of industrialization. Although I have already known that the Philippines is
not as advanced and skilled as first world countries in developing these industries, the talk
made me realize that the lack the nation had was more complicated. Still, my ultimate take on
the talk is that the Philippines has weak manufacturing. The country is rich in natural
resources to extract (in example, iron ore), we also have capabilities for sales. Yet what the
country lacks is production or value-added industries. “We extract the iron ore, export them,
and buy them back as iron bars.” A connected problem to this is that we lack experts, most of
them go abroad after graduating. The weight of their responsibility widens yet the country
does not have a ton of focus and funding on science and technology. It is sad to see that these
problems are interconnected and without a concrete plan of action, these problems will go on
for generations and we will lose experts to advanced countries.

This shows the importance of investing in industries to encourage students to work

and develop the Philippines. However, if the country and government do not show urgency
and vision for science and technology, students will less likely be motivated. This is the
reason why we lack national industrialization or the capability of self-sufficiency in making
capital goods. It is not sustainable for us to depend on other nations’ production for our
needs. We need industries that are capable of manufacturing these machines from our own
resources – in which the Philippines has to begin with. The government should attend to these
issues and allot their funding into more relevant problems such as poverty and national
industrialization.

Social media is a much more apparent effect of technology. Many may not have
observed yet, but social media has either a positive or negative influence on an individual.
Every user invents a persona where we tend to present a version of ourselves on how we want
to be perceived. This perception, however, is not always positive. We become dependent on
other people’s perception of us for our own validation and become attached to material
objects for our worth as humans. An important point made by Ms. Labiste is that there is no
coherent narrative of ourselves. This is not only applicable to our cyber selves yet in reality.
Personally, I agree and disagree with some of other people’s perceptions of myself. I am even
trying to get to know myself more. My cyber self is a reflection ofreflects how I want to be
seen in the public eye – which is not necessarily a bad thing. Social media is merely a
medium for me to share my experiences, absorb relevant information, and document
important events in my life.

According to Bauman (2004) under technologies of the self and identity, identity is
something invented rather than discovered. Meaning, the self is the way you create yourself
as a result of interacting with others. My personal view is that our identities can be both
invented and discovered. In technology, we indeed invent our profiles on how we appear on
social media and at the same time discover ourselves exploring things we would not expect
and that becomes part of who we are. Our identities are invented through different
opportunities and decisions we make. As we continue to live in a world where the internet
exists, the way we transform ourselves is mediated by technology. Our perspectives are
influenced by the different opinions and articles we see on social media. Nevertheless, it is
important for us to remind ourselves the proper way of using technology. It is to influence
what can bring greater good for our community and ourselves. As a university student and
national citizen, technology is used to learn what can and must be done to prevent the
deterioration of our future.
II. Synthesis
The lack of research, government funding, and support for economic industries in the
Philippines has had a profound impact on society. Industries struggle to keep up with global
advancements due to limited innovation opportunities, hindering their competitiveness and
the creation of high-value products and services. Stunted economic growth from insufficient
investment in infrastructure, education, and technology worsens the problem. Job scarcity in
underdeveloped industries contributes to the high unemployment rate, perpetuating social and
economic inequalities. The absence of research and development support drives talented
individuals abroad, causing a brain drain that deprives the country of valuable human capital.
Regional disparities in development are magnified as provinces lack attention, concentrating
economic activities in cities.

In order to make progress with the economic industries in the Philippines, it is

important to have a stable mitigation of programs that will support the local industries.
Consumer participation would also increase the support for the local trade and markets in the
country. Most importantly, implementing programs that are feasible and timely. Checking the
availability of the resources and coordinating with different non-governmental units is also
beneficial. Moreover, in maintaining the safeness safety of people in cyberspace, there are
many steps that could be taken. First, even though the internet provides connectivity among
its users, it’s still important to connect with people outside of the online world. Second, not
everything posted in social media is true, and with that it could affect the self-esteem and
disempower people. From time to time, it is crucial to take a break to maintain a healthy
balance of both worlds. Lastly, misinformation and disinformation isare rampant among the
various platforms, thus people are prone to spreading and believing fake news. Fact checking
is important to make sure that all information that we consume and share is credible.
Advances of modern technology have made it possible for all of this to be available today, it
is the people’s responsibility to make sure that it is done in the right way and be able to create
more innovations for the future generations.
 References

Highlights of the Philippine Export and Import Statistics January 2023 (Preliminary) |
Philippine Statistics Authority. (2023). Psa.gov.ph.
https://psa.gov.ph/content/highlights-philippine-export-and-import-statistics-january-2
023-preliminary#:~:text=Of%20the%20total%20external%20trade,the%20rest%20we
re%20exported%20goods.

International Trade Administration (2023). Philippines - country economic guide.

www.trade.gov/country-commercial-guides/philippines-market-overview

Mendoza, R. U. (2021, August 2). The Philippine Economy under the pandemic: From Asian
tiger to sick man again?. Brookings.
www.brookings.edu/articles/the-philippine-economy-under-the-pandemic-from-asian-
tiger-to-sick-man-again /

Tapang, G. (2020). FEU Public Intellectual Lecture Series | Dr. Giovanni Tapang | Part 1.
[YouTube]. www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HkgsH2eE2I&t=632s
 Reflective Aware Reflective
Unacceptable
Criterion\Level novice practitioner practitioner
0–1
2–4 5–7 8 – 10
Clarity Language is There are Minor, infrequent The language is
unclear and frequent lapses lapses in clarity clear and
8 confusing in clarity and and accuracy. expressive. The
throughout. accuracy. reader can create a
Concepts are mental picture of
either not the situation being
discussed or are described. Abstract
presented concepts are
inaccurately. explained
accurately.
Explanation of
concepts makes
sense to an
uninformed reader.
Relevance Most of the Student makes The learning The learning
reflection is attempts to experience being experience being
8 irrelevant to demonstrate reflected upon is  reflected upon is
student and/or relevance, but relevant to the very relevant to the
course learning the relevance is modules discussed modules discussed
goals. unclear to the and course and course learning
reader. learning goals, goals, and displays
and somewhat in-depth insights.
meaningful to
students.
Analysis Reflection does Student makes The reflection The reflection
not move attempts at demonstrates moves beyond
8 beyond applying the student attempts simple description
description of learning to analyze the of the experience to
the learning experience to experience but an analysis of how
experience(s). understanding of analysis lacks the experience
self, others, depth. contributed to
and/or course student
concepts but understanding of
fails to self, others, and/or
demonstrate course concepts.
depth of
analysis.
Interconnections No attempt to There is little to The reflection The reflection
demonstrate no attempt to demonstrates effectively
7 connections to demonstrate connections demonstrates an in-
previous connections between the depth connection
learning or between the experience and between the
experience. learning material from experience and
experience and other courses; past material from other
previous other experience; and/or courses; past
personal and/or personal goals. experience; and/or
learning personal goals.
experiences.
Self-criticism There is no There is some The reflection The reflection
attempt at self- attempt at self- demonstrates demonstrates ability
7 criticism. criticism, but the ability of the of the student to
self-reflection student to question their own
 fails to question their own biases, stereotypes,
demonstrate a biases, preconceptions,
new awareness stereotypes, and/or assumptions
of personal preconceptions. and define new
biases, etc. modes of thinking
as a result.
Following of Missed to Missed to follow Missed to follow 1 Followed all
Instructions follow 3 or 2 out of all the out of all the instructions
more instructions. instructions. completely and
9 instructions. correctly.

TOTAL: 47