Development of Sociology and Anthropology in the Philippines

Sociology and Anthropology in the Philippines are distinct disciplines of study and
have had a tradition of close cooperation. Anthropology started as a practical
activity of colonizers in the service of Christianity and the Spanish government.
Ethnographic data were provided through the historical writings of the early
cultures and society in the Philippine archipelago of the early chroniclers
like Pigafetta, Loarca, Placencia, and Fr. Chirino.

Meanwhile, sociology was introduced in the Philippines by Fr. Valentin Marin in

1896 when he initiated a course on criminology at the University of Santo Tomas.
Eleven years later, Professor Salt introduced a course in Social Ethics at the
University of the Philippines. In 1919,Dr. Clyde Heflin introduced sociology at the
Silliman University. Simultaneously, the Theological Seminary also offered
sociology courses.
In 1939, Serafin Macaraig, the first Filipino to receive a doctorate degree in
Sociology, published his Introduction to Sociology which became the first
textbook at the University of the Philippines. In later years, Juan Ruiz offered
courses in social work in the same university. Likewise anthropology prospered as
a distinct course in Philippine schools.
In 1952, a group of Filipino educators and visiting professors in the different
regions organized the Philippine Sociological Society. In 1960 the Research
Foundation of Philippine Anthropology and Archaeology was established. In 1968
the Philippine Social Science Council was formed to consolidate the Philippine
social science resources.
At present, many institutions and agencies have become interested in
specializing in the fields of anthropology and sociology. They undertake research
and publications of the different aspects of society and culture.