Lesson 5: Indigenous Science and Technology in the Philippines Learning

During the early times, Filipinos tried to invent tools that will help them in everyday life. They also
developed alternative ideas in explaining various phenomena and in explaining the world around them. This
system of knowledge is called indigenous knowledge, which is the foundation of indigenous science.

Indigenous Knowledge System

Indigenous knowledge is imbedded in the daily life experiences of young children as they grow up. They
live and grow in a society where the members of the community prominently practice indigenous
knowledge.

Their parents and other older folks served as their first teachers and their methods of teaching are very
effective in transmitting cultural knowledge in their minds. The lessons they learned are intimately
interwoven with their culture and the environment. These lessons comprised of good values and life values
and life stories of people on their daily life struggles. Their views about nature and their reflections on their
experiences in daily life are evident in their stories, poems and songs.

Some of the examples of indigenous knowledge that are taught and practiced by the indigenous people are:
• predicting weather conditions and seasons using knowledge in observing animals’ behaviour and
celestial bodies;
• using herbal medicine;
• preserving foods;
• classifying plants and animals into families and groups based on cultural properties;
• preserving and selecting good seeds for planting;
• using indigenous technology in daily lives;
• building local irrigation systems;
• classifying different types of soil for planting based on cultural properties;
• producing wines and juices from tropical fruits; and
• keeping the custom of growing plants and vegetables in the yard.

PHILIPPINE TRADITIONAL AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE

1. Hilot or Manghihilot- acts as midwife, chiropractor or massage therapist to promote health and
healing.
2. Tawas or mangtatawas- uses alum, candles, smoke, paper, eggs and other mediums to diagnose the
cause of illness associated by prayers and incantations.
3. Albularyo- a general practitioner who uses a combination of healing modalities that may include
prayers, incantations, mysticism and herbalism. Albularyos claim to draw healing powers from supernatural
source.
4. Faith healers- a practitioner who claims divine power bestowed by the Hoy Spirit or God. A patient is
required to have faith and believe in divine powers to effect healing.

INDIGENOUS SCIENCE
Indigenous science is part of the indigenous knowledge system practiced by different groups of people and
early civilization (Gribbin, 2001; Mkapa, 2004; Sibisi, 2004). It includes complex arrays of knowledge,
expertise, practices, and representations that guide human societies in their enumerable interactions with the
natural milieu: agriculture, medicine, naming and explaining natural phenomena, and strategies for coping
with changing environments (Pawilen, 2005).
Ogawa (1995) claimed that is collectively lived in and experienced by the people of a given culture.

According to Cajete (2004), indigenous science includes everything, from metaphysics to philosophy and
various practical technologies practiced by indigenous people both past and present.

Laccarino (2003). Elaborated this idea by explaining that science is a part of culture and how science is
done largely depends on the cultural practices of the people.

Developmental stages of most sciences are characterized by continual competition between a number of
distinct views of nature, each partially competition between roughly compatible with the dictates of
scientific observation and method (Kuhn, 1962)

Indigenous Science provides the basics of astronomy, pharmacology, food technology or metallurgy, which
were derived from traditional knowledge and practices. Indigenous beliefs also develop desirable values that
are relevant or consistent to scientific attitudes identified by Johnston (2000), namely:
1. motivating attitudes;
2. cooperating attitudes;
3. practical attitudes;
4. and reflective attitudes

These cultural beliefs therefore can be good foundation for developing positive values toward learning and
doing science and in bringing science in a personal level.

Pawilen (2005) explained that indigenous science knowledge has developed diverse structures and contents
through the interplay between the society and the environment.

According to Kuhn (1962), developmental stages of most sciences are characterized by continual
competition between a number of distinct views of nature, each partially derived from, and all roughly
compatible with the dictates of scientific observation and method.

Sibisi (2004) also pointed out that indigenous science provides the basics of astronomy, pharmacology, food
technology, or metallurgy, which were derived from traditional knowledge and practices.

Pawilen (2006) developed a simple framework for understanding indigenous science. Accordingly,
indigenous science is composed of traditional knowledge that uses science process skills and guided by
community values and culture.
 Figure 1. The Concept of Indigenous Science
1. Indigenous science uses science process skills such as observing, comparing, classifying, measuring,
problem solving, inferring, communicating, and predicting.

2. Indigenous science is guided by culture and community values such as the following:
• The land is a source of life. It is a precious gift from the creator.
• The Earth is revered as “Mother Earth.” It is the origin of their identity as people.
• All living and non-living things are interconnected and interdependent with each other.
• Human beings are stewards or trustee of the land and other natural resources. They have a
responsibility to preserve it.
• Nature is a friend to human beings – it needs respect and proper care

3. Indigenous science is composed of traditional knowledge practiced and valued by people and
communities such as ethno-biology, ethno-medicine, indigenous farming methods, and folk
astronomy.

LAWS AND STRATEGIES IN THE PHILIPPINES IN CONSERVING INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE

The list of the Philippine laws that feature or have references to traditional knowledge are as follows:

1. E.O. no 247 of 1995- prescribing guidelines and establishing a regulatory framework for the prospecting
of biological and genetic resources, their by-products and derivatives for scientific and commercial
purposes – and for other purposes ~ states that any form of access to biodiversity , is strictly illegal
without the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) of the local or indigenous community concerned.

2. Republic Act No 8371- an act to recognize, protect and promote the rights of indigenous cultural
communities/indigenous peoples, creating a national commission on indigenous people , establishing
implementing mechanisms, appropriating funds therefor, and other purposes ~ view to preserve their
culture, traditions and institutions and to ensure the equal protection and nondiscrimination of members.

3. Republic Act No. 8423- an act creating the Philippine Institute of Traditional and Alternative
Health Care to Accelerate the development of traditional and alternative health care in the Philippines,
providing for a traditional and alternative health care development fund and for other purposes ~ AKA
“TAMA” – traditional and Alternative Medicine Act of 1997

4. Republic Act no. 9168- an act to provide protection to new plant varieties, establishing a national plant
variety protection board and for other purposes- ~ provides protection of new plant varieties establishing
a National Variety Protection Board

5. Republic Act no. 9147- an act providing for the conservation and protection of wildlife resources and
their habitats, appropriating funds thereof and for other purposes ~ no person shall be allowed
possession of wildlife unless such person or entity can prove financial and technical capability and
facility to maintain said wildlife

Indigenous science is important in the development of science and technology in the Philippines. Like the
ancient civilization, indigenous science gave birth to the development of science and technology as a field
and as a discipline. Indigenous science helped the people in understanding the natural environment and in
coping with everyday life. UNESCO’s Declaration on Science and the Use of Scientific Knowledge (1999)
recognized indigenous science as a historical and valuable contribution to science and technology.
Lesson 6: Human Fluorishing Learning Objectives:
WHAT IS HAPPINESS?
• In psychology, happiness is a mental or emotional state of well-being which can be defined by, among others,
positive or pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy.
• To behaviorists, happiness is a cocktail of emotions we experience when we do something good or positive.
• To neurologists, happiness is the experience of a flood of hormones released in the brain as a reward for behavior
that prolongs survival.

Two Views on Happiness

1. The hedonistic view of well-being is that happiness is the polar opposite of suffering, the presence of happiness
indicates the absence of pain. Because of this, hedonists believe that the purpose of life is to maximize happiness,
which minimizes misery.

2. Eudaimonia, a term that combines the Greek words for "good" and "spirit" to describe the ideology. Eudaimonia
defines happiness as the pursuit of becoming a better person. Eudaimonists do this by challenging themselves
intellectually or by engaging in activities that make them spiritually richer people.

EUDAIMONIA
a. “good spirited”
b. coined by Greek philosopher Aristotle
c. describes the pinnacle of happiness that is attainable by humans.
d. “human flourishing”

ARISTOTLE
Aristotle believed that human flourishing requires a life with other people. Aristotle taught that people acquire virtues
through practice and that a set of concrete virtues could lead a person toward his natural excellence and happiness.

According to Aristotle, there is an end of all of the actions that we perform which we desire for itself . This is what is
known as eudaimonia, flourishing, or happiness, which is desired for its own sake with all other things being desired
on its account. Eudaimonia is a property of one's life when considered as a whole. Flourishing is the highest good of
human endeavors and that toward which all actions aim. It is success as a human being. The best life is one of
excellent human activity.

From Nicomachean Ethics (the philosophical inquiry into the nature of the good life for a human being.) Human
flourishing arises as a result of different components such as Phronesis, Friendship, Wealth, and Power.

e. In ancient Greek society, they believe that acquiring these will surely bring the seekers happiness, which
in effect allows them to partake in the greater notion of what we call the Good
f. As time changes, elements that comprise human flourishing changed.
g. People found means to live more comfortably, explore more places, develop more products, and make
more money.
h. Humans of today are expected to become “man of the world.”
i. Supposed to situate himself in a global neighborhood, working side by side among institutions and the
government to be able to reach a common goal.
 Science, Technology and Human Flourishing
• Every discovery, innovation, and success contributes to our pool of human knowledge.
• Human’s perpetual need to locate himself in the world by finding proofs to trace evolution.
• Elicits our idea of self-importance.
• Technology is a human activity we excel in as a result of achieving science. (Heidegger)
• Good is inherently related to the truth.

SCIENCE AS METHODS AND RESULTS Steps in Scientific Method

In school, the scientific method is introduced in the earlier part of discussions. Even though the number of steps
varies, it presents a general idea how to do science:
1. Observe and determine if there are unexplained occurrences unfolding.
2. Determine the problem and identify factors involved.
3. Through past knowledge of similar instance, formulate hypothesis that
could explain the said phenomenon. Ideally, the goal is to reject the null hypothesis and accept the alternative
hypothesis of the study “to count as significant” (can also be separated into additional steps such as “to generate
prediction” or “to infer from past experiments”).
4. Conduct experiment by setting up dependent and independent variables, and trying to see how independent ones
affect dependent ones.
5. Gather and analyse results throughout and upon culmination of the experiment. Examine if the data gathered are
significant enough to conclude results.
6. Formulate conclusion and provide recommendation in case others would want to broaden the study.

TWO TYPES OF THEORIES IN HUMAN FLUORISHING

a. Verification Theory
-A discipline is science if it can be confirmed or interpreted in the event of an alternative hypothesis being accepted.
-Premium on empiricism- Takes into account those results which are measurable and experiments which are
repeatable

VIENNA CIRCLE
-group of scholars who believed that only those which can be observed should
be regarded as meaningful and reject those which cannot be directly accessed as
meaningless.
B. Falsification Theory
• As long as an ideology is not proven to be false and can best explain a
phenomenon over alternative theories, we should accept the said
ideology.
• Allowed emergence of theories otherwise rejected by the verification theory.
• Encourages research in order to determine which among the theories can stand the test of falsification.
• Proposed by KARL POPPER- aim at the production of new, falsifiable predictions.
• scientific practice is characterized by its continual effort to test theories against experience and make
revisions based on the outcomes of these tests.

TASKS / ACTIVITIES :
1. Which among the two views of happiness do you believed and apply in your life? Support your answer.
2. How can you state that you are happy? Site some (3) examples/scenario that makes you happy.
References:
Serafica, J. et.al. (2018). Science, Technology, and Society. Rex Printing Company, Inc., First Edition, 2018.