Science Learning Objective

&Technology
(S&T) in the
Philippines  To trace the history of
S&T in the Philippines
(the economic, political and
social events shaping their
developments)
 The Early Years
(Spanish Period, 1869-1898)
 Opening of Suez Canal in 1869 shortened the
route from the Philippines to Europe
 Filipinos were able to study in Europe and observed
or became oriented to the rapid succession of
scientific activities (e.g. Darwin’s theory of
evolution in 1859, Mendel’s law of heredity in 1866,
invention of telephone in 1875)

Rodriguez, S. Philippine Science and Technology: Economic, Political, and Social Events shaping their Developments. Giraffe Books. Quezon City,
Philippines. 1996.
 The Early Years
(Spanish Period, 1869-1898)
 Filipino scientists were mostly interested on
animal and plant systems
 Fr. Ignacio Mercado, Dr. Trinidad Pardo de Tavera,
and Dr Leon Ma. Guerrero in Botany
 Anacleto del Rosario in Chemistry
 Dr. Manuel Guerrero, Dr. Jose Montes, and Dr.
Elrodario Mercado in Medicine

Rodriguez, S. Philippine Science and Technology: Economic, Political, and Social Events shaping their Developments. Giraffe Books. Quezon City,
Philippines. 1996.
 The Early Years
(Spanish Period, 1869-1898)
 Galleon trade was the chief economic activity
 Spanish officials focused more on the trade due to
big profits
 Agriculture and industrial development were
neglected

Rodriguez, S. Philippine Science and Technology: Economic, Political, and Social Events shaping their Developments. Giraffe Books. Quezon City,
Philippines. 1996.
 The Early Years
(American Occupation, 1898-1941)
 The Schurman Commission recommended the
replacement of military government with a civil
government and establishment of free public
educational system in the country
 The Taft Commission started the gradual
Filipinization of the government and encouraged
education in preparation for self-government

Rodriguez, S. Philippine Science and Technology: Economic, Political, and Social Events shaping their Developments. Giraffe Books. Quezon City,
Philippines. 1996.
 The Early Years
(American Occupation, 1898-1941)
 Philippine public school system was established in
1901
 765 Thomasites were recruited
 Insular Bureau of Agriculture and Bureau of
Government Laboratories* were established
 Authored by Dean Worcester, a zoology professor at the
University of Michigan and a strong advocate of science
 Conducted biological, chemical, and other scientific
studies

Rodriguez, S. Philippine Science and Technology: Economic, Political, and Social Events shaping their Developments. Giraffe Books. Quezon City,
Philippines. 1996.
 The Early Years
(American Occupation, 1898-1941)
 The Philippine Commission expanded and included Dr.
Trinidad Pardo de Tavera, a Filipino
 The Bureau of Government Laboratories was
reorganized into the Bureau of Science in 1905
 Enabled it to undertake research in all fields of science
 Many notable American scientists were recruited
 Quality research works were produced necessitating the
creation of the Philippine Journal of Science in 1906

Rodriguez, S. Philippine Science and Technology: Economic, Political, and Social Events shaping their Developments. Giraffe Books. Quezon City,
Philippines. 1996.
 The Early Years
(American Occupation, 1898-1941)

 In 1906, the Bureau of Science was made the custodian

of the International Standards of Weights and
Measurements in the country
 The University of the Philippines was established in
1908, followed by the College of Agriculture in Los
Banos

Rodriguez, S. Philippine Science and Technology: Economic, Political, and Social Events shaping their Developments. Giraffe Books. Quezon City,
Philippines. 1996.
 The Early Years
(American Occupation, 1898-1941)
 Jones Law (The Philippine Autonomy Act) replaced
the Philippine Commission with the House of
Representatives, wholly composed of Filipinos
 Downtrend of the Bureau of Science began (transferred to the
Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources (DANR)
 Shift of emphasis from health and sanitation to the study of the
country’s natural resources
 Growth of science slowed down (decrease number of articles in
PJS and poor quality)

Rodriguez, S. Philippine Science and Technology: Economic, Political, and Social Events shaping their Developments. Giraffe Books. Quezon City,
Philippines. 1996.
 The Early Years
(American Occupation, 1898-1941)
 Bureau of Science had new functions
 Regulation, analysis, and branding of commercial
fertilizer
 Control, checking, advertising, labeling or branding of
any business and commercial commodities
 The world recession in the 1930s caused further losses
to the bureau, which resulted to retrenchment, loss of
several divisions, reduced budget, and brain drain

Rodriguez, S. Philippine Science and Technology: Economic, Political, and Social Events shaping their Developments. Giraffe Books. Quezon City,
Philippines. 1996.
 The Early Years
(American Occupation, 1898-1941)
 In 1933-1934, a general reorganization took place
 DANR became the Department of Agriculture and
Commerce
 Bureau of Agriculture was split into the Bureau of Plants
and the Bureau of Animal Industry
 The Division of Mineral Resources was converted into
the Bureau of Mines
 The Bureau of Science lost some of its divisions

Rodriguez, S. Philippine Science and Technology: Economic, Political, and Social Events shaping their Developments. Giraffe Books. Quezon City,
Philippines. 1996.
 The Bureau of Science
 Main thrust during the early years was on public health and
nutrition
 Due to outbreak of cholera, small pox, dysentery, malaria,
TB, and leprosy before 1900
 Also did research on uses of agricultural products
• medicinal plants by Edwardo Quisumbing
• isolation and elucidation of natural products by Alfredo Santos
• essential oils used as food flavors and fragrances by Luz Olivares
Belardo
• coconut as renewable source of fuel by Julius Banzon

Rodriguez, S. Philippine Science and Technology: Economic, Political, and Social Events shaping their Developments. Giraffe Books. Quezon City,
Philippines. 1996.
 The College of Agriculture
 Focused efforts on improving the breed of basic
crops, livestock and poultry
 Varietal introduction, evaluation and inheritance in rice,
corn, sugar cane, coconut, abaca, and tobacco
 Improving the breed, feed ration, and the quality of meat
and eggs (Dr. Francisco Fronda, Father of the Poultry
Industry in the Philippines, wrote 500 scientific articles
during his lifetime)

Rodriguez, S. Philippine Science and Technology: Economic, Political, and Social Events shaping their Developments. Giraffe Books. Quezon City,
Philippines. 1996.
 The Early Years
(The War Years, 1941-1945)
 Manuel L. Quezon was the president when the war between
Japan and the US broke out in 1941
 Very poor economy confronted the Commonwealth and later
the Republic
 Unproductive period in the research life of the Bureau of
Science (fear of death and threat of hunger prevailed)
 A few national scientists directed their efforts to food
processing
• toyo and vinegar were produced
• coconut was converted into coco jam and cooking oil

Rodriguez, S. Philippine Science and Technology: Economic, Political, and Social Events shaping their Developments. Giraffe Books. Quezon City,
Philippines. 1996.
 The Early Years
(Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Period, 1945-1948)
 Manuel Roxas became the first president of the Republic
 Laid down his policies to rebuild the economy (industrialization,
people participation in the government, closer cooperation with
the US, and the restoration of peace and justice)
 Bell Trade Relations Act provided for free trade relations
between the Philippines and the US until 1954
 This gives the Americans the right to dispose of, exploit,
develop, and utilize all agricultural, timber, and mineral lands of
the country

Rodriguez, S. Philippine Science and Technology: Economic, Political, and Social Events shaping their Developments. Giraffe Books. Quezon City,
Philippines. 1996.
 The Early Years
(Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Period, 1945-1948)
 Bureau of Science was converted to the Institute of Science
and placed under the office of the President
 Coordinated and redirected all scientific efforts toward
industrialization
 Filipino scientists directed their efforts toward the solution of
the country’s problems and needs (big shortage of food and
fuel, public health was poor)
 Conversion of coconut oil into ethyl alcohol
 fermentation of cassava
 indigenous raw materials and recycled food were used as animal
feed, etc.

Rodriguez, S. Philippine Science and Technology: Economic, Political, and Social Events shaping their Developments. Giraffe Books. Quezon City,
Philippines. 1996.
 The Early Years
(Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Period, 1945-1948)
 The gradual Filipinization of the government resulted in
several negative effects on the development of science in
the country
 Reorganization led to loss of records (no clear understanding of the
roles and functions of different offices)
 There was rampant graft, corruption and inefficiency of the
government due to unqualified officials
 The budget for the Bureau of Science for its research and other
scientific activities was at the mercy of its department secretary
(operating with a low budget led to the bureau soliciting foreign aid
through scientific projects)

Rodriguez, S. Philippine Science and Technology: Economic, Political, and Social Events shaping their Developments. Giraffe Books. Quezon City,
Philippines. 1996.
 Post-War Philippine S&T
(The Quirino Administration, 1948-1953)

 President Elpidio Quirino desperately sought the help

of the US
 President Truman proposed an economic survey mission
– the Bell Mission
($250M-aid from the US)
 Institute of Science was renamed Institute of Science
and Technology and placed under the National
Economic Coordination
(funding became favorable)

Rodriguez, S. Philippine Science and Technology: Economic, Political, and Social Events shaping their Developments. Giraffe Books. Quezon City,
Philippines. 1996.
 Post-War Philippine S&T
(The Quirino Administration, 1948-1953)

 Philippine economy flourished

 Crop production from 1946-1956 increased by 100%
 Livestock and poultry production likewise improved
 The demands for lumber and timber greatly increased due
to rehabilitation and reconstruction programs

Rodriguez, S. Philippine Science and Technology: Economic, Political, and Social Events shaping their Developments. Giraffe Books. Quezon City,
Philippines. 1996.
 Post-War Philippine S&T
(The Magsaysay Administration, 1953-1957)
 President Ramon Magsaysay directed all his efforts to
the upliftment of the rural people
 Improved land reform system
 Provided easy-term credit and facilities
 Constructed roads and buildings for the masses
 Provided technical advice for farmers on farm
management and intensive development
 Extended the duty-free trade under the Bell Trade Act

Rodriguez, S. Philippine Science and Technology: Economic, Political, and Social Events shaping their Developments. Giraffe Books. Quezon City,
Philippines. 1996.
 Post-War Philippine S&T
(The Magsaysay Administration, 1953-1957)
 Highest number of scientists, as well as scientific
works occurred in 1956
 Due to RA No. 1237 which granted special privileges to
scientists and inventors
 Dioscoro Umali organized the Division of Plant
Breeding, the Philippine Seed Board, the National Rice
and Corn Cooperative Movement Program
 Fronda continued to improve the poultry industry by
introducing modern techniques

Rodriguez, S. Philippine Science and Technology: Economic, Political, and Social Events shaping their Developments. Giraffe Books. Quezon City,
Philippines. 1996.
 Post-War Philippine S&T
(The Garcia Administration, 1957-1961)
 President Carlos Garcia adopted the “Filipino First
Policy”
 The National Science Board was replaced with the
National Science Development Board (NSDB),
raising it to a department level with a budget of its own
 Scientific and industrial researches were made more
possible (studies on indigenous materials for industries,
improvement of industrial products, substitution of native
raw materials, etc.)

Rodriguez, S. Philippine Science and Technology: Economic, Political, and Social Events shaping their Developments. Giraffe Books. Quezon City,
Philippines. 1996.
 Post-War Philippine S&T
(The Garcia Administration, 1957-1961)

 1959 was called the “crop year”

 Increase in production despite the prolonged drought
 An offshoot of agricultural research breakthroughs
• improved farm technology
• use of modern farm practices)

Rodriguez, S. Philippine Science and Technology: Economic, Political, and Social Events shaping their Developments. Giraffe Books. Quezon City,
Philippines. 1996.
 Post-War Philippine S&T
(The Macapagal Administration, 1961-1965)

 President Diosdado Macapagal instituted the full

decontrol program which lifted all government
controls on foreign exchange
 The country’s foreign reserves were depleted
 Ended the protection of Filipino enterprises
 Unlimited importation and the Filipino colonial mentality
of buying “stateside” goods caused a substantial drop in
sales of Philippine-made commodities

Rodriguez, S. Philippine Science and Technology: Economic, Political, and Social Events shaping their Developments. Giraffe Books. Quezon City,
Philippines. 1996.
 Post-War Philippine S&T
(The Macapagal Administration, 1961-1965)
 The NSDB was mandated in 1963 to undertake
research in all fields
 through its 2 commissions, National Institute of Science
and Technology (NIST) and the Philippine Atomic
Energy Commission (PAEC)
 The Scientific Instrumentation Division was added to
NSDB which shifted its efforts to extensive training
and expansion
 The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)
was established in 1960

Rodriguez, S. Philippine Science and Technology: Economic, Political, and Social Events shaping their Developments. Giraffe Books. Quezon City,
Philippines. 1996.
 The Marcos Era
(Pre-Martial Law Years, 1965-1971)

 President Ferdinand Marcos’ national goals

emphasized economic and rural developments
 Self-sufficiency in rice and diversification of crops
 Land reform program and intensification of community
development programs
 Laws that adjusted the government’s buying price for rice
and corn, reorganized agricultural agencies to reduce
operational costs and attain efficiency

Rodriguez, S. Philippine Science and Technology: Economic, Political, and Social Events shaping their Developments. Giraffe Books. Quezon City,
Philippines. 1996.
 The Marcos Era
(Pre-Martial Law Years, 1965-1971)

 UP College of Agriculture underwent rapid

development in its facilities, faculty and staff, academic
programs and extension
 Training ground for Filipinos and other Asian graduate
students
 The Ford Foundation granted funds for the
establishment of the UP Computer Center in 1967,
laboratory facilities and research equipment
 The Philippine Sugar Industry granted funds to support,
revive and develop a strong sugar technology curriculum

Rodriguez, S. Philippine Science and Technology: Economic, Political, and Social Events shaping their Developments. Giraffe Books. Quezon City,
Philippines. 1996.
 The Marcos Era
(Pre-Martial Law Years, 1965-1971)

 Thrust of research were redirected towards

5 areas of priority:
1. Basic necessities
2. Import substitutes
3. Exports
4. Waste materials and product utilization
5. Science education program

Rodriguez, S. Philippine Science and Technology: Economic, Political, and Social Events shaping their Developments. Giraffe Books. Quezon City,
Philippines. 1996.
 Science Education in the Philippines
 Science education focuses on the teaching, learning,
and understanding of science
 Schools have the responsibility to develop “science
culture”
 Philippine Science High School System (PSHSS)
 Special Science Elementary Schools (SSES)
 Regional Science High School

Serafica et al. Science, Technology, and Society. Rex Bookstore. Manila, Philippines. 2018
 Indigenous S&T in the Philippines
 Indigenous S&T refers to the practice of indigenous
knowledge in everyday life (parents and older folks served
as first teachers)
 Examples:
 Predicting weather conditions by observing animal’s
behaviour
 Using herbal medicine
 Preserving foods
 Producing wines and juices from tropical fruits
 Building local irrigation systems

Serafica et al. Science, Technology, and Society. Rex Bookstore. Manila, Philippines. 2018
 The Marcos Era
(Martial Law Years, 1972-1982)
 President Marcos created Proclamation 1081 placing
the entire Philippines under Martial Law
 He made himself head of the National Economic Development
Authority (NEDA)
 Reorganized many government agencies (NSDB, NIST, DANR)
 Created Philippine Council for Agricultural Research (PCAR),
which later became PCARR, Philippine Root Crop Research and
Training Center, Philippine Tobacco Research and Training
Center, Institute of Plant Breeding, BIOTECH, CLSU Cotton
Research and Development Institute, National Academy of
Science and Technology and Filipino Inventors Society, Inc.

Rodriguez, S. Philippine Science and Technology: Economic, Political, and Social Events shaping their Developments. Giraffe Books. Quezon City,
Philippines. 1996.
 The Marcos Era
(After Martial Law, 1981-1985)
 President Marcos issued Proclamation 2045 that lifted
Martial Law
 NSDB drafted a comprehensive science and technology
plan for the country (Five-Year Science and Technology
Development Plan)
 NSDB was reorganized to National Science and
Technology Authority (NSTA)
• Mandated to formulate a comprehensive National Plan
for Science and Technology

Rodriguez, S. Philippine Science and Technology: Economic, Political, and Social Events shaping their Developments. Giraffe Books. Quezon City,
Philippines. 1996.
 The Marcos Era
(After Martial Law, 1981-1985)
 The following agencies were created:
• Philippine Council for Agriculture and Resource Research
and Development (PCARRD)
• National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP)
• Philippine Council for Health Research and Development
(PCHRD)
• Philippine Council for Industry and Energy Research
Development (PCIERD)
 NAST tackled 3 major issues:
• Collection of biological specimens
• State of the dairy industry
• Effects of radiation on human health

Rodriguez, S. Philippine Science and Technology: Economic, Political, and Social Events shaping their Developments. Giraffe Books. Quezon City,
Philippines. 1996.
 Post EDSA revolution
(1986-present)
 President Corazon Aquino inherited a serious
economic crisis
 Organized the Philippine Commission on Good
Government (PCGG)
 Created the Commission on Human rights (CHR)
 NSTA was reorganized to Department of Science and
Technology (DOST)
 PAGASA was transferred to the DOST from the
Department of National Defense

Rodriguez, S. Philippine Science and Technology: Economic, Political, and Social Events shaping their Developments. Giraffe Books. Quezon City,
Philippines. 1996.
 Post EDSA revolution
(1986-present)
 Task Force on Science and Technology
Development was created in 1989
 Dialogue with industry and agriculture and identify the
S&T areas needed to move to NIC (Newly
Industrializing Country) status by the year 2000

Rodriguez, S. Philippine Science and Technology: Economic, Political, and Social Events shaping their Developments. Giraffe Books. Quezon City,
Philippines. 1996.
 Post EDSA revolution
(1986-present)
 President Fidel Ramos envisioned the Philippines “to
be a country where all are provided a better life…”
 DOST refocused its efforts on the 15 “leading edges”,
sectors that have substantial contribution to GNP:
• agriculture, aquaculture and marine fisheries, forest and
natural resources, metals and engineering, textile industry,
mining and minerals, process industry, food and food industry,
energy, transportation, construction industry, information
technology, electronics, instrumentation and control, emerging
technologies, and the pharmaceutical industry

Rodriguez, S. Philippine Science and Technology: Economic, Political, and Social Events shaping their Developments. Giraffe Books. Quezon City,
Philippines. 1996.