Chapter 1 Historical Antecedents

Historical Development of Science and

Technology in the Philippines

Pre-Spanish Era

• There is not much written about the Philippines

during pre-colonial time but analysis from
archeological artifacts revealed that the first
inhabitants in the archipelago who settled in
Palawan and Batangas around 40,000 years ago
have made simple tools or weapons of stone
which eventually developed techniques for
sawing, drilling, and polishing hard stones. This
very primitive technology was brought by primal
needs of survival by hunting wild animals and
gathering fruits and vegetables in the forest. They
learned that by polishing hard stones, they can
develop sharp objects that are useful in their day-
to-day activities. From this early, we can see that
technology was developed because of a great
necessity.
• Still on its primitive state, the first inhabitants in
the country are learning what can be harnessed
from the environment. They have come to
understand that when clay is mixed with 2 water
and then shaped into something before sun
drying, it hardens to an object that can also be
useful to them. And because clay is moldable, it
can be shaped into various objects.
• As the early Filipinos flourished, they have learned
how to extract, smelt, and refine metals like
copper, gold, bronze, and iron from nature and
consequently fashion them into tools and
implements. At this point, the inhabitants of the
country are showing a deeper understanding of
their nature because they were able to obtain
valuable resources from nature.
• As the inhabitants shifted from wandering from
one place to another and learned to settle in areas
near the water source, they also learned how to
weave cotton, engaged themselves in agriculture
and are knowledgeable on building boats for
coastal trade.
• Primitive Filipinos are practicing science and
technology in their everyday lives. The ancient
crafts of stone carving, pottery and smelting of
metals involves a lot of science, which is
understanding the nature of matter involved.

• The ingenuity of the Ifugaos in building the

Banaue Rice Terraces.

• The smelting of metals exhibited the primitive

Filipino’s knowledge on the composition of alloy
and the optimum temperature that will produce
the metal with acceptable tensile strength.

• All in all, the primitive Filipinos were living in

perfect harmony with nature, and they obtain from
it what is just needed in their everyday life through
a very simple science of understanding how
mother nature operates.
 Spanish Colonial Era
• As claimed by Caoili (1983), the beginnings of
modern science and technology in the country can
be traced back to the Spanish regime because
they established schools and hospitals and
started scientific research that had important
consequences in the development of the country.
These schools, which are mostly run by Spanish
friars, formed the first Filipino professionals. The
highest institution of learning during this time was
the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo
Tomas.
• But the very strict hold of the church among
citizens and its intervention and meddling to the
government propelled by fear of intellectual
awakening among Filipinos have greatly hindered
the progress of these professionals to further
enhance their knowledge, conduct scientific
investigations and contribute to the advancement
of society.

• But a few of persistent Filipino scientists

succeeded by educating themselves abroad. One
notable example of course is our national hero,
the great Dr. Jose P. Rizal. Dr. Jose Rizal is the
epitome of the Renaissance man in the Philippine
context. He is a scientist, a doctor, an engineer (he
designed and built a water system in Dapitan), a
journalist, a novelist, an urban planner, and a hero.
Being a doctor and scientist, he had extensive
knowledge on medicine and was able to operate
his mother’s blinding eye. When he was deported
in Dapitan, his knowledge on science and
engineering was translated into technology by
creating a water system that improved the
sanitation of households in the area.
• Dr. Jose Rizal was a brilliant man and his life
stood out among his contemporaries. But it
cannot be said that there is no contribution to
science and technology among the Filipino men
and women during the Spanish era. The charity
hospitals became the breeding ground for
scientific research on pharmacy and medicine,
with great focus on problems of infectious
diseases, their causes, and possible remedies.
And in 1887, the Laboratorio Municipal de Ciudad
de Manila was created and whose functions were
to conduct biochemical analyses for public health
and to undertake specimen examinations for
clinical and medico-legal cases. Its publication,
probably the first scientific journal in the country
was titled Cronica de Ciencias Medicas de
Filipinas showed the studies undertaken during
that time.

• As the colonization of the Spaniards lengthened,

they began to exploit the natural resources of the
country through agriculture, mining of metals and
minerals and establishing various kinds of
industries to further promote economic growth.
• As such, scientific research on these fields were
encouraged by the government. By the 19th
century, Manila has become a cosmopolitan
center and modern amenities were introduced to
the city.

• However, little is known about the

accomplishments of scientific bodies
commissioned by the Spanish government during
this time. Because of limited scientific research
and its consequent translation to technology
during the Spanish regime, none of the industries
prosper.

• The Philippines had evolved into a primary

agricultural exporting economy, and this is not
because of the research undertaken on this field
but was largely because of the influx of foreign
capital and technology which brought
modernization of some sectors, notably sugar
and hemp production.
 American Period
• If the development in science and technology was
very slow during the Spanish regime, the
Philippines saw a rapid growth during the
American occupation and was made possible by
the government’s extensive public education
system from elementary to tertiary schools. The
establishment of various public tertiary schools
like the Philippine Normal School and University
of the Philippines provided the needs for
professionally trained Filipinos in building the
government’s organization and programs.

• The growth and application of science were still

concentrated on the health sector in the form of
biochemical analyses in hospitals. The
government supported basic and applied
research in the medical, agricultural, and related
sciences.

• The University of the Philippines Los Baños

opened the College of Agriculture in 1909 while
the University of the Philippines – Diliman
opened the Colleges of Arts, Engineering and
 Veterinary Medicine in 1910. The College of
Medicine was opened four years later.

• During this time, there were already quite several

qualified Filipino physicians who held teaching
positions in the College of Medicine, whereas
most of the early instructors and professors in
other colleges such as in the sciences and
engineering were Americans and foreigners.

• Capacity building programs that include sending

qualified Filipinos abroad for advanced training
were conducted to eventually fill up the teaching
positions in Philippine universities.

• Moreover, the American colonial government sent

Filipino youths to be educated as teachers,
engineers, physicians, and lawyers in American
colleges to further capacitate the Filipinos in
various fields.

• However, there was difficulty in recruiting

students for science and technology courses like
veterinary medicine, engineering, agriculture,
 applied sciences and industrial vocational
courses. The enrollment in these courses was
poor that the government had to offer
scholarships to attract students. The unpopularity
of these courses stemmed from the Filipinos’
disdain toward manual work that developed from
the 400 years under Spanish colonization. The
Filipinos then prefer prestigious professions at
that time like priesthood, law, and medicine.

• The government provided more support for the

development of science and created the Bureau
of Government Laboratories in and was later
changed to Bureau of Science. It was composed
of a biological laboratory, chemical laboratory,
serum laboratory to produce virus vaccine,
serums and prophylactics, and a library. The
bureau was initially managed by American senior
scientists but as more Filipinos were trained and
acquired the necessary knowledge and skills, they
eventually took over their positions.

• The Bureau of Science served as the primary

training ground for Filipino scientists and paved
 the way for pioneering scientific research, most
especially on the study of various tropical
diseases that were prevalent during those times
like leprosy, tuberculosis, cholera, dengue fever,
malaria and beri-beri.

• Another great contribution of the Bureau of

Science to the development of science and
technology in the country was the publication of
the Philippine Journal of Science. This scientific
journal published research done in local
laboratories and reported global scientific
developments that had relevance to the Philippine
society. The Bureau of Science became the
primary research center of the Philippines until
World War II. Lastly, on December 8, 1933, the
National Research Council of the Philippines was
established.
Commonwealth Period

• When the Americans granted independence and

the Commonwealth government was established,
the Filipinos were busy in working towards
economic reliance but acknowledge the
importance and vital role of science and
technology for the economic development of the
country by declaring that “The State shall promote
scientific research and invention…”

• The short-lived Commonwealth Government was

succeeded by the Japanese occupation when the
Pacific war broke out in 1941. The prevailing
situations during the time of Commonwealth
period to the Japanese regime had made
developments in science and technology
practically impossible.

• This is also true when World War II ended and left

Manila, the country’s capital, in ruins. The
government had to rebuild again and normalize
the operations in the whole country.
Science and Technology since Independence

• In 1946, the Bureau of Science was replaced by

the Institute of Science and was placed under the
Office of the President of the Philippines.

• However, the agency faced lack of financial

support from the government and experienced
planning and coordination problems. In a report
by the US Economic Survey to the Philippines in
1950, there is a lack of basic information which
were necessities to the country's industries, lack
of support of experimental work and minimal
budget for scientific research and low salaries of
scientists employed by the government.

• In 1958, during the regime of President Carlos P.

Garcia, the Philippine Congress passed the
Science Act of 1958 which established the
National Science Development Board (NSDB).

• The Philippine government focused on science

and technology institutional capacity building
 which were undertaken by establishing
infrastructure-support facilities such as new
research agencies and development trainings.

• However good these projects were, it produced

insignificant effects because of lack of
coordination and planning, specifically
technology planning, between concerned
agencies which hindered them from performing
their assigned functions effectively. This was
aptly illustrated in the unplanned activities of the
researchers within the agencies.

• Most areas of research were naively left to the

discretion of the researchers under the
assumption that they were working for the
interests of the country. They were instructed to
look for technologies and scientific studies with
good commercialization potential.

• Without clear research policy guidelines, research

was done for their own sake, leaving to chance the
commercialization of the results.
• Likewise, during this time, rebuilding the country
involved establishing more state funded manual
and trading schools which would eventually
become the current state universities and
colleges. The trade schools produced craftsmen,
tradesmen and technicians that helped in shaping
a more technological Philippines while still being
an agriculturally based nation.

• Eventually, when these trade schools were

elevated to college and university status, they
produced much of the country’s professionals,
although there was a great disparity on the low
proportion of those in agriculture, medical and
natural sciences with those from teacher training
and commerce/business administration courses
which had higher number of graduates. The
increase in the number of graduates led to the rise
of professional organizations of scientists and
engineers. These organizations were formed to
promote professional interests and create and
monitor the standards of practice.
• As summarized by Caoili, “There has been little
innovation in the education and training of
scientists and engineers since independence in
1946. This is in part due to the conservative nature
of self-regulation by the professional
associations. Because of specialized training,
vertical organizations by disciplines and lack of
liaison between professions, professional
associations have been unable to perceive the
dynamic relationship between science,
technology and society and the relevance of their
training to Philippine conditions.”
Science and Technology in the 1960s to 1990s

• During these years, the government gave greater

importance to science and technology. The
government declared in Section 9(1) of the 1973
Philippine Constitution that the “advancement of
science and technology shall have priority in the
national development.”

• On April 6, 1968, Pres. Ferdinand Marcos

proclaimed the 35-hectare land in Bicutan, Taguig
as the site of the Philippine Science Community.

• Then in 1969, the government provided funds to

private universities to encourage them to conduct
research and create courses in science and
technology. The government also conducted
seminars for public and private high school and
college science teachers, training programs and
scholarships for graduate and undergraduate
science scholars, and workshops on fisheries and
oceanography.
• In the 1970s, focus on science and technology
was given to applied research and the main
objective was to generate products and
processes that were supposed to have a greater
beneficial impact to the society.

• Relative to this, several research institutes were

established under the National Science
Development Board (NSDB) which includes the
Philippine Coconut Research Institute and
Philippine Textile Research Institute.

• Moreover, the Philippine Atomic Energy

Commission, another agency under NSDB,
explored the uses of atomic energy for economic
development.

• To prepare the pool of scientists who will work on

Philippine Atomic Commission, Pres. Marcos
assisted 107 institutions in undertaking nuclear
energy work by sending scientists abroad to study
nuclear science and technology, and providing
 basic training to 482 scientists, doctors,
engineers, and technicians.

• Then in 1972, by virtue of Presidential Decree No.

4, the National Grains Authority was created, and
it was tasked to improve the rice and corn industry
and thereby help in the economic development of
the country. This was followed by the creation of
Philippine Council for Agricultural Research to
support the progressive development of
agriculture, forestry, and fisheries in the country.

• The Marcos administration also established the

Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and
Astronomical Service Administration (PAGASA)
under the Department of National Defense to
provide environmental protection and to utilize
scientific knowledge to ensure the safety of the
people through Presidential Decree No. 78, s.
1972.

• On the following year, the Philippine National Oil

Company was created by virtue of Presidential
Decree No. 334, s. 1973, to promote industrial and
 economic development through effective and
efficient use of energy sources.

• To strengthen the scientific culture in the country,

the National Academy of Science and
Technology was established under Presidential
Decree No. 1003-A, s. 1976. The National
Academy of Science and Technology was
composed of scientists with “innovative
achievement in the basic and applied sciences”
who will serve as the reservoir of scientific and
technological expertise for the country.

• In the 1980s, science and technology was still

focused on applied research. In 1982, NSDB was
further reorganized into a National Science and
Technology Authority (NSTA) composed of four
research and development Councils; Philippine
Council for Agriculture and Resources Research
and Development (PCARRD); Philippine Council
for Industry and Energy Research Development
(PCIERD); Philippine Council for Health Research
and Development (PCHRD) and the National
Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP).
• NSTA has also eight research and development
institutes and support agencies under it. These
are the former organic and attached agencies of
NSDB which have themselves been reorganized.

• The expanding number of science agencies has

given rise to a demand for high caliber scientists
and engineers to undertake research and staff
universities and colleges. Hence, measures have
also been taken towards the improvement of the
country’s science and manpower.

• In March 1983, Executive Order No. 889 was

issued by the President which provided for the
establishment of a national network of centers of
excellence in basic sciences. Therefore, six new
institutes were created: The National Institutes of
Physics, Geological Sciences, Natural Sciences
Research, Chemistry, Biology and Mathematical
Sciences.

• Related to these efforts was the establishment of

a Scientific Career System in the Civil Service by
 Presidential Decree No. 901 on 19 July 1983. This
is designed to attract more qualified scientists to
work in government and encourage young people
to pursue science degrees and careers.

• In 1986, under the Aquino administration, the

National Science and Technology Authority was
replaced by the Department of Science and
Technology (DOST), giving science and
technology a representation in the cabinet.

• Under the Medium Term Philippine Development

Plan for the years 1987-1992, science and
technology's role in economic recovery and
sustained economic growth was highlighted. In
this period, science and technology was one of
the top three priorities of the government
towards economic recovery.

• With the agency's elevation to full cabinet stature

by virtue of Executive Order 128 signed on 30
January 1987, the functions and responsibilities
of DOST expanded correspondingly to include the
following: (1) Pursue the declared state policy of
 supporting local scientific and technological
effort; (2) Develop local capability to achieve
technological self-reliance; (3) Encourage greater
private sector participation in research and
development.

• Moreover, funding for the science and technology

sector was tripled from 464 million in 1986 to 1.7
billion in 1992.

• The Department of Science and Technology

(DOST) is the premiere science and technology
body in the country charged with the twin
mandate of providing central direction,
leadership, and coordination of all scientific and
technological activities, and of formulating
policies, programs, and projects to support
national development.

• The Science and Technology Master Plan was

formulated which aimed at the (1) modernization
of the production sector, (2) upgrading research
activities, and (3) development of infrastructure
for science and technological purposes.
• A Research and Development Plan was also
formulated to examine and determine which
areas of research needed attention and must be
given priority. The criteria for identifying the
program to be pursued were, development of local
materials, probability of success, potential of
product in the export market, and its strategic
nature. The grants for the research and
development programs ware included in the
Omnibus Investment Law.

• During President Fidel Ramos’s term, there was a

significant increase in personnel specializing in
the science and technology field. In 1998, there
was an estimated 3,000 competent scientists and
engineers in the Philippines.

• Adding to the increase of scientists would be the

result of the two newly built Philippine Science
High Schools in Visayas and Mindanao which
promotes further development of young kids
through advance S&T curriculum. The
government provided 3,500 scholarships for
 students who were taking up professions related
to S&T.

• Priority for S&T personnel increased when Magna

Carta for Science and Technology Personnel
(Republic Act No. 8439) was established. The
award was published to give incentives and
rewards for people who have been influential in
the field of S&T.

• Still under the Ramos administration, DOST

established the “Science and Technology Agenda
for National Development (STAND)”, a program
that was significant to the field of S&T. It identified
7 export products, 11 domestic needs, 3 other
supporting industries, and the coconut industry as
priority investment areas.

• The seven (7) identified export products were

computer software; fashion accessories; gifts,
toys, and houseware; marine products; metal
fabrications; furniture; and dried fruits.
• The eleven (11) domestic needs identified were
food, housing, health, clothing, transportation,
communication, disaster mitigation, defense,
environment, manpower development, and
energy.

• Three (3) additional support industries were

included in the list of priority sectors, namely,
packaging, chemicals, and metals because of
their linkages with the above sectors.

• In the Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo administration,

numerous laws and projects were implemented
which concerns both the environment and
science to push technology as a tool to increase
the country’s economic level. This is to help
increase the productivity from Science,
Technology and Innovations (STI) and help
benefit the poor people.

• Moreover, the term “Filipinnovation” was the

coined term used in helping the Philippines to be
an innovation hub in Asia.
• The STI was developed further by strengthening
the schools and education system such as the
Philippine Science High School (PSHS), which
focuses on science, technology, and mathematics
in their curriculum. This helps schools produce
get more involved in this sector. Private sectors
were also encouraged to participate in developing
the schools through organizing events and
sponsorships. Future Filipino scientists and
innovators can be produced through this system.

• Recently, the Philippines ranked 73rd out of 128

economies in terms of Science and Technology
and Innovation (STI) index, citing the country’s
strength in research and commercialization of STI
ideas (DOST, 2018). However, a study by the
Philippine Institute for Development Studies
highlighted the weak ties between innovation-
-driven firms and the government, and it also
identified the country’s low expenditure in
research and development (R&D). This is the
reason the government is now extending all its
efforts to reach out with the private sector,
explaining that STI plays an important role in
 economic and social progress and is a key driver
for a long-term growth of an economy.

• Technology adoption allows a country’s firms

and citizens to benefit from innovations created in
other countries and allows it to catch up and even
leap-frog obsolete technologies.
Hopes in Philippine Science and Technology

• Despite the many inadequacies, from funding to

human capital, there are some science and
technology-intensive research and capacity
building projects which resulted in products which
are currently being used successfully and benefits
the society.

• One of these is the microsatellite. In April 2016,

the country launched into space its first
microsatellite called Diwata-1. It was designed,
developed, and assembled by Filipino researchers
and engineers under the guidance of Japanese
experts.

• The Diwata (deity in English) satellite provides

real-time, high-resolution, and multi-color infrared
images for various applications, including
meteorological imaging, crop and ocean
productivity measurement and high-resolution
imaging of natural and man-made features. It
enables a more precise estimate of the country’s
agricultural production, provides images of
watersheds and floodplains for a better
understanding of water available for irrigation,
power, and domestic consumption. The satellite
also provides accurate information on any
disturbance and degradation of forest and upland
areas.
• The country also has the Nationwide Operational
Assessment of Hazards (NOAH), which uses the
Lidar (light detection and ranging) technology.

• Project NOAH was initiated in June 2012 to help

manage risks associated with natural hazards
and disasters. The project developed hydromet
sensors and high-resolution geohazard maps,
which were generated by light detection and
ranging technology for flood modeling.

• Noah helps the government in providing timely

warning with a lead time of at least six hours in
the wake of impending floods. The country is now
training the Cambodians on this technology, as
part of the partnerships among ASEAN countries,
just like in the case of Japan which assisted the
country’s scientists and engineers in building its
first microsatellite.
• Another hope lies in the so-called Intelligent
Operation Center (IOC) platform. Established
through a collaboration between the local
government of Davao City and IBM Philippines
Inc., the center resulted in the creation of a
dashboard that allows authorized government
agencies, such as police, fire, and anti-terrorism
task force, to use analytics software for
monitoring events and operations in real time.
Current Initiatives in Science and Technology in the Country

• DOST, in cooperation with HEIs and research

institutions, established advanced facilities that
seek to spur R&D activities and provide MSMEs
access to testing services needed to increase
their productivity and competitive advantage.

• One is the Advanced Device and Materials

Testing Laboratories (ADMATEL). The center
houses advanced equipment for failure analysis
and materials characterization to address
advanced analytical needs for quality control,
materials identification, and R&D.
• Closely related to ADMATEL is the Electronics
Products Development Center (EPDC), used to
design, develop, and test hardware and software
for electronic products. There are also high-
performance computing facilities that perform
tests and run computationally intensive
applications for numerical weather prediction,
climate modeling, as well as analytics and data
modeling and archiving.
• The Philippines could also boast of its Philippine
Genome Center, a core facility that combines
basic and applied research for the development of
health diagnostics, therapeutics, DNA forensics
and preventive products, and improved crop
varieties.
• The Philippines could also boast of its Die and
Mold Solutions Center, which enhances the
competitiveness of the local tool and die sector
through the localization of currently imported dies
and molds.