A HISTORY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN THE 4. By 3000 B.C.
, Stone Age inhabitants settled in Sulu, Mindanao
PHILIPPINES
Olivia C. Caoili
1. The need to develop one country’s Science and Technology is
recognized as one of the imperatives of socioeconomic progress
in the contemporary world.
2. The Philippines lacks dependence in science and technology
which explains why we are still part of the Third World Countries
3. Science is:
- concerned with the systematic understanding and explanation
of the laws of nature.
- the systematic knowledge of the industrial arts
- a body, of knowledge about techniques
4. The outcome of a systematic research is more concrete than
Science, i.e. the production of a thing, a chemical, or a process
5. The progresses of Science and Technology have been
intimately linked together.
Pre-colonial Science and Technology
Philippine society before Spaniards came in 1521:
1. The development of technology in the Philippines before was
sufficient enough for their needs.
2. About 50,000 years ago, the modern men (homo sapiens)
from the Asia Mainland first came over-land to live in Palawan
and Batangas.
3. For 40,000 years, they made simple tools and weapons of
stone flakes but eventually developed techniques for sawing,
drilling, and polishing hard stones.
where they produce adzes ornaments of seashells and pottery
but had soon declined because of the competition with
imported Chinese porcelains. What remained are the
manufacturers of ordinary cooking pots.
5. Early Filipinos learned to make metals and implements-
copper, gold, bronze and later, iron.
6. The Iron Age lasted from third century before Christ to the
tenth century anno Domini. They did extractions from iron core
but it did not last long because of the imported cast iron from
Sarawak, from China.
7. In first century A.D., Filipinos weaved cotton, smelted irons,
made pots and glass ornaments, and engaged in Agriculture.
8. Filipinos also learned to build boats for the coastal trade. This
had become a HIGHLY developed technology.
9. In 1565, Spaniards came and saw scattered, autonomous
village communities (barangays) all over the archipelago.
10. Settlements along coastal areas had been exposed to foreign
trades such as Manila, Mindoro, and Cebu.
11. The town of Mindoro had been fortified with a stone wall
and defended by armed Moros (bowmen, lancers, and gunners).
12. This implied that Filipinos in Manila had learned to make and
use modern artillery- class of heavy military ranged weapons.
During the American Regime
1. Science and Technology advanced rapidly in the Philippines
because of:
- extensive public education with granting of scholarships for
higher education in Science and Engineering
- organization of Science Research Agencies
- establishment of Science-based public services
2. Competent Filipino nurses and engineers were exported.
3. This is one of the main reasons why our country experiences a
hard time developing. It is because all the competent human
resources we have go to abroad and develop that certain
country instead of his/her own country.
4. Act in 1933 creating the National Research Council of the
Philippine Islands (NRCP).
5. Basic and applied researches helped a lot.
there are very few graduates in the Physical Sciences.
2. Engineering and Science courses entail longer periods of
study and have generally been more expensive to pursue.
In 1960s, science agencies have been added such as:
1. Philippine Inventors Commission (1964)
2. Philippine Coconut Research Institute (1964)
3. Philippine Textile Research Institute (1967)
4. Forests Products Research and Industries Development
Commission (1969)

During the Commonwealth Period

Existing agencies were also attached to NSDB such as:
1. The Constitution incorporated a provision Article XIII, Section 1.Metals Industry Research and Development Center
4 declaring that “The State shall promote scientific research and 2.Philippine Science High School
invention; Arts and Letters shall be under its patronage…” 3.Philippine Council for Agriculture and Resources Research
2. The government enacted Commonwealth Act No. 180
(November 13, 1936) reestablishing the Office of Private
Education which had been abolished in 1932.
3. The Commonwealth worked in the development of economic
self-reliance to sustain the genuine political independence.
4. National Economic Council was made.
5. All the efforts were not enough to achieve the
Commonwealth’s goal because the foreign trades and tariff
policies remained under the control of American government.

After Independence

1. The number of college graduates from public and private

universities and colleges had increased since 1946. However,