PHILIPPIN

E SCIENCE
AND
TECHNOL
OGY
Historical Background of Science and Technology in the Philippines

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 Henry Otley Beyer
an American anthropologist &
archaeologist
helped reconstruct a picture of the past
through his accounts of his archaeological
findings
resolve the dilemma of chronology in
prehistoric research through lithic studies
in 1920s.
Pre-contact times passed 3 distinct stages

A. The Stone (Paleolithic to

Neolithic) Age

B. T
h
& tr e Metal
ue Ir (
on) A copper-b
ge ronz
e

C. The Porcelain Age

Pieces of Evidences
1. number of lithic assemblages & artifacts found in recent excavations in the islands of Davao,
Palawan, Mindanao, & Luzon since 2000

2. sixty (60) prehistoric tools recovered in the late 19 th & early 20th century discovered between
1926 & 1948 in the southwestern part of Luzon, Visayas, & the Sulu archipelago.

3. relics from prehistoric ages of man found during explorations in the eastern shore of Laguna
de Bay, Tanay, & Bulacan province
4. ancient technology (Marinduque islands) in caves & open burial sites

a. earthenware e. wooden & metal implements

b. semistoneware f. carved wooden image
c. glazed burial jars with g. ornaments of metal
human skeletal remains h. shell & glass
d. carved wooden coffins

5. a nest of Fe weapons uncovered accidentally containing pottery sherds &

several dozen beads in Novaliches & Rizal
6. Chinese oriental wares, potteries, glazes, & decoration (Visayas, Palawan,
Sulu) – indication of Chinese ancient technology in the Phil.
More evidences collected from Sorsogon, Batangas, Tayabas (now Quezon
province) & Masbate.
SPANISH COLONIAL PERIOD (1521-1898) : SCIENCE
EDUCATION BEGINS

1. Field of engineering : construction of government buildings, churches, bridges,

forts, hospitals, schools, & town halls. Introduced the use of concrete & manufacture
of cement, bricks, & lime.
2. Spanish missionaries established parish schools (primary schools).
 Science was introduced in agriculture, sanitation, manufacture of simple machines
from native plants, & the cultivation of sugar cane.
 Science education progressed as formal education * scientific institutions were
introduced only to a privileged few.
 Bachelor of Arts (AB) Degree : science subjects include
astronomy, physics, chemistry, & mathematics (geometry,
algebra, trigonometry)
 Formal Educational institutions:
a. Colegio de Cebu (now USC) 1597
b. Colegio de Nuestra Senora del Rosario (now UST) 1611
c. Colegio de San Jose de Letran 1706
⊷ Ateneo Municipal de Manila 1859
 Priority program : Medicine with focus on Biology
 One of the Popular courses : Pharmacy
 Contributors to Science during the 19th century:
a. Botanist, Fr. Ignacio Mercado
b. Dr. Trinidad Pardo de Tavera
c. Dr. Leon Ma. Guerrero
d. Chemist/pharmacist, Anacleto del Rosario
e. Medicine scholars, Dr. Manuel Guerrero, Dr. Jose Montes, Dr. Elrodario Mercado
Note : Opening of Suez Canal gave opportunity for some Filipinos to study in Europe.
Among them were : Dr. Jose Rizal, Graciano Lopez Jaena, Marcelo H. del Pilar
 AMERICAN COLONIAL PERIOD (1898-1946) :
BIRTH OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

 American established a military government

 Priority missions : improve the public education
and address the unsatisfactory health & sanitary
conditions
 Education : the most vital contribution of the
Americans
* July 1, 1901 : established the Bureau of
Government Laboratories (now NIST): dealt with the
study of tropical diseases & laboratory projects.
 ⊷ * Oct. 26, 1905 : BGL was replaced by Bureau of Science
: focused on agriculture, health & food processing.
: marked the rudiments of R & D in the Phil
: became the primary research center of the Phil until
WWII
: produce quality research works & led to the creation of
the Philippine Journal of Science in 1906 (the leading
scientific journal in the Pacific Region in 1909)
* Aug 3, 1906 : the Bureau became the custodian of
International Standards of Weights & Measurements
* 1905-1906 : the golden years for Philippine Science
: science/scientific activities were intensified
with grants to support deserving Filipino scientists &
students for further studies in US
* 1908 & onwards : UP system was created with various S
& T-related agencies & laboratories
: the Bureau became the training ground for
Filipino scientists
* Dec. 8, 1933 : creation of the National Research Council of the
Philippines (NRCP)
: to promote & support basic research in the country
along with various scientific disciplines including education &
international policies, mathematics, medicine, pharmacy, biology,
agriculture & forestry, engineering & industry, physics,
chemistry, earth & space sciences, veterinary, social sciences, &
humanities.

Note : WW II interrupted the development of S & T

o Fear of death & threat to hunger motivated efforts
on food processing .
o Marked the most unproductive period in research
 THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES :
REHABILITATION AND RECONSTRUCTION

1946 - Republic of the Philippines was established

Dr. Francisco Quisumbing – inventor of “Quink”ink , sold his invention to
Parker Pen Co.
June 13, 1958 – Pres Carlos P. Garcia
- Philippine Congress passed the Science Act of 1958
- National Science Development Board (NSDB) formulate all science policies
 ⊷ More agencies
 1961 - Philippine Academy of Sciences & Humanities (PASH)
 Post Commonwealth Era – Pre. Marcos gave higher importance to science
 1973 Philippine Constitution, Art. XV, Sec 9 (1) “advancement of S & T shall have
priority in the National Development.”
 Dec. 16, 1976 – PD#1003 & 1003A – creation of the National Scientist Award & the
creation of National Academy of Science & Technology (NAST)

1986 – Department of Science & Technology (DOST)

was established under EO#128 by former Pres.
Corazon C. Aquino.
DOST : massive technology transfer activities ,
Aug 8, 1988 – C. Aquino created the specific interventions through various programs,
Presidential Task Force ( PTF) for S & T which such as Comprehensive Technology Transfer &
came up with the first Science & Technology Commerccialization (CTTC)
Master Plan (STMP). Goal : to achieve newly
industrialized country status by 2000
 Ramos administration: DOST initiated a Science & Technology Agenda for
National Development (STAND) – country’s technology development plan

Export winners: Domestic Needs

1. computer software 1. food

2. fashion accessories 2. housing
3. gifts 3. health
4. toys 4. Clothing
5. Houseware 5. transportation
6. Marine products 6. Communication
7. Metal fabrications 7. Disaster mitigation
8. Furniture 8. Defense
9. Dried fruits  

additional support industries

Packaging, chemicals, metals
 Recent S & T Framework Plan - Competence, Competitiveness,
Conscience : The Medium Term Plan of S & T (1999-2004)

Six (6) Flagship Programs:

1. comprehensive program to enhance technology enterprises
2. integrated program on clean technologies
3. establishment of a packaging R & D center
4. expansion of regional meteorology centers
5. S & T intervention program for poor, vulnerable & disabled
6. comprehensive S & T program for Mindanao
 Note : Arroyo administration, up to this time, DOST(2009),
“has twin mandate of providing central direction, leadership &
coordination of all scientific & technological efforts in the
country & at the same time ensuring that the results are geared
& utilized in areas of maximum economic & social benefit for
the people.”

⊷ Jan. 21, 2013 – the Enhanced Basic Education Act 0f 2012

through Senate Bill #3286.
⊷ Nov. 19, 2012 – enactment into law to institutionalize the
additional two years of SHS.
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CONTEMPORARY FILIPINO SCIENTISTS
1. Angel C. Alcala

Alcala was named a National

Scientist of the Philippines in
2014 for his research into
Philippine amphibians and
reptiles, as well as the
conservation of marine-protected
areas.

(Photo: Silliman University

2. Ramon Cabanos Barba

Barba was named a National

Scientist of the Philippines in
2014 for inventing a way to
induce flowering in mango trees
regardless of season, boosting the
local mango industry.

(Photo: World Intellectual

Property
3 . Tetchi-Cruz Capellan

Cruz-Capellan, the CEO of Philippine

renewable energy provider SunAsia
Energy Inc. and founder of the
Philippine Solar Power Alliance,
hopes to grow the solar power
industry in the Philippines. She first
became acquainted with solar power
as the country director of a rural
electrification project funded by the
USAID.
4. Edgardo D. Gomez

Gomez led the world’s first

national-scale assessment of
damage to coral reefs, work which
led to him being conferred the title
of National Scientist of the
Philippines in 2014.

(Photo: Gil Jacinto/University of

the Philippines, Marine Science
Institute)
 5. Alfredo Mahar Lagmay

Lagmay, a professor at the National Institute

of Geological Sciences, University of the
Philippines Diliman, received the 2015
Plinius Medal from the European
Geosciences Union for his research into
natural hazards and disasters in the
Philippines, in particular volcanic hazards,
earthquakes, typhoons, landslides and floods.

He is also executive director of the Department of Science and Technology Nationwide

Operational Assessment of Hazards (NOAH), a flagship program for disaster risk reduction
and management in the Philippines. (Photo: University of Philippines Diliman)
6. Aisa Mijeno

Mijeno is a professor of
engineering at De La Salle
University—Lipa in the
Philippines. Together with her
brother Ralph, she co-founded
Sustainable Alternative Lighting
(SALt), a social enterprise that is
developing an LED lamp that
runs on just table salt and water.
(Photo: Aisa MIjeno
7. Reina Reyes

Reyes has been called “The

Filipina who proved Einstein
right” after her work confirming
Albert Einstein’s Theory of
Relativity on a cosmic scale in
2010 during her Ph.D. studies in
the United States. Reyes
currently works as an
independent data scientist
consulting for private
companies.
8. Gavino Cajulao Trono Jr.

Trono was conferred the honor of

National Scientist of the
Philippines in 2014 for his
research into tropical marine
phycology with a focus on
seaweed biodiversity.

(Photo: Presidential
Communications Operations
Office, the Philippines)
NATIONAL SCIENCE
POLICIES
Science policy refers to the “collective measures taken by a
government in order to encourage the development of scientific
and technical research & to exploit the results of this research for
general political objectives. It can be analytically divided into:
 policy for (or in) science designed to foster research and the
growth of knowledge; and
 policy through science which involves the
exploitation/application of the fruits of science & technology in
various areas of public concern such as public health, pollution,
urban problems, and the like.
Philippine Constitution Of 1987, Article XIV, Section 10
Declared The Policy Of The State To
“ Give Priority To Research And Development, Invention,
Innovation, & Their Utilization; And To Science & Technology
Education, Training & Services. It Shall Support Indigenous,
Appropriate, & Self-reliant Scientific & Technological Capabilities
& Their Application To The Country’s Productive Systems And
National Life.”
DOST (originally established as National Science and Development Board) :
mandated to provide direction to all S & T initiatives.
Functions & responsibilities of DOST as stated in EO128 signed on January
30, 1987:
 pursue the declared state policy of supporting local scientific&
technological effort,
 develop local capability to achieve technological self-reliance, and
 encourage greater private sector participation in research and development
Support System of DOST :
Three (3) Councils
PCAARD : Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources R & D
PCIEERD : Philippine Council for Industry,Energy and Emerging Technology
Research and Development
PCHRD : Philippine Council for Health Research and Development
 
Two (2) Collegial and Scientific Bodies
NAST : National Academy of Science and Technology
NRCP : National Research Council of the Philippines
 
Seven (7) R & D Institutes
ASTI : Advanced Science and Technology Institute
FNRI : Food and Nutrition Research Institute
FPRD : Forest Products Research and Development Institute
ITDI : Industrial Technology Development Institute
MIRDC : Metals Industry Research and Development Center
PNRI : Philippine Nuclear Research Institute
PTRI : Philippine Textile Research Institute
 Note : Each agency has R & D agenda anchored on Duterte’s Socioeconomic
Agenda (Ambisyon Natin 2040) and aligned with the current Philippine
Development Plan.
For 2017 – 2022, the National Integrated Basic Research Agenda (NIBRA) will
prioritize fundamental research in support of the Philippine Development Plan, the
National Security Plan and the Science for Change Program led by DOST:

1. Water Security - TUBIG Program (Tubig ay Buhayin at Ingatan)

2. Food and Nutrition Security - SAPAT Program (Saganang Pagkain Para Sa Lahat)
3. Health Sufficiency - LIKAS Program (LikasYaman sa Kalusugan)
4. Clean Energy - ALERT Program (Alternative Energy Research Trends)
5. Sustainable Community - SAKLAW Program (Saklolo sa Lawa)
6. Inclusive Nation-Building - ATIN Program (Ang Tinig Natin)
 Other policies in effect through DOST:

 On Renewable Energy
RA 9513 The Renewable energy Act of 2008
RA 9367 The Biofuels Law
 On Technology Transfer
RA 10055 Technology Transfer Act of 2009
EO #47 Creating ICTO (Information and
Communications Technology Office)
 On Intellectual Property
RA 8293 Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines
RA 7459 Investors and Invention Incentives Act of the
Philippines

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TOGETHER THEY ACT TO ACHIEVE THE GOALS SET AS MANDATED BY THE
CONSTITUTION.
 Thanks!
Any questions?

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