MODULE 5.1: Role of Science and Technology in Nation Building

Prelim Topic

Pre-Colonial Period

• Scientific and technological development in the Philippines began even before the Spaniards came to the Philippine islands.

• Early Filipino settlers were already using practicing herbalism and using medicines.

• Agricultural systems and animal husbandry were also being practiced.

• There were also different modes of transportation whether land or water.

Natives of the Cordilleras

• They were the ones who achieved the feat of engineering of building the rice terraces by hand, being able to cultivate crops on the mountainsides in cold temperatures. It is still functional up to this day.

• They incorporated an irrigation system that uses water from the forests and mountain tops to achieve an elaborate fishing system.

Colonial Period

• The Spaniards introduced the native Filipinos with modern means of construction. Walls, roads, bridges, and other large infrastructures were built using some of the engineering skills and tools brought by the Spaniards.

• The Spanish government developed health and education systems that were enjoyed by the principalia class.

American Occupation

• They modernized almost all aspects of life in the Philippines.

• They established a government agency, the Bureau of Science, for the sole purpose of nurturing development in the field of science.

Post-Colonial Period

• After achieving independence from the colonizers, the Philippines, under different administrations, continued to pursue programs in science and technology.

• Each leadership had its own science and technology agenda.

Dictator Ferdinand Marcos

• Ushered advancements in science and technology.

• Under his term, many agencies in science and technology were established and strengthened, including the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), among many others.