SYNOPSIS
Woven Life, a documentary film about the Philippines, answers the question, “What was
intertwined to shape the life of Filipinos today?” Each period is expected to leap a bigfoot for the
people and the society, yet, some circumstances mess with it.
INTRO:
The Philippines has made great strides to get to where they are now. Its people's intellect
grew with time, turning it into a more technological country.
Survival. The ground basis for invention and innovation. Early Filipinos have to harness
available resources to produce heat and light (fire using leaves), storage (manunggul jar, pottery),
cure for diseases (herbal medicines), writing systems for communication (alibata and baybayin),
weapons and tools, calendars, and measurement systems. With these, they engaged in weaving,
shipbuilding, mining, barter, and farming, culminating in the first output of their engineering, the
Banaue Rice Terraces.
The progression does not end there. As the archipelago was colonized, formal education
and scientific institutions arose, contributing to the advancement of science and technology.
During the Spanish era, medical research (Laboratorio Municipal de Ciudad de Manila (established
in 1887)) led to the discovery of problems related to infectious diseases, their causes, and possible
treatments. Sanitation and more modern agricultural practices were also prioritized, as were
infrastructures for a living (houses during the Spanish period), invocation (churches), and
transportation (roads and building). On the other hand, because the Spanish wanted to boost their
economy and make them more powerful, Filipinos were subjected to forced labor, rape, and other
forms of cruelty.
It was during the American Era that Filipinos were able to obtain advanced training, that
served as the foundation for groundbreaking scientific studies (study of various tropical diseases).
The schools produced craftsmen, tradesmen, and technicians who contributed to the development
of a more technological Philippines.