A HISTORY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN THE PHILIPPINES
By: Olivia C. Caoili
Introduction
The need to develop a country's science and technology has generally been recognized as one of the
imperatives of socioeconomic
socioeconomic progress in the contemporary
contemporary world. This has become a widespread
widespread concern
concern
of governments especially since the post-world war  years.
!mong Third "orld countries# an important dimension of this concern is the problem of dependence
dependence in
science and technology as this is closely tied up with the integrity of their political sovereignty and economic
self-reliance. There e$ists a continuing imbalance between scientific and technological development
among
among contempo
contemporary
rary states
states with
with %& per cent of all research
research and developme
development
nt facilities
facilities located
located in
developed countries and
and almost
almost wholly
wholly concerned with the latter's problems.
problems. ependence
ependence or autonomy in
science and technology has been a salient issue in conferences sponsored by the (nited )ations.
t is withi
withinn the
the above
above conte$
conte$tt that
that this
this paper
paper attem
attempts
pts to e$amin
e$aminee the
the histor
historyy of
of scie
science
nce and
and
technology in the
the *hilippines. +ather than focusing
focusing simply on a straight
straight chronology of
of events# it see,s to
interpret and analyze the interdependent effects of geography# colonial trade# economic and educational
policies and socio-cultural factors in shaping the evolution of present *hilippine science and technology.
!s used in this paper# science is concerned with the systematic understanding and e$planation of
the laws of nature.
nature. cientific
cientific activity
activity centers
centers on research#
research# the end result of which
which is the discovery or
produc
productio
tionn of new ,nowle
,nowledg
dge.
e. This
This new ,nowle
,nowledge
dge may or may not have any direct
direct or immedia
immediate
te
application.
n comparison# technology has often been understood as the systematic ,nowledge of the industrial
arts. !s this ,nowledge was implemented by means of techni/ues# technology has become commonly
ta,en to mean both the ,nowledge and the means of its utilization# that is# 0a body# of ,nowledge about
techni/ues. 1odern technology also involves systematic research but its outcome
outcome is more
more concrete than
science# i.e. the production of a thing# a chemical# a process# something to be bought and sold.
n the past# science and technology developed separately# with the latter being largely a product of
trial and error in response
response to a particular human need. n modern times# however#
however# the progresses of science
and technology have become intimately lin,ed together. 1any scientific discoveries have been facilitated
by the development
development of new technology.
technology. )ew scientific ,nowledge
,nowledge in turn has often led
led to further refinement
refinement
of e$isting technology or the invention of entirely new ones.
*recolonial cience and Technology
Technology
There is a very little reliable written information about *hilippine society# culture and technology before
the arriv
arrival
al of the
the pania
paniards
rds in
in 2342.
2342. !s such#
such# one
one has
has to recon
reconstr
struct
uct a pictur
picturee of this
this past
past using
using
contemporary archaeological
archaeological findings# accounts by early
early traders and foreign travelers# and
and the narratives
about conditions in the archipelago which were written by the first panish missionaries and colonial
officials. !ccording to these sources# there
there were numerous# scattered# thriving# relatively self-sufficient
self-sufficient and
1
autonomous communities long before the paniards arrived. The early 5ilipinos had attained a generally
simple level of technological development# compared with those of the Chinese and 6apanese# but this
was sufficient for their needs at that period of time.
!rchaeological findings indicate that modern men 7homo sapiens8 from the !sian mainland first
came over-land and across narrow channels to live in *alawan and Batangas around 39#999 years ago.
5or about 9#999 years# they made simple tools or weapons of stone fla,es but eventually developed
techni/ues for sawing# drilling and polishing hard stones. These tone !ge inhabitants# subse/uently
formed settlements in the ma;or *hilippine islands such as ulu# 1indanao 7<amboanga# and avao8#
)egros# amar# =uzon 7Batangas# =aguna# +izal# Bulacan and the Cagayan region8. By about >#999 B.C.#
they were producing adzes ornaments of seashells and pottery of various designs. The manufacture of
pottery subse/uently became well developed and flourished for about 4#999 years until it came into
competition with imported Chinese porcelain. Thus over time pottery ma,ing declined. "hat has survived
of this ancient technology is the lowest level# i.e.# the present manufacture of the ordinary coo,ing pot
among several local communities.
?radually# the early 5ilipinos learned to ma,e metal tools and implements -- copper# gold# bronze and#
later# iron. The ron !ge is considered to have lasted from the second or third century B.C. to the tenth
century !.. @$cavations of *hilippine graves and wor, sites have yielded iron slags. These suggest that
5ilipinos during this period engaged in the actual e$traction of iron from ore# smelting and refining. But it
appears that the iron industry# li,e the manufacture of pottery# did not survive the competition with imported
cast iron from arawa, and much later# from China.
By the first century !..# 5ilipinos were weaving cotton# smelting iron# ma,ing pottery and glass
ornaments and were also engaged in agriculture. =owland rice was cultivated in di,ed fields and in the
interior mountain regions as in the Cordillera# in terraced fields which utilized spring water.
5ilipinos had also learned to build boats for the coastal trade. By the tenth century !..# this had
become a highly developed technology. n fact# the early panish chroniclers too, note of the refined
plan,-built warship called caracoa. These boats were well suited for inter-island trade raids. The paniards
later utilized 5ilipino e$pertise in boat-building and seamanship to fight the raiding utch# *ortuguese#
1uslims and the Chinese pirate =imahong as well as to build and man the galleons that sailed to
1e$ico.
By the tenth century !..# the inhabitants of Butuan were trading with Champa 7Aietnam8 those of
1a-i 71indoro8 with China. Chinese records which have now been translated contain a lot of references to
the *hilippines. These indicate that regular trade relations between the two countries had been well
established during the tenth to the fifteenth centuries. !rchaeological findings 7in various parts of the
archipelago8 of Chinese porcelains made during this period support this contention. 5rom the ung 7%924D&8 and Euan 7249-2>&8 ynasties# there are descriptions of trade with the *hilippines# and from the
ung and 1ing 72>9-28 ynasties there are notices of 5ilipino missions to *e,ing.
The most fre/uently cited Chinese account in *hilippine history te$tboo,s is that of Chao 6u-Fua in
2443. Ge described the communities and trading activities in the islands of 1a-i 71indoro8 and an-hsu
7literally three islands which present-day historians thin, refer to the group of *alawan and Calamian
slands8. The people of 1a-i and an-hsu traded beeswa$# cotton# true pearls# tortoise shell# medicinal
betelnuts# yu-ta cloth 7probably ;ute or ramieH8 and coconut heart mats for Chinese porcelain# iron pots#
lead fishnet sin,ers# colored glass beads# iron needles and tin. These were practically the same
2
commodities of trade between the islands and China which the first panish colonial officials recorded
when they came to the *hilippines more than two centuries later.
The 5ilipinos in 1indanao and ulu traded with Borneo# 1alacca and parts of the 1alay *eninsula.
This trade seems to have antedated those with the Chinese. By the time the paniards reached the
archipelago# these trade relations had been firmly established such that the alliance between the rulers of
1anila and Brunei had become strengthened by marriage. t was through these contacts that GinduBuddhist# 1alay-ans,rit and !rab-1uslim Cultural and technological influences spread to the *hilippines.
There have also been some references 7by early travelers during the precolonial period8 to trade relations
between 6apan and the *hilippines. To date however# *hilippine historians have not found any prehispanic
references to the *hilippines in 6apanese literature of the period.
By the time the paniards came to colonies the *hilippines in 233 they found many scattered#
autonomous village communities 7called barangays8 all over the archipelago. These were ,inship groups or
social units rather than political units. They were essentially subsistence economies producing mainly what
they needed.
These communities e$hibited uneven technological development. ettlements along the coastal
areas which had been e$posed to foreign trade and cultural contacts such as 1anila# 1indoro# Cebu#
outhern 1indanao and ulu# seem to have attained a more sophisticated technology. n 23D9# for
e$ample# the paniards found the town of 1indoro fortified by a stone wall over
fourteen feet
thic,# and defended by armed 1oros -- bowmen# lancers# and some gunners# linstoc,s in hand. There
were a large number of culverins all along the hillside of the town. They found 1anila similarly defended
by a palisade along its front with pieces of artillery at its gate. The house of +a;a oliman 7which was
burned down by paniards8 reportedly contained valuable articles of trade -- money# copper# iron# porcelain#
blan,ets# wa$# cotton and wooden vats full of brandy. )e$t to his house was a storehouse which contained:
much iron and copper as well as culverins and cannons which had melted. ome small and large cannon
had ;ust begun. There were the clay and wa$ moulds# the largest of which was for a cannon seventeen feet
long# resembling a culverin...
These reports indicate that the 5ilipinos in 1anila had learned to ma,e and use modern artillery.
The panish colonizers noted that all over the islands# 5ilipinos were growing rice# vegetables and
cotton raising swine# goats and fowls ma,ing wine# vinegar and salt weaving cloth and producing
beeswa$ and honey. The 5ilipinos were also mining gold in such places as *anay# 1indoro and Bicol.
They wore colorful clothes# made their own gold ;ewelry and even filled their teeth with gold. Their houses
were made of wood or bamboo and nipa. They had their own system of writing and weights and measures.
ome communities had become renowned for their plan,-built boats. They had no calendar but counted
the years by moons and from one harvest to another.
n the interior and mountain settlements# many 5ilipinos were still living as hunters. They gathered
forest products to trade with the lowland and coastal settlements. But they also made ron lance-points#
daggers and certain small tools used in transplanting.
On the whole# the pre-colonial 5ilipinos were still highly superstitious. The paniards found no
temples or places of worship. !lthough the 5ilipinos ,new how to read and write in their own system# this
was mainly used for messages and letters. They seem not to have developed a written literary tradition at
that time.7498 This would have led to a more systematic accumulation and dissemination of ,nowledge# a
condition that is necessary for the development of science and technology. Because of the abundance of
3
natural resources# a benign environment and generally sparse population# there seemed to have been
little pressure for invention and innovation among the early 5ilipinos. !s governor 5rancisco de ande
observed in 23D3# the 5ilipinos do not understand any ,ind of wor,# unless it be to do something actually
necessary -- such as to build their houses# which are made of sta,es after their fashion to fish# according
to their method to row# and perform the duties of sailors and to cultivate the land...
Developments in Science nd Tec!nolo"#
uring the panish +egime
The beginnings of modern science and technology in the *hilippines can be traced to the
panish regime. The paniards established schools# hospitals and started scientific research and these had
important conse/uences for the rise of the countryIs professions. But the direction and pace of development
of science and technology were greatly shaped by the role of the religious orders in the con/uest and
colonization of the archipelago and by economic and trade adopted by the colonial government.
The interaction of these forces and the resulting socio-economic and political changes must#
therefore# be analyzed in presenting a history of science and technology in the *hilippines.
panish con/uest and the colonization of the archipelago were greatly facilitated by the adoption of
an essentially religious strategy which had earlier been successfully used in =atin !merica. Fnown as
reduccion# it re/uired the consolidation of the far-flung# scattered barangay communities into fewer# larger
and more compact settlements within the hearing distance of the church bells. This was a necessary
response to the initial shortage of panish missionaries in the *hilippines. This policy was carried out by a
combination of religious conversion and military force.
The net result of reduccion was the creation of towns and the foundation of the present system of
local government. The precolonial ruling class# the datus and their hereditary successors# were adopted
by the panish colonial government into this new system to serve as the heads of the lowest level of
local government i.e. as cabezas de barangay. The colonial authorities found the new set-up e$peditious
for establishing centralized political control over the archipelago -- for the imposition and collection of the
tribute ta$# enforcement of compulsory labor services among the native 5ilipinos# and implementation of
the compulsory sale of local products to the government.
The 5ilipinos naturally resisted reduccion as it too, them away from their rice fields# the streams
and the forests which were their traditional sources of livelihood and also sub;ected them to the onerous
economic e$actions by the colonial government. Thus the first century of panish rule brought about
serious socio-economic dislocation and a decline ,in agricultural
production and traditional crafts
in many places. n the region surrounding the walled city of 1anila# 5ilipinos migrated from their
barangays to the city in order to serve in the convents and thus avoid the compulsory labor services in the
shipyards and forests. Over the centuries# this population movement would greatly contribute to the
congestion of 1anila and its suburbs.
The religious orders li,ewise played a ma;or role in the establishment of the colonial educational
system in the *hilippines. They also influenced the development of technology and promotion of scientific
research. Gence# these roles must ne$t be e$amined.
4
Aarious decrees were issued in pain calling for the establishment of a school system in the colony
but these were not effectively carried out. *rimary instruction during the panish regime was generally
ta,en care of by the missionaries and parish priests in the villages and towns. Owing to the dearth of
/ualified teachers# te$tboo,s and other instructional materials# primary instruction was mainly religious
education. Gigher
education was provided by schools set up by the different
religious orders
in the urban centers# most of them in 1anila. 5or e$ample# the 6esuits founded in Cebu City the Colegio
de an ldefonso 723%38 and in 1anila# the Colegio de an gnacio 723%38# the Colegio de an 6ose 72928
and the !teneo de 1anila 72&3%8. The ominicans had the Colegio de an 6uan de =etran 7298 in
1anila. !ccess to these schools was# however# limited to the elite of the colonial society -- the
@uropean-born and local paniards# the mestizos and a few native 5ilipinos. Courses leading to the
B.!. degree# Bachiller en !rtes# were given which by the nineteenth century included science sub;ects such
as physics# chemistry# natural history and mathematics.
On the whole# however# higher education was pursued for the priesthood or for clerical positions
in
the colonial administration.
t was only during the latter part of the nineteenth century that
technicalJvocational schools were established by the paniards.748
Throughout the panish regime# the royal and pontifical (niversity of anto Tomas remained as the
highest institution of learning. +un by the ominicans# it was established as a college in 222 by 5ray
1iguel de Benavides. t initially granted degrees in theology# philosophy and humanities. uring the
eighteenth century# the faculty of ;urisprudence and canonical law was established. n 2&D2# the schools of
medicine and pharmacy were opened. 5rom 2&D2 to 2&&# the (niversity of anto Tomas granted the
degree of =icenciado en 1edicina to 4 graduates. 5or the doctorate degree in medicine# at least an
additonal year of study was re/uired at the (niversidad Central de 1adrid in pain.
The study of pharmacy consisted of a preparatory course with sub;ects in natural history and general
chemistry and five years of studies in sub;ects such as pharmaceutical operations at the school of
pharmacy. !t the end of this period of the degree of Bachiller en 5armacia was granted. The degree of
licentiate in pharmacy# which was e/uivalent to a master's degree# was granted after two years of practice
in a pharmacy# one lof which could be ta,en simultaneously with the academic courses after the second
year course of study. n 2&D# the university granted the bachelor's degree in pharmacy to its first si$
graduates in the school of pharmacy. !mong them was =eon 1a. ?uerrero# who is usually referred to as
the 5ather of *hilippine *harmacy becuase of his e$tensive wor, on the medicinal plants of the *hilippines
and their uses. The total number of graduates in pharmacy during the panish period was 2.
There were no schools offering engineering at that time. The few who studied engineering had to go
to @urope. There was a )autical chool created on 2 6anuary 2&49 which offered a four-year course
of study 7for the profession of pilot of merchant marine8 that included sub;ects as arithmetic# algebra#
geometry# trigonometry# physics# hydrography# meteorology# navigation and pilotage. ! chool of
Commercial !ccounting and a chool of 5rench and @nglish =anguages were established in 2&>%.
n 2&&D# the 1anila chool of !griculture was created by royal decree but it was able to open only
in 6uly 2&&%. The chool was designed to provide theoretical and practical education of s,illed farmers
and overseers and to promote agricultural development in the *hilippines by means of observation#
e$periment and investigation. !gricultural stations were also established in sabela# locos# !lbay# Cebu#
loilo# =eyte and parts of 1indanao. The professors in the chool were agricultural engineers. The chool
was financed by the government but it appears that its direction was also left to the priests. The certificates
5
of completion of the course were awarded by the (niversity of anto Tomas or the !teneo 1unicipal. t
seems that the chool was not successful as 5ilipinos did not show much inclination for industrial pursuits.
n 2&># the colonial authorities issued a royal decree designed to reform the e$isting educational
system in the country. t provided for the establishment of a system of elementary# secondary and
collegiate schools# teacher-training schools# and called for government supervision of these schools.
The full implementation of this decree# however# was interrupted by the coming of the !mericans in 2&%&.
Gigher education during the panish regime was generally viewed with suspicion and feared by
the colonial authorities as encouraging conspiracy and rebellion among the native 5ilipinos. 5or this
reason# only the more daring and persevering students were able to underta,e advantaged studies. The
attitude of the panish friars towards the study of the sciences and medicine was even more discouraging.
!s one +ector of the (niversity of anto Tomas in the 2%9s said: 1edicine and the natural sciences are
materialistic and impious studies. t was not surprising# therefore# that few 5ilipinos ventured to study these
disciplines. Those who did were poorly trained when compared with those who had gone to @uropean
universities. cience courses at the (niversity of anto Tomas were taught by the lectureJrecitation method.
=aboratory e/uipment was limited and only displayed for visitors to see. There was little or no training in
scientific research. ir 6ohn Bowring# the British ?overnor of Gong,ong who made an official visit to the
*hilippines in the 2&39s wrote:
*ublic instruction is in an unsatisfactory state in the *hilippines--the provisions are little changed
from those of the mon,ish ages.
n the (niversity of anto Tomas... no attention is given to the natural sciences... nor have any of
the educational reforms which have penetrated most of the colleges of @urope and !merica found their
way to the *hilippines.
n spite of the small number of 5ilipino graduates from the (T in medicine and the sciences they
still faced the problem of unemployment. This was because the colonial government preferred to appoint
panish and other @uropean-trained professionals to
!t the start of the !merican regime# a ?erman physician of 1anila submitted a report to the
authorities on the conditions at (T's medical college. The report mentions# among others# its lac, of
library facilities# the use of outdated te$tboo,s 7some published in 2&38# that no female cadaver had ever
been dissected and the anatomy course was a farce# that most graduates never had attended even
one case of confinement or seen a case of
laparotomy and that bacteriology had been introduced
only since the !merican occupation and was still taught without microscopesK 1any of these
graduates later ;oined the revolutionary movement against pain.
"ith the opening of the uez Canal in 2&% and the conse/uent ease in travel and communications
that it brought about# the liberal ideas and scientific ,nowledge of the "est also reached the *hilippines.
The prosperity that resulted from increased commerce between the *hilippines and the rest of the world
enabled 5ilipino students to go to @urope for professional advanced studies. These included 6ose +izal who
was able to pursue studies in 1edicine and specialize in ophthalmology in pain and ?ermany ?raciano
!pacible who studied medicine in 1adrid !ntonio =una who obtained his *h.. in pharmacy in 1adrid and
later wor,ed with renowned scientists in ?hent and *aris 6ose !le;andrino who too, up engineering in
Belgium# and others. t was this group of students which set up the *ropaganda 1ovement in @urope that
eventually led to the *hilippine revolution against pain.
6
The religious orders provided most of the teaching force and institutions of learning in the colony. This
was similar to the situation that had earlier prevailed in @urope 7where they had come from8 during the
medieval ages. nevitably# members of the religious orders also too, the lead in technological innovation
and scientific research. This involvement invariably arose from their need to provide for basic necessities
as they went around the archipelago to perform their missionary wor, of propagating the Catholic faith
and to finance the colleges# hospitals and orphanages that they had established.
The paniards introduced the technology of town planning and building with stones# bric, and tiles. n
many places# religious 7such as Bishop alazar in 1anila8 personally led in these underta,ings. Because of
the lac, of s,illed 5ilipinos in these occupations# the paniards had to import Chinese master builders#
artisans and masons. The native 5ilipinos were drafted# through the institution of compulsory labor services#
to wor, on these pro;ects. n this manner# the construction of the walls of 1anila# its churches# convents#
hospitals# schools and public buildings were completed by the seventeenth century.
Towards the end of the si$teenth century# the religious orders had established several charity hospitals
in the archipelago and in fact provided the bul, of this public service. These hospitals became the setting
for rudimentary scientific wor, during the panish regime long before the establishment of the (niversity
of anto Tomas 7(T8 college of medicine. +esearch in these institutions were confined to pharmacy and
medicine and concentrated on the problems of infectious diseases# their causes and possible remedies.
everal panish missionaries observed# catalogued and wrote about *hilippine plants# particularly those
with medicinal properties. The most notable of these was 5ather 5ernando de ta. 1aria's 1anual de
1edicinas Caseras published in 2D> which was so in demand that it had undergone several editions by
2&&3.
By the second half of the nineteenth century# studies of infectious diseases such as smallpo$#
cholera# bubonic plague# dysentery# leprosy and malaria were intensified with the participation of
graduates of medicine and pharmacy from (T.738 !t this time# native 5ilipinos began to participate in
scientific research. n 2&&D# the =aboratorio 1unicipal de Ciudad de 1anila was created by decree. ts
main functions were to conduct biochemical analyses for public health and to underta,e specimen
e$aminations for clinical and medico-legal cases. t had a publication called Cronica de Ciencias 1edicas
de 5ilipinas showing scientific studies being done during that time.
There was very little development in *hilippine agriculture and industry during the first two centuries of
panish rule. This was largely due to the dependence of the panish colonizers on the profits from the
?alleon or 1anila-!capulco trade# which lasted from 233 to 2&2>. t was actually based on the trade with
China which antedated panish rule. The galleons brought to =atin !merica Chinese goods -- sil, and other
cloths# porcelain and the li,e -- and brought bac, to 1anila 1e$ican silver. "hen the panish and
*ortuguese thrones were united from 23&2 to 29# goods brought to 1anila by ships from 6apan and
*ortuguese ships from iam# ndia# 1alacca# Borneo and Cambodia were also carried by the galleons to
1e$ico. uring the time# 1anila prospered as the entrepot of the Orient.
The 5ilipinos hardly benefited from the ?alleon trade. irect participation in the trade was limited to
panish inhabitants of 1anila who were given shares of lading space in the galleons. 1any of them simply
speculated on these trading rights and lived off on their profits. t was the Chinese who profited most from
the trade. They acted as the trade's pac,ers# middlemen# retailers and also provided services and other
s,ills which the panish community in ntramuros needed.
7
panish preoccupation with the 1anila ?alleon eventually led to the neglect of agriculture and mining
and the decline of native handicrafts and industries in the *hilippines. The deleterious effects of the trade on
the archipelago's domestic economy had been pointed out by some panish officials as early as 23%4. But
this seems to have been largely ignored by colonial policy-ma,ers. Only the local shipbuilding industry
continued to prosper because of necessity -- to build the galleons and other ships re/uired for internal
commerce and the defense of the archipelago. This had become /uite well developed according to a
5rench visitor in the nineteenth century. Ge observed:
n many provinces shipbuilding is entirely in the hands of the natives. The e$cellence of their wor,
is proof that they are perfectly capable of underta,ing the study of abstruse sciences and that mathematical
e/uations are by no means beyond their comprehension....
!gricultural development was left to the resident Chinese and the panish friars. The latter saw in
the cultivation of their large estates around 1anila a steady source of financial support for their churches#
colleges# hospitals and orphanages in ntramuros. The friar estates profited from the e$panding domestic
food mar,et as a result of the population growth of 1anila and its suburbs. But the friars contribution in the
development of e$isting agricultural technology was more of /uantitative than /ualitative in nature. The
profitability of their estates was largely derived from the intensive e$ploitation of native technology and their
free compulsory personal services.
uccessive shipwrec,s of and piratical attac,s on the galleons to 1e$ico led to declining profits
from the trade and triggered an economic depression in 1anila during the latter part of the seventeenth
century. This situation was aggravated by increasing restrictions on the goods carried by the 1anila ?alleon
as a conse/uence of opposition coming from !ndalusion merchants and mercantilists in pain.
!t the beginning of the eighteenth century# the Bourbon dynasty ascended to the panish throne
and brought with it political and economic ideas of the 5rench @nlightenment. This paved the way for
more government attention to the economic development of the *hilippines. @nterprising paniards began
to e$ploit the mineral wealth of the islands# develop its agriculture# and establish industries. These efforts
were further encouraged by the need to promote economic recovery after the British Occupation of 1anila
in 2D4-2D.
+esearch in agriculture and industry was encouraged by the founding of the +eal ociedad
@conomica de los !migos del *ais de 5ilipinas 7+oyal @conomic ociety of 5riends of the *hilippines8 by
?overnador 6ose Basco y Aargas under authority of a royal decree of 2D&9. Composed of private
individuals and government officials# the ociety functioned somewhat li,e the @uropean learned
societies during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and a modern )ational +esearch Council# t
undertoo, the promotion of the cultivation of indigo# cotton# cinnamon# and pepper and the
development of the sil, industry. uring the nineteenth century# it was endowed with funds which it used
to provide prizes for successful e$periments and inventions for the improvement of agriculture and
industry: to finance the publication of scientific and technical literature# trips of scientists from pain to the
*hilippines# professorships and to provide scholarships to 5ilipinos.
n 2D&%# 1anila was opened to !sian shipping. This inaugurated an era of increasing *hilippine
e$ports of rice# hemp# sugar# tobacco# indigo and others and rising imports of manufactured goods. n
2&2# 1anila was officially opened to world trade and commerce subse/uently other *hilippine ports were
opened.
8
5oreign capital was allowed to operate on an e/ual footing with panish merchants in 2&4%. By this
means agricultural production particularly of sugar and hemp# was accelerated and modernized. =ocal
industries flourished in 1anila and its suburbs -weaving# embroidery# hatma,ing#
carriage
manufacture#
rope-ma,ing# cigar and cigarettes-ma,ing. 1uch of the
finished products of these
industries were e$ported. Eet although *hilippine e$ports ,ept rising during the nineteenth century# imports
of manufactured goods also rose and foreign# particularly @nglish capital dominated e$ternal trade and
commerce. This partly because of short-sighted panish colonial trade policies and the relative
ine$perience and lac, of capital of panish colonial trade policies and the relative ine$perience and lac,
of capital of panish and 5ilipino merchants.
The prosperity arising from e$panded world trade and commerce in the nineteenth century led to
1anila's rapid development as a cosmopolitan center. 1odern amenities -- a waterwor,s system# steam
tramways# electric lights# newspapers# a ban,ing system -- were introduced into the city by the latter half of
the nineteenth century. (ndoubtedly# commercial needs led to the panish governments establishment
of a )autical chool# vocational schools and a chool of !griculture during the nineteenth century.
Aarious offices and commissions were also created by the panish government by the panish
government to underta,e studies and regulations of mines# research on *hilippine flora# agronomic
research and teaching# geological research and chemical analysis of mineral waters throughout the
country. Gowever# little is ,nown about the accomplishments of these scientific bodies.
1eteorological studies were promoted by 6esuits who founded the 1anila Observatory in 2&3. The
Observatory collected and made available typhoon and climatological observations. These observations
grew in number and importance so that by 2&D%# it became possible for 5r. 5ederico 5aura to issue the first
public typhoon warning.
The service was so highly appreciated by the business and scientific
communities that in !pril 2&&# a royal decree made the Observatory an official institution run by the
6esuits# and also established a networ, of meteorological stations under it. n 2%92# the Observatory was
made a central station of the *hilippine "eather Bureau which was set up by the !merican colonial
authorities. t remained under the 6esuit scientists and provided not only meteorological but also
seismological and astronomical studies.
The benefits of economic development during the nineteenth century were unevenly distributed in the
archipelago.
"hile 1anila prospered and rapidly modernized# much of the countryside remained
underdeveloped and poor. The e$pansion of agricultural production for e$port e$acerbated e$isting socioeconomic ine/uality that had been cumulative conse/uence of the introduction of land as private property at
the beginning of panish rule. There was increasing concentration of wealth among the large landowners -the paniards# especially the religious orders# the panish and Chinese mestizos# the native *rincipalia -and poverty and landlessness among the masses. This ine/uality# coupled with abuses and in;ustices
committed by the panish friars and officials gave rise to *hilippine nationalism and eventually the
+evolution of 2&%.
!t the end of the panish regime# the *hilippines had evolved into a primary agricultural e$porting
economy. *rogress in agriculture had been made possible by some government support for research and
education in this field. But it was largely the entry of foreign capital and technology which brought about the
modernization of some sectors# notably sugar and hemp production. The lac, of interest and support for
research and development of native industries li,e weaving# for e$ample# eventually led to their failure to
survive the competition with foreign imports. Because of necessity and the social prestige attached to
university education# medicine and pharmacy remained the most developed science-based professions
during the panish regime.
9
Science nd Tec!nolo"# durin" t!e First Repu$lic
There was very little development in science and technology during the short-lived *hilippine +epublic
72&%&-2%998. The government too, steps to establish a secular educational system by a decree of 2%
October 2&%& it created the (niversidad =iteraria de 5ilipinas as a secular# state-supported institution of
higher learning. t offered courses in law# medicine# surgery# pharmacy and notary public. uring its short
life# the (niversity was able to hold graduation e$ercises in Tarlac on 4% eptember 2&%% when degrees in
medicine and law were awarded.
Developments in Science nd Tec!nolo"#
uring the !merican +egime
cience and technology in the *hilippines advanced rapidly during the !merican regime. This was
made possible by the simultaneous government encouragement and support for an e$tensive public
education system the granting of scholarships for higher education in science and engineering the
organization of science research agencies and establishment of science-based public services.
The !mericans introduced a system of secularized public school education as soon as civil
government was set up in the islands. On 42 6anuary 2%92# the *hilippine Commision# which acted as the
e$ecutive and legislative body for the *hilippines until 2%9D# promulgated !ct )o. D creating a epartment
of *ublic nstruction in the *hilippines. t provided for the establishment of schools that would give free
primary education# with @nglish as the medium of instruction. This was followed by the setting up of a
*hilippine )ormal chool to train 5ilipino teachers. econdary schools were opened after a further
enactment of the *hilippine in Commission in 2%94. The *hilippine 1edical chool was established in 2%93
and was followed by other professional and technical schools. These were later absorbed into the
(niversity of the *hilippines.
The colonial authorities initially adopted a coordinated policy for the promotion of higher education in
the sciences and government research institutions and agencies performing technical functions. The
(niversity of the *hilippines was created on 2& 6une 2%9& by !ct of the *hilippine =egislature. !mong the
first colleges to be opened were the College of !griculture in =os BaLos# =aguna in 2%9%# the Colleges
of =iberal !rts# @ngineering and Aeterinary 1edicine in 2%29 and the College of =aw in 2%22. By 2%22#
the (niversity had an enrollment of 2#99 students# 5our Eears later# its enrollment had almost doubled 7to
4#>%&8 and the (niversity included two new units# a chool of *harmacy and a ?raduate chool of Tropical
1edicine and *ublic Gealth. n 2%2# the chool of 5orestry and Conservatory of 1usic were
established and in 2%2&# the College of @ducation was opened.
@$cept in the College of 1edicine# where there were already a number of 5ilipino physicians who
were /ualified to become its faculty members when it was opened in 2%9D# most of the early instructors
and professor in the sciences and engineering at the (niversity of the *hilippines were !mericans and
other foreigners. Mualified 5ilipinos were sent abroad for advanced training and by this means foreign
faculty were gradually replaced by 5ilipinos. 5or e$ample# in 2%49# 5ilipino *h.. graduates of (..
universities too, over the epartment of !griculture Chemistry in the College of !griculture. By ecember
2%4# the university's enrollment in all colleges had reached # and out of a total teaching staff of
># only  were !mericans and other foreigners.
10
Before 2%29# the !merican colonial government encouraged young men and women to get higher
professional education as much as possible in !merican colleges. n 2%9># the *hilippine commission
passed an !ct to finance the sending of 2>3 boys and girls of high school age to the (nited tates to be
educated as teachers# engineers# physicians and lawyers. One third of these were chosen by the governorgeneral on a nation-wide basis and the rest by the provincial authorities. n e$change for this privilege# the
pensionados# as they came to be called# were to serve in the public service for five years after their return
from their studies. Between 2%9> and 2%24# 49% men and women were educated under this program in
!merican schools. !fter the establishment of the (niversity of the *hilippines# scholarships for
advanced studies of a scientific or technical nature in !merican (niversities were given only in preparation
for assignment to ;obs in the public service.
The *hilippine Commission introduced science sub;ects and industrial and vocational education
into the *hilippine school system but they found that industrial and vocation courses were very
unpopular with the 5ilipinos. "hen the 1anila Trade chool was opened in 2%92# the school authorities
found it difficult to get students to enroll in these courses. Because of their almost 99 years of colonial
e$perience under the paniards# middle class 5ilipinos had developed a general disdain for manual wor,
and a preference for the prestigious professions of the time# namely# the priesthood# law and medicine.
@ducation in these professions came to be regarded as the means of ma,ing the best of the limited
opportunities in the panish colonial bureaucracy and thus of rising from one's social class. Gence# even at
the newly-opened (niversity of the *hilippines# it was difficult to get students to enroll in courses which
re/uired field wor, such as# for
e$ample# agriculture# veterinary medicine# engineering and other
applied science. cholarships were thus offered by the government to attract a sufficient number of
students to enroll in courses that were needed to fill up the technical positions in the government
service.
n the field of medicine# the *hilippine Commission provided for as many scholarships as there
were regularly organized
provinces in the slands. These were awarded by the school
departments after competitive e$aminations in the provinces. ! recipient of these scholarships was
re/uired to return to the province from whence he came and to serve as a physician for as many years
as his medical education was paid for by the
government. This policy was adopted not only to
assure the
medical school a continuing supply of carefully selected students but also to ensure a
balanced geographical distribution of
physicians in the different provinces and to counteract their
tendency to settle in the large urban areas.
elected graduates of the schools of medicine and nursing were also sent on government
scholarship to universities in the (nited tates for postgraduate courses and training in special fields.
n 2%42# the +oc,efeller foundation provided for si$ fellowships for /ualified 5ilipinos in universities in the
(nited tates and @urope# two each in he fields of public health 7preventive medicine8# public health
laboratory wor, and teacher training in nursing education. Over several years# the 5oundation provided
more than thirty of these fellowships and also financed shorter observation trips of many other health
officials.
t also greatly aided in the establishment and development of the ?raduate chool of *ublic Gealth
and Gygiene in the (niversity of the *hilippines.
"hen the Bureau of *ublic "or,s was created in 2%92# the !mericans found that there were no
competent 5ilipino engineers# and !merican engineers had to be imported. !s a conse/uence# a special
11
effort was made to attract 5ilipinos to pursue advanced studies leading to careers as engineers. n many
cases government financial assistance was provided to enable them to complete their professional studies
in the (nited tates. (pon achieving their professional /ualifications they were employed as ;unior
engineers in the Bureau of *ublic "or,s. 1any of them rapidly advanced in their positions. Their career
progress can be seen from the fact that whereas in 2%2> there were only 2& 5ilipino engineers out of a
total of 23 engineers in the Bureau of *ublic "or,s# the rest being !merican by the end of 2%43# out of
2%9 engineers in the Bureau# only 2 were !mericans and 2D were 5ilipinos.
The establishment of the (niversity of the *hilippines satisfied the short-run needs for professionally
trained 5ilipinos in the colonial government's organization and programs. "hat the authorities did not
recognize was that by providing for an e$tensive public school system at the elementary and secondary
levels they had increased tremendously the social demand for professional education. The (niversity of
the *hilippines remained the only publicly-supported institutions for higher education# and# since it
could not meet the increasing social demand for universities was left to the initiative of enterprising
5ilipinos. 5or many 5ilipinos# private education became the alternative for professional education.
1any of the e$isting private nonsectarian universities were organized during the early period of the
!merican regime to help meet the increasing demand for professional education and the country's need for
trained manpower. !t the same time# these schools remained distinctively 5ilipino in orientation as they
were conceived by their founders as a means to conserve the national heritage and prevent the
complete !mericanization of the 5ilipinos.
!t the outset of the !merican regime# there was no definite government policy on private schools.
Because of the widespread disorganization that followed a more of these schools were set up# government
regulation and control was found necessary. The first attempt to regulate private schools was through
the Corporation =aw 7!ct )o. 23%8 enacted by the *hilippine Commission in 2%9. n effect# it treated
the schools li,e commercial firms or business enterprises e$cept that they would be under the supervision of
the epartment of *ublic nstruction rather than the epartment of Trade and ndustry.
n 2%2D# !ct )o. 49D 7*rivate chool !ct8 was enacted by the *hilippine =egislature. The !ct
recognized private schools as educational institutions and not commercial ventures. t re/uired the
ecretary of *ublic nstruction to maintain a general standard of efficiency in all private schools and
colleges so that...7they shall8 furnish ade/uate instruction to the public... and authorized him to inspect
and watch these school and colleges. The supervision of these schools was
entrusted to a staff
of four within the epartment of *ublic nstruction -- a superintendent# an assistant superintendent and
two supervisors.
The number of private colleges increased rapidly. n 2%43 a survey of the educational system of the
sland was authorized urvey which was headed by *aul 1onroe made a comprehensive investigation
of all public and private institutions of learning in the country. The 1onroe urvey found most private
schools substandard. t reported that most of these were physically ill e/uipped and with more part-time
than full-time faculty members. !mong the private colleges and universities# it found out that: The
e/uipment of all these institutions is owefully inade/uate# the laboratory for the teaching of science being but
a caricature of the real thing.
12
!s a conse/uence of the findings of the 1onroe urvey# the ?overnment too, steps to improve
the machinery for the
supervision of private schools. The *hilippine =egislature created the
Office of *rivate @ducation to loo, into such matters as physical plant# school facilities# libraries#
laboratory e/uipment and student load# and administrative wor, such as enforcement of relevant
government regulations# evaluating
credits ta,en by students# managing admission of foreign students
and the li,e. !s a result of the increased outlay for supervision of private schools# their standards were
improved.
uring the !merican regime# the development of science gained more government support along with
efforts to establish an old e$tensive public school system and public health programs. The old =aboratorio
1unicipal was absorbed by the Bureau of ?overnment =aboratories created by the *hilippine Commission
in 2%92. n 2%93# the latter was reorganized and renamed Bureau of cience. t remained the principal
government research establishment until the end of the econd "orld "ar. t had a biological laboratory#
a chemical laboratory# a serum laboratory for the production of vaccine virus# serums and prophylactics# a
library. 1ost of the senior scientists in the Bureau were initially !mericans but as 5ilipinos ac/uired the
necessary training# they gradually too, over their positions.
The Bureau of cience served as a valuable training ground for 5ilipino scientists. t performed the
needed chemical and biological e$aminations for the *hilippine ?eneral Gospital and Bureau of Gealth
and manufactured the serums and prophylactics needed by the latter. *ioneering research was done at
the Bureau of cience on such diseases as leprosy# tuberculosis# cholera# dengue fever# malaria and
beri-beri. +esults of these studies were readily available to the Bureau of Gealth for use in its various
programs. tudies on the commercial value of tropical products# tests of *hilippine minerals and
roadbuilding materials# the nutritional value of foods# and other were similarly done at the Bureau of
cience. 5rom 2%9# it published the *hilippine 6ournal of cience which reported not only wor, done in
local laboratories but also scientific developments abroad which had relevance to *hilippine problems.
The !merican colonial authorities organized other offices which# by the nature of their operations#
contributed further to the growth of scientific research. These were the "eather Bureau 72%928# the Board
7later Bureau8 of Gealth 72&%&8# Bureau of 1ines 72%998# Bureau of 5orestry 72%998# Bureau of !griculture
72%928# Bureau of Coast and ?eodetic urvey 72%938# Bureau of *lant ndustry 72%4%8 and Bureau of
!nimal ndustry 72%4%8 7&48 5rom 2%4D# there were proposals from professional societies for the creation
of a )ational 1edical +esearch Council and a )ational +esearch Council similar to those in the (nited
tates# Canada# and !ustralia. The *hilippine =egislature passed an e$tensively emulated abroad.
!ct in 2%>> creating the )ational +esearch Council of the *hilippine slands 7)+C*8. !side from
wor,ing for the promotion of scientific research# the )+C* actively participated in the deliberations and
drafting of provisions affecting science and industry in the 2%> Constitutional Convention.
@ducational and science policy during the !merican regime was not coordinated with colonial
economic policy. "hile 5ilipinos were provided opportunities for higher education in the sciences and
engineering# the economy remained basically agricultural. To a great e$tent# *hilippine economic
development was determined by free trade relations established in 2%9% between the *hilippines
and the (nited tates# and these continued long after independence was achieved in 2%. !s a result
of this policy# the *hilippine economy became tied to that of the (nited tates# remaining primarily an
e$porter of agricultural crops and raw materials and an importer of !merican manufactured goods.
(ndoubtedly this delayed *hilippine industrialization. The relative underdevelopment of the physical
sciences vis-a-vis the medical and agricultural sciences may be traced to this policy. Basic and applied
13
research in the medical# agricultural and related sciences received much greater government support during
the !merican regime than did industrial research.
Science nd Tec!nolo"#
uring the Commonwealth *eriod
n 2%>3# the *hilippine Commonwealth was inaugurated and ushered in a period of transition to political
independence. The Constitution ac,nowledged the importance of promoting scientific development for the
economic development of the country by incorporating a provision 7!rticle N# ection 8 declaring that The
tate shall promote scientific research and invention# !rts and =etters shall be under its patronage...
The government# which was by this time completely under 5ilipino management# continued to
e$pand its public school system to accommodate the increasing number of schoolchildren. The
?overnment abolished ?rade A as the terminal grade in the elementary curriculum and also instituted
the double-single session plan thus reducing the time allotment or dropping certain sub;ects in the
elementary school. The government also enacted Commonwealth !ct )o. 2&9 72> )ovember 2%>8
reestablishing the Office of *rivate @ducation which had been abolished in 2%>4.
On the whole# higher education was provided mainly by the private sector. By 2%># there were 43
private schools recognized by the government#  of which we institutions at the College level and D were
universities. These were Centro @scolar (niversity# 5ar @aster (niversity# )ational (niversity#
*hilippine "omen's (niversity# illiman (niversity# (niversity of 1anila and the (niversity of anto Tomas.
Together with the (niversity of the *hilippines these had a total of 2%#3D3 college students in all universities
in the country. The combined significant increase in trained scientists and engineers in the *hilippines
before the econd "orld "ar.
The Commonwealth government wor,ed towards the development of economic self-reliance which
would be necessary to sustain genuine political independence. t created the )ational @conomic Council to
prepare an economic program and advise the government on economic and financial /uestions. everal
government corporations were reorganized and new ones were created to perform such varied
functions as the e$ploitation and development of natural resources 7e.g.# the )ational *ower Corporation8
the development and promotion of local industries 7such as the
)ational evelopment Company
7)C8 and its subsidiaries# the )ational !baca and Other 5ibers Corporation8 promotion of agricultural
production and mar,eting and the li,e. The )C was especially mandated to underta,e the development
of successful researches of government science agencies 7such as the Bureaus of cience# !nimal ndustry
and *lant ndustry8 for commercial production.
The Commonwealth government li,ewise adopted measures to encourage and provide assistance to
private 5ilipino businessmen in the establishment of industries and manufacturing enterprises. 5or
e$ample# it created new agencies# such as the Bureau of 1ines# to provide assistance to businessmen
underta,ing mining e$ploration and development. t also increased appropriations for the Bureaus of
cience# *lant and !nimal ndustry# and thereby encouraged more scientific research for industrial
purposes.
14
n spite of all these efforts# the Commonwealth government was unable to achieve its goal of economic
self-reliance. This was primarily because foreign trade and tariff policies remained under the control of
the !merican government. 5ree trade relations also continued and thus perpetuated the
preferential treatment of e$ports of agricultural raw materials. 1oreover# the *acific "ar bro,e out in 2%2
and the *hilippines was occupied by 6apanese troops.
The occupation of the *hilippines by the 6apanese during the "ar brought educational and scientific
activities practically to a halt as able bodied citizens ;oined the resistance movement. "orse still# much of
the country was reduced to ruins during the battles ought for the liberation in 2%-3. 1anila# which was
the center of all educational and scientific activities# was razed to the ground# destroying everything that had
been built up before. t was in this condition that the *hilippines became an independent state. The
government had to contend with economic reconstruction# normalization of operations as well as the tas, of
planning the direction of economic development.
Science nd Tec!nolo"# since Independence
The underlying pattern of education and training of scientists# engineers and physicians
established during the !merica regime# as well as the direction of government support for scientific
research and development# has basically remained unchanged since independence in 2%. tate
support for education continues to be concentrated at the elementary school level private colleges and
universities provide education for the ma;ority of the collegiate population.
The number of state universities and colleges has been increasing since 2%. Gowever# their growth
has not been based on a rational plan. *artisan political considerations often determined the creation#
location and staffing of these institutions.
Gence# many of them were ill-e/uipped and ill-prepared to
provide /uality higher education particularly in the sciences and engineering. tate universities and colleges
vary in standards arising largely from the uneven distribution of faculty development programs. The
(niversity of the *hilippines ystem remains the most developed with e$tensive graduate and
undergraduate degree programs in the sciences and engineering. t receives over half of the national
budget for state universities and colleges.
*rivate universities and colleges have similarly increased in numbers since 2%. Gowever# these
vary in standards. 1ost non-sectarian universities and colleges are organized and managed li,e business
enterprises and are heavily dependent on tuition fees. To operate profitably# they tend to concentrate on
low-cost courses li,e business administration# liberal arts and education# and encourage large enrollments in
these. ectarian universities and college tend to be financially better endowed. Gence# they have been
able to impose selective admissions# lower faculty-student ratios and provide laboratory and library
facilities re/uires for science and engineering program. The large number of private colleges and
universities to be supervised and the limited epartment of @ducation and Culture 7now the 1inistry of
@ducation# Culture and ports8 staff to do it has hampered effective government supervision and control of
their standards.
The number of college students and graduates from public and private universities and colleges has
shown tremendous increases since 2%. )evertheless# the proportion of those in agriculture# medical
and natural sciences# and engineering has remained relatively low. There are very few graduates in the
physical sciences. 1ost students 7and graduates8 in agriculture come from state institutions while most of
15
those in engineering and medical sciences come from private institutions. n both# the ma;ority of college
students and graduates continue to be in teacher trainingJeducation and commerceJbusiness administration
courses. This situation results from the fact that students tend to enroll in courses where there are
perceived employment opportunities and which their families can afford. @ngineering and science courses
entail longer periods of study and have generally been more e$pensive to pursue.
The rise of professional organizations of scientists and engineers followed closely the growth of higher
education in the *hilippines. The earliest organizations were in medicine and pharmacy# professions which
were the first to be introduced during the colonial era. !s the number of graduates in a particular discipline
increased# associations were formed to promote professional interests and regulate standards of practice
and these were modelled after their counterparts in the (nited tates.
elf-regulation by professional
associations was eventually institutionalized in government laws which established professional e$amining
boards and licensing procedures.
n certain cases# professional organizations initiated changes in the collegiate curriculum for their
specialization and wor,ed for improvements in educational standards. The *hilippine 1edical !ssociation
7*1!8 actively wor,ed to improve standards of medical education by limiting enrollment in medical colleges
and adding courses re/uired for the medical degree. !cademic members of the profession have led in
/uestioning the relevance of
"estern-oriented medical curriculum to *hilippine conditions. This has
resulted in recent innovations in medical training such as more e$posure of students to community
medicine and the
e$perimental curriculum to produce doctors for rural areas. n the field of
engineering# the *hilippine nstitute of Chemical @ngineers initiated a series of conference to discuss
curriculum revisions for its profession. +esults of these conferences were then endorsed to the
epartment of @ducation and Culture 7@C8 for official adoption. n other branches of engineering# the
government through @C convened meetings of educators# members of professional e$amining boards#
representatives of professional organizations and the private sector to update and adopt uniform core
curricula for all universities and colleges to follow. These developments too, place in 2%D>-2%D.
On the whole# there has been little innovation in the education and training of scientists and
engineers since independence in 2%. This is in part due to the conservative nature of self-regulation by
the professional associations. Because of specialized training# vertical organization by disciplines and
lac, of liaison between professions# professional associations have been unable to perceive the dynamic
relationship between science# technology and society and the relevance of their training to *hilippine
conditions.
*aralleling the increasing number of state colleges and universities has been a rise in government
science agencies since 2%. n 2%D# the Bureau of cience was reorganized into an nstitute of
cience.7%38 n the same year# an nstituter of )utrition# and in 2%34# the cience 5oundation of the
*hilippines 75*8 were created and placed 7along with the nstitute of
cience8 under the Office of
the *resident.7%8 The nstitute of )utrition was to perform research# advisory and e$tension
functions while the cience 5oundation was to stimulate research in the sciences and engineering and
promote science consciousness among the people. n 2%34# the Commission on Aolcanology was also
created and placed under the )ational +esearch Council of the *hilippines 7)+C*8. ts function was
primarily basic research on volcanology.
cientific wor, in government suffered from a lac, of support# planning and coordination during
the early postwar years. The (.. @conomic urvey 1ission to the *hilippines in 2%39# noted in its
+eport the dearth of basic information needed by industries of the country# the neglect of e$perimental
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wor, and the meager appropriation in the national budget for
scientific research# including the
low salaries of government scientists. The Bell 1ission recommended# among other things# the
systematic e$ploration of the country's natural resources to determine their potentialities for economic
development.
5ollowing the Bell 1ission's +eport# the nstitute of
cience was reorganized in 2%32.
+enamed nstitute of cience and Technology# it ac/uired the status of a government-owned
corporation and was placed under the office of @conomic Coordination. !dded to its former functions of
resources survey# testing and standardization# were the responsibility for improving industrial processes
and stimulating technological development.
n 2%3D# a report was submitted to the *resident pointing out the deterioration of *hilippine science
since the early years of the !merican regime. The report analyzed the causes of this decline -- the lac,
of government support dearth of scientists of high training and ability low morale of scientists and a lac,
of public awareness of cience. t made several recommendations towards a long-range development of
science in the country. Conse/uently# Congress enacted the cience !ct of 2%3&.
The cience !ct created the )ational cience evelopment Board 7)B8 to formulate policies for
the development of science and coordinate the wor, of science agencies. The !ct also created the
*hilippine !tomic @nergy Commission 7*!@C8 and the )ational nstitute of cience and Technology
7)T8 and placed these# along with the )+C*# under the )B.
n the 2%9s additional science agencies were created by law which thereby e$panded )B's
organization and functions. These were the *hilippine nventors Commission 72%8# *hilippine
Coconut +esearch nstitute 72%8# *hilippine Te$tile +esearch nstitute 72%D8# and 5orest *roducts
+esearch and ndustries evelopment Commission 72%%8.72948 everal e$isting agencies were also
attached to )B for policy coordination -- the )+C*# 1etals ndustry +esearch and evelopment Center
71+C8# the 5*# *hilippine cience Gigh chool 7*G8 and *hilippine Council for !griculture and
+esources +esearch 7*C!++8.
The creation of these science agencies undoubtedly shows increasing government concern and
support for the development of *hilippine science and technology. n 2%D# a national science
n 2%&4# )B was further reorganized into a )ational
cience and Technology !uthority
7)T!8 composed of four research and evelopment Councils *hilippine Council for !griculture and
+esources +esearch and evelopment *hilippine Council for
ndustry and @nergy +esearch
evelopment *hilippine Council for Gealth +esearch and evelopment and the )+C*. )T! has also
eight research and development institutes and support agencies under it. These are actually the former
organic and attached agencies of )B which have themselves been reorganized.
The e$panding number of science agencies has given rise to a demand for high calibre scientists and
engineers to underta,e research and staff universities and colleges. Gence# measures have also been
ta,en towards the improvement of the countrys science and manpower. n 1arch 2%&># @$ecutive Order
)o. &&% was issued by the *resident which provided for the establishment of a national networ, of centers
of e$cellence in basic sciences. !s a conse/uence# si$ new institutes were created: The )ational
nstitutes of *hysics# ?eological ciences# )atural ciences +esearch# Chemistry# Biology and
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1athematical ciences. +elated to this efforts was the establishment of a cientific Career ystem in
the Civil ervice by *residential ecree )o. %92 on 2% 6uly 2%&>. This is designed to attract more /ualified
scientists to wor, in government and encourage young people to pursue
science degrees and
careers.
Summr# nd Conclusion
This paper has shown that the development of science and technology in the *hilippines has been
greatly influenced by its historical e$perience as a colony of pain and the (nited tates. Colonial policies#
particularly those on economic development and e$ternal trade# have over the centuries fostered a
primarily agricultural# e$port-oriented economy dependent on the outside world as mar,et for its products
and a source of manufactured goods. This has led to a neglect and lac, of support for
industrialization.
This problem of colonial development has effected the historical development of *hilippine
science and technology. The agricultural science generally tended to receive more funding and support
compared to the physical sciences. This pattern of support persisted despite the introduction of the other
sciences into the country's educational system during the !merican regime.
The continuing dependence of the *hilippine economy on the (nited tates even after independence
in 2%# as a result of the free trade relations and the virtual imposition of the parity amendment to the
*hilippine Constitution by the ( Congress has perpetuated the predominantly agricultural and rural
character of *hilippine economy and society. This dependent development of *hilippine society and
economy has had serious repercussions for the advancement of *hilippine science and technology.
ncreasing social demand for higher education has led to the growth of highly-trained professional
manpower#
particularly scientists# engineers and physicians.
Gowever# because of the
underdeveloped state of the economy# many of these science-based professionals have either been
unemployed or
underemployed. Conse/uently# many of them have been forced to migrate to
developed countries# thus creating a brain drain or loss of valuable human resources for the *hilippines.
729&8 "orse still# this brain drain helps to perpetuate *hilippine
dependent development as
many of those who leave are highly educated and better trained professionals who are needed in the
country's development efforts. There is thus a need for the government to critically ree$amine the
interrelations between past and present education and science policies with those of its economic
development policies in order to be able to redirect these towards the goal of attaining a strong# selfreliant
economy and society. ! well developed national science and technology is a critical factor in
the achievement of this goal.
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