Velasco, Cryztian Yzzle

Manalastas, Ismaela P.

CHAPTER 1 ANCIENT CIVILIZATION

Brief history of Science and Technology in the Philippine before the Spanish times

Stone Age
- Archaeologists discovered that modern man, or homosapiens, had first lived in the Philippines were around 48,000 BC.
They lived around the Batangas and Palawan regions, and soon migrated to Sulu, Davao, Zamboanga, Samar, Negros,
Batangas, Laguna, Rizal, Bulacan and Cagayan.
- The tools and weapons that they had were made out of stone flakes and would later develop sawing and polishing stone
around 40,000 B.C.
- Around 3,000 B.C, the natives began the production of bracelets and pendants made out of seashells, and they
discovered pottery which flourished for 2,000 years before they used imported Chinese
Porcelain.

Iron Age
- The Iron Age lasted from there third century B.C. to 11th century A.D. During this period Filipinos were engaged in
extraction smelting and refining of iron from ores, until the importation of cast iron
from Sarawak and later from China.
- They learn to weave cotton, make glass ornaments, and cultivate lowland rice and dike fields of terraced fields utilizing
spring water in mountain regions. They also learned to build boats for trading purposes. Spanish chronicles noted refined
plank built warships called caracoa suited for interisland trade raids.
- The Metal Age of the Philippines, which succeeded the Stone Age (Paleolithic and Neolithic), dates back to about 1,500
B.C. This Age is divided into subperiods: the Early Metal Age and the Developed Metal Age.
- The period is characterized not only by metal implements but also by glass beads, jade and gold ornaments, and burial
jars. Metalworking techniques suggest communities developed on the whole. Division of labor, early trading contacts,
concerns for prestige, and adoption of religious values marked the sophistication of organized communities. Metal tools
simplified agricultural tasks and possibly facilitated the construction of boats and dwellings.

Brief history of Science and Technology of the Philippines during the Spanish Regime

16th Century

- Spanish Regime The later part of the 16th Century Development of schools Colegio de San Ildefonso-Cebu-1595
Colegio de San Ignacio-Manila-1595 Colegio De Nuestra Senora del Rosario-Manila-1597 Colegio De San Jose-Manila-
1601
- Spanish Regime Development of Hospitals San Juan Lazaro Hospital the oldest in the Far East was founded in 1578.
17th Century
- The Dominicans also made a name as they established one of the best universities in the Philippines, the University of
Santo Tomas, that was opened in 1611.
- In 1630, the Dominicans established another university, the "San Juan de Letran" for the orphaned boys.
- "Colegio de Santa Potenciana" was the first school and college for girls.
- This was opened in 1589. Following the birth of the first school for women, Colegio de Santa Isabel opened in 1632.
- The religious congregations also established schools for the girls called "beaterio". The so-called "beaterio" was meant
for orphaned girls who could not afford to educate themselves.

18th Century
- The Real Sociedad Economica de los Amigos Del Pais de Filipinas (Economic Societies of Friends of the Country of the
Philippines) founded by Governador Heneral Jose Basco y Vargas in 1780 encouraged the research into the fields of
agriculture and industry. This resulted in the cultivation of the indigo, cotton, cinnamon and silk industries.
- In the year 1789, Manila was opened to the Asian market and saw an era of increase export of rice, hemp, tobacco,
sugar and indigo, and a rise of imports from other Asian countries.

19th Century
- In 1865, Meteorological studies was promoted by the Jesuits, who are members of the Society of Jesus, and
subsequently founded the Manila Observatory at the Ateneo Municipal de Manila.
- There were no school for engineering in the Philippines but there were schools of: Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry,
Trigonometry, Physics, Hydrography, Meteorology, Navigation, Pilotry and Nautical Pilot
- In 1871, UST opened the college of medicine and pharmacy, after 15 years, UST granted medical licenses to 62
graduates. The license was equivalent to a Master degree to its 1 st six graduates, who included the father of Philippine
Pharmacy, Leon Ma. Guerero. He was considered as the father of Philippine Pharmacy due to his numerous works on
174 types of medicinal plants in the Philippines.
- Expanded world trade and commerce was opened in the Philippines in the later part of the 19 th century which resulted in
modern amenities being brought to the country, such as steam tramways, waterworks, newspapers, electric lights, and
banking system.

Brief History of Science and Technology in the Philippines During American Regime

The Pre-Commonwealth Period

- The progress of science and technology in the Philippines continued under American rule. On July 1, 1901 The Philippine
Commission established the Bureau of Government Laboratories which was placed under the Department of Interior.\
- The Bureau replaced the Laboratorio Municipal, which was established under the Spanish colonial era.
- The Bureau dealt with the study of tropical diseases and laboratory projects. On October 26, 1905, the Bureau of
Government Laboratories was replaced by the Bureau of Science and on December 8, 1933, the National Research
Council of the Philippines was established.
- The Bureau of Science became the primary research center of the Philippines until World War II.
- Science during the American period was inclined towards agriculture, food processing, medicine and pharmacy. Not
much focus was given on the development of industrial technology due to free trade policy with the United States which
nurtured an economy geared towards agriculture and trade.

The Commonwealth Period

- In 1932, Centro Escolar University was granted university status by the Commonwealth government. Their courses were
Accounting, Dentistry, Optometry, Pharmacy, and Science and Technology.
- In 1932, Adamson University was founded by George Lucas Adamson, a Greek immigrant, it was first named Adamson
School of Industrial Chemistry, as the name suggests, it was focused on training men and women in the field of practical
industrial chemistry. In 1941, the school gained university status and teaches the following courses: Education,
Engineering, Industrial Chemistry, and Liberal Arts and Sciences.
- In 1945, Mariano Que opened the first branch of Mercury Drug, making medicine more affordable for the masses, setting
standard of pharmacies all across the country.

Period since Independence from the United States of America

- Jeepneys were created in the 1950s by refurbishing jeeps from the US army.
- In 1980, Ferdinand Marcos creates the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA), then in 1981, construction of the LRT
begins under the Construction and Development Corp. of the Philippines (CDCP).
- In 1985, LRT line 1 is fully running and operational.
- In 1958, National Science and Development Board (NSDB) was established, it was later changed to National Science
and Technology Authority (NSTA) in 1981 by Ferdinand Marcos.
- In 1987, it was elevated into Cabinet level and becomes Department of Science and Technology (DOST) in response
to increasing demands of S&T intervention in national development.
- In 1972, Ferdinand Marcos established the National Grains Authority (NGA) to promote the integrated growth and
development and of the grains industry.
- In 1981, Presidential Decree (PD) No. 1770 was issued which reconstituted the NGA into what is now the National
Food Authority (NFA). This widened the agency’s social responsibilities and commodity coverage to include, in addition
to grains, other food items like raw or fresh fruits and vegetables and fish and marine, manufactured, processed, or
packaged food products, and these were collectively referred to as non-grains commodities.
SOURCES
Despi, Leizel (March 2014.) Brief History of Science and Technology. Retrieved from
https://www.slideshare.net/leizeldespi/brief-history-of-science-and-technology
Essay on History of the Philippine Educational System(Oct 5th, 2012.)https://www.cram.com/essay/History-Of-The-
Philippine-Educational-System/FKJN5Z7K5C

Science and Technology in the Philippines (n.d)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_and_technology_in_the_Philippines

History of Adamson University(n.d.) Retrieved from https://www.adamson.edu.ph/v1/?page=history
History of Mercury Drugstore(n.d.) Retrieved from https://www.mercurydrug.com/corporate-information.html
History of Central Escolar University(n.d.) Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centro_Escolar_University
Early development, rediscovery and colonization of the Philippines (n.d.) Retrieved from
https://psa.gov.ph/sites/default/files/2011PY_Early%20Development%2C%20Rediscovery%20and%20Colonization%20of%
20the%20Philippines_0.pdf
Orosa, Rosalinda L. (July 2013.) History of LRT. Retrieved from
https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2013/07/19/987621/timeline-lrt-mrt-construction
History of DOST (April 2014.) Retrieved from http://dost.gov.ph/10-transparency/about-dost?start=4
History of NFA (n.d.) Retrieved from http://nfa.gov.ph/about-us