Science and Technology

in the Colonial Period

Gonzales, Andrea
BSENT 2-1
 Did You Know?

Did you know that even before the Philippines was

colonized by the Spaniards, Science and Technology were
already practiced by the natives of the archipelago and
Filipinos were already involved in farming, shipbuilding,
mining and weaving. The known Banaue Rice Terraces was
one of the sophisticated products of engineering during
the middle age.
 Colonial Period (1521-1945)
• Battle in Mactan (1521)
• Manila remained the center of Spanish civil, military, religious, and commercial activity
in the islands.
• Spaniards changed the lives of the native peoples.
• Spain had objectives in its policy toward the Philippines, its only colony in Asia: to
acquire a share in the spice trade, to develop contacts with China and Japan in order to
further Christian missionary efforts there, and to convert the Filipinos to Christianity.
• Spain’s primary reason for colonization was to obtain source of raw materials that will
be used for international trade.
• During the American colonial period, the feudal systems established by the Spanish were
maintained but this time, a “farce” trading system was established.
• Philippine raw materials of low technological input were traded for foreign finished
products of high technological input.
Science and Technology in Colonial
Period
Spanish Colonial Period
• Introduced formal education and founded scientific institution (religion. Reading,
writing, arithmetic and music was taught)
• Established colleges and universities, including University of Santo Tomas.
• Study of medicine was given priority, also in the field of engineering (for government
bldgs., churches, roads, bridges, fort) and Biology was also given focus.
• Galleon Trade have accounted in the Philippines for big profits.
• The expanded world trade and commerce led to the rapid development of Manila as
cosmopolitan center.
Spanish
Period
Science and Technology in Colonial
Period
American Period and Post Commonwealth Period
• On July 1, 1901 The Philippine Commission established the Bureau of Government
Laboratories which was placed under the Department of Interior and 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 became the primary research center of the Philippines until World War II, but in
1946 it was again replaced by the Institute of Science.
• on December 8, 1933, the National Research Council of the Philippines was established.
• Science during the American period was inclined towards agriculture, food processing, yawa
medicine and pharmacy.
• In 1958, during the regime of President Carlos P. Garcia, the Philippine Congress passed the
Science Act of 1958 which established the National Science Development Board.
American
Period
Thank You!
 Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_and_technology_in_the_Philippines
https://www.scribd.com/document/134550016/Science-and-Technology-in-the-
Philippines-Past-and-Present
https://www.slideshare.net/leizeldespi/brief-history-of-science-and-technology
http://countrystudies.us/philippines/4.htm
 Quiz
1. The start of the Spanish Colonial Period.
a) Manila
2. One of the colleges established during the Spanish Period.
b) December 8, 1933
3. One of the objectives of the Spanish Colonization.
c) Farce trading system
4. The part of the Philippines that was considered a
cosmopolitan center during the expansion world trade and d) 1521
commerce.
e) Galleon Trade
5. National Research Council of the Philippines was
established. f) Obtain source of raw materials
6. Spaniards primary reason for colonization. g) Bureau of Government Laboratories
7. It was established on July 1, 1901 that dealt with tropical h) October 26, 1905
diseases and laboratory projects.
8. It was accounted in the Philippines for big profits. i) Acquire a share in the spice trade
9. The trading system that was established during the j) University of Santo Tomas
American colonial period.
k) National Science Development Board
10.This was established because the Philippines Congress
passed the Science Act of 1958.