An antecedent is a thing that comes before anything else.

In about 4000 BC, the Mesopotamians tried to explain their observations by suggesting that the
Earth was at the center of the Universe, and that the other heavenly bodies moved around it. Humans
have always been interested in the nature and origins of this Universe.

THE GREEKS were the first people to try and develop the theory behind their observations. People such
as Pythagoras concentrated on a mathematical view of the world. Similarly, Aristotle and Plato
developed logical methods for examining the world around them.

It was the Greeks who first suggested that matter was made up of atoms - fundamental particles that
could not be broken down further.

But it wasn't only the Greeks who moved science on. Science was also being developed in India, China,
the Middle East and South America. Despite having their own cultural view of the world, they each
independently developed materials such as gunpowder, soap and paper.

However, it wasn't until the 13th century that much of this scientific work was brought together in
European universities, and that it started to look more like science as we know it today.

Progress was relatively slow at first. For example, it took until the 16th century for Copernicus to
revolutionize (literally) the way that we look at the Universe, and for Harvey to put forward his ideas on
how blood circulated around the human body. This slow progress was sometimes the result of religious
dogma, but it was also a product of troubled times!

THE BIRTH OF MODERN SCIENCE

It was in the 17th century that modern science was really born, and the world began to be examined
more closely, using instruments such as the telescope, microscope, clock and barometer. It was also at
this time that scientific laws started to be put forward for such phenomena as gravity and the way that
the volume, pressure and temperature of a gas are related.
In the 18th century much of basic biology and chemistry was developed as part of the Age of
Enlightenment.

The 19th century saw some of the great names of science: people like the chemist John Dalton, who
developed the atomic theory of matter, Michael Faraday and James Maxwell who both put forward
theories concerning electricity and magnetism, and Charles Darwin, who proposed the (still)
controversial theory of evolution. Each of these developments forced scientists radically to re-examine
their views of the way in which the world worked.

The last century brought discoveries such as relativity and quantum mechanics, which, again, required
scientists to look at things in a completely different way. It makes you wonder what the iconoclastic
discoveries of this century will be.

Even before the colonization by the Spaniards in the Philippines, the natives of the archipelago already
had practices linked to science and technology, Filipinos were already engaged in farming, shipbuilding,
mining and weaving. The Rice Terraces are among the sophisticated products of engineering by pre-
Spanish era Filipino.

terraces.jpg

Brief History Of Science And Technology In The Philippines

Science

In pre- Spanish Philippines, science is embedded in the way of life of the Filipinos. Scientific
knowledge is observed in the way they plant their crops that provide them food, in taking care of
animals to help them in their daily tasks and for food productions.
 Science is observed in the way they interpret the movements of heavenly bodies to predict seasons
and climates, and in organizing days into months and years. They used science in preparing the soil for
agricultural purposes and like any other ancient culture, they discovered the medicinal uses of plants.

Technology

Is used by people in building houses, irrigations and in developing tools that they can use in
everyday life. They develop tools for planting, hunting, cooking, and fishing, for fighting their enemies
during war or tribal conflicts, and for transportation, both on land and on water ways. They also develop
technologies in creating musical instruments.

Stone Age

Archaeological findings show that modern man from Asian mainland first came over land across
narrow channels to live in Batangas and Palawan about 48,000 B.C.

Subsequently, they formed settlements in Sulu, Davao, Zamboanga, Samar, Negros, Batangas, Laguna,
Rizal, Bulacan, and Cagayan.

Inventions

They made simple tools and weapons of stone flakes and later developed method of sawing and
polishing stones around 40,000 B.C

By around 3,000 B.C. they were producing adzes ornaments of seashells and pottery. Pottery
flourished for the next 2,000 years until they imported Chinese porcelain. Soon they learned to produce
copper, bronze, iron, and gold metal tools and ornaments.

Iron Age

The Iron Age lasted from the 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.

Inventions / Discoveries

They learned 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.

10th Century A.D

Filipinos from the Butuan were trading with champa [Vietnam] and those from Ma-1 [Mindoro] with
China as noted in Chinese records containing several references to the Philippines. These archaeological
findings indicated that regular trade relations between the Philippines, China and Vietnam had been
well established from the 10th century to the 15th century A.D.

Trading

The people of Ma-1 and San- Hsu [Palawan] traded bee wax, cotton, pearls, coconut heart mats,
tortoise shell and medicinal betel nuts, panie cloth for porcelain, leads, fishnets sinker, colored glass
beads, iron, pots, iron needles and fin.

Before The Spaniards

Filipinos were already engaged in activities and practices related to science forming primitive or first
wave technology. Included were the curative values of some plant and the technology on how to extract
medicine from herbs. They had an alphabet, a system of writing, a method of counting and weights and
measure. They had no calendar, but the years were determined by the period of the moon and the
period from one harvest to another.

Science and Technology in the Philippines

Pre- Colonial Period

Scientific and technological development in the Philippines began in the Pre-Colonial Period. Even
before the Spaniards came to the Philippine islands, early Filipino settlers were already using certain
plants and herbs as medicines. Systems of farming and animal- raising were also implemented.
Moreover, early Filipinos had also developed different modes of transportation, whether terrestrial or
maritime.

A complicated engineering feat was achieved by the natives of the Cordilleras when they built rice
terraces by hand. Through these terraces, the people were able to cultivate crops on the mountainsides
in cold temperatures. They incorporated an irrigation system that uses water from the forests and
mountain tops to achieve an elaborate farming system. The rice terraces of the Cordilleras, which are
still functional, show the innovative and ingenious way of the natives to survive in an otherwise
unfriendly environments.

Colonial Period

Colonization by the Spaniards provided the Philippines with modern means of construction. Wall,
roads, bridges, and other large infrastructure were built using some of the engineering skills and tools
brought by the Spaniards. In addition, the Spanish government developed health and education systems
that were enjoyed by the principal class

The American occupation modernized almost all aspect 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 and technology.

Science and Technology during the American Period

Science and technology in the Philippines advanced rapidly during the American regime. This was made
possible by the simultaneous government encouragement and support for an extensive 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.

In 1947, the Bureau of Science was recognized into an Institute of Science. In the same year, an
Institute of Nutrition, and in 1952, the Science Foundation of the Philippines [SFP] were created and
placed [along with the Institute of Science] under the Office of the President.

1.FLORESCENT BY AGAPITO FLORES

2. INCUBATOR BY FE DEL MUNDO images.jpg

The first Asian to have entered the prestigious Harvard University’s School of Medicine is also credited
for her studies that lead to the invention of incubator (Links to an external site.) and jaundice relieving
device.

3.KARAOKE BY ROBERTO DEL ROSARIO

Roberto del Rosario is the president of the Trebel Music Corporation and the inventor of the Karaoke
(Links to an external site.) Sing Along System in 1975.

4.LUNAR ROVER BY EDWARDO SAN JUAN

He is the inventor of the Moon Buggy or the Lunar Rover (Links to an external site.). This Moon buggy
was the car used by Neil Armstrong and other astronauts when they first explored the moon in 1969.

5.VIDEOPHONE BY GREGORIO ZARA

Gregorio Zara (Links to an external site.) was born in Lipa City Philippines, invented the videophone in
1955 and referred to as a Photophone separator signal. Gregorio Zara invented 30 Patented products
includingThe Compass in 1929, Wooden Microscope, Vapor Chamber and Robot that talked walked, and
responded to a given command. Etc…

6.ERYTHROMYCIN BY ABELARDO AGUILAR

Aguilar discovered the antibiotic from the Aspergillus species of fungi in 1949 and sent samples to
Indiana-based pharmaceutical firm Eli Lilly Co. The drug firm allegedly registered the propriety name
Iloson for the antibiotic in honor of Iloilo province where Aguilar discovered it. Erythromycin (Links to an
external site.), the generic name of Iloson, was reportedly the first successful macrolide antibiotic
introduced in the US.

7. ALCO-DIESEL, LAN-GAS, AND SUPERBUNKER FORMULA L BY RUDY LANTANO SR.

In 1996, Rudy Lantano Sr (Links to an external site.)., a revolutionary fuel half-composed of water. The
mix burns faster and emits pollutants, 95 percent less than those released to the air by traditional fuel
products. The inventor said his invention is a result of blending new ingredients and additives with
ordinary oil products through agitation and mixing, which is a very safe process.

8.FEMININE HYGIENE BY DR. VIRGILIO MALANG

Dr. Virgilio “Billy” Malang is one of the renowned Filipino inventors. One of his famous inventions (Links
to an external site.) was the Feminine Hygiene (Links to an external site.) or The External Vaginal
Cleanser.

9.SINGLE-CHIP GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE ACCELERATOR BY DIOSDADO BANATAO

– introduced the first single-chip graphical user interface accelerator (Links to an external site.) that
made computers work a lot faster and for helping develop the Ethernet controller chip that made the
Internet possible. In 1989, he pioneered the local bus concept for personal computers and in the
following year developed the First Windows accelerator chip. Intel is now using the chips and
technologies developed by Banatao. He now runs his own semiconductor company, Mostron, and Chips
& Technology, which is based in California’s Silicon Valley.

10. QUINK INK INVENTED BY FRANCISCO QUISUMBING

an innovative ink (Links to an external site.) at that time and was further developed to work with Parker
Pens. Aside from being quick-drying, it was also water-resistant, did not clog the pen opening, does not
blot, and will not fade. It is considered one of the best selling ink for fountain pens of the millennium.