Lesson 13 - Post-Colonial Period PDF

Science, Technology and Society (STS) Science and Technology during the Post-Colonial Period in the Philippines  POST-COLONIAL PERIOD More typically, postwar Philippine science was justified in secular and economic terms. "Scientific research," according to Miguel Ma. Varela (1...

Science, Technology and Society (STS) Science and Technology during the Post-Colonial Period in the Philippines  POST-COLONIAL PERIOD More typically, postwar Philippine science was justified in secular and economic terms. "Scientific research," according to Miguel Ma. Varela (1954), "does pay off in terms of pesos and centavos, in terms of higher efficiency and reduced man-hours of work, in terms of richer harvests and healthier citizens." He also added that support for science was "part of our contribution for the blessing we enjoy of Filipino citizenship.”  POST-COLONIAL PERIOD In the 1950s such civic enthusiasm allowed the Philippines to publish twice as many scientific and technical journals, including the Philippine Journal of Science, as any other Southeast Asian country (UNESCO 1953). In addition, an Institute of Science and Technology was performing many of the functions of the old Bureau of Science (Quisumbing 1957; Velasco and Baens-Arcega 1984).  POST-COLONIAL PERIOD The Philippine Association for the Advancement of Science was organized in 1951. In 1956 the government created a National Science Board to provide support for research projects, but the Science Act of 1958 replaced this with a more powerful National Science Development Board. The Bureau of Soils Conservation, created in 1951, investigated fertilizers and soil capabilities. The Philippine Sugar Institute tried to improve sugar production, while the Philippine Tobacco Administration studied the tobacco industry.  POST-COLONIAL PERIOD Postwar scientists screened the Philippine flora in search of antibiotics and other useful drugs. Their nutritional studies pointed to deficiencies in Philippine diet; they sought the cause of kadang-kadang a coconut disease; and they resumed the study of agricultural, marine, and forest resources. At the new Philippine Atomic Energy Commission, scientists investigated shielding against gamma rays and the use of radioactive iodine in treating thyroid disorders (Valenzuela 1960). The state provided virtually all research funding, while private industry, largely foreign owned, did virtually nothing.  POST-COLONIAL PERIOD In general, research in the Philippines was starved of funds. It was always a struggle to attract promising students to poorly paid careers in science and many of the best investigators who received fellowships to study or work in the United States never returned. In 1956 a senate committee had reported that scientific work on the Philippines was badly coordinated; research was poorly funded; science teachers were scarce; and science was not a popular topic (Senate Committee on Scientific Advancement 1956).  For many the deficiency in scientific research represented a failure of the nation. Gode B. Calleja (1987), an expatriate biologist, asserted that "Philippine science is in a very wretched state," despite a high literacy rate and a large enrolment in higher education. By 1977 Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore had each surpassed the Philippines in the production of scientific papers. The three Philippine journals covered by Current Contents received a total of six citations that year, and most of the feeble efforts at science were in applied biology, not physics or any "abstract" field.  POST-COLONIAL PERIOD The Philippine Journal of Science had become, in Calleja's words, "an embarrassment". He also added that the only decent research laboratories were at the International Rice Research Institute, established by the Ford and Rockefeller Foundations in 1960 at Los Baños elsewhere "the autoclave represents the most sophisticated gadgetry". According to Calleja, "the failure in science is just a symptom of a far more serious wrong," an index of political failure: he felt that the dictatorial presidency of Ferdinand Marcos was stifling any critical inquiry, regardless of the régime s supportive rhetoric or funding for technocratic solutions.  POST-COLONIAL PERIOD After achieving independence from the colonizers, the Philippines, under different administrations, continued to pursue programs in science and technology. Each leadership had its own science and technology agenda. However, it is important to note that some Philippine presidents posted more developments in the field than others. One of the Presidents who ushered in advancements in science and technology was former president and dictator Ferdinand Marcos.  POST-COLONIAL PERIOD Under his term, many agencies in science and technology were established and strengthened, including the: Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) in place of the abolished Weather Bureau; National Academy of Science and Technology; and the reconstituted National Science and Technology Authority (originally established in 1958 as the national Science and Development Board and now the Department of Science and Technology), among others. POST-COLONIAL PERIOD Marcos saw that the key to nation-building is the continued development of science and technology. The progress in science and technology continued even after his dictatorial rule and the presidents after him left their own legacies in the field.  POST-COLONIAL PERIOD The Foundation of the New Society Aside from saving his government, President Marcos aimed to form a New Society – a society which would be disciplined, self- sufficient, peaceful and self-reliant. For martial law to be of lasting benefit to the nation, according to him there must be great reforms in all spheres of national life. Through the use of higher government revenues and foreign loans, the government spent more than ever on infrastructure.  POST-COLONIAL PERIOD The Foundation of the New Society Under the martial law, there was a boom in the construction of roads, bridges, ports, airports, dams, irrigation, schools, hospitals, housing projects, and communication facilities. The reclaimed area from Manila Bay, along Roxas Boulevard, was converted into a tourist and cultural haven, with exhibition, convention and cultural centers.  POST-COLONIAL PERIOD The Foundation of the New Society The country’s longest highway was built – the Pan-Philippine Highway from Aparri to Zamboanga, passing through 21 provinces and 11 cities and linking Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao for the first time through land and sea port. The longest bridge in the Philippines, also said to be the longest in Asia, was constructed between Samar and Leyte – the San Juanico Bridge spanned the San Juanico Strait, the world’s narrowest strait. POST-COLONIAL PERIOD The Foundation of the New Society New sources of energy were tapped. Geothermal energy plants were operated starting January 12, 1979, in Tiwi, Albay. Other geothermal plants were located in Leyte, Laguna, and other parts. Oil exploration began in earnest, and by 1979 the Palawan Nido oil field was providing oil in commercial quantity. Construction of the country’s biggest development project, the Morong Bataan Nuclear Plant was started.  PHILIPPINE INVENTIONS Despite being considered a developing country, the Philippines also contributes to the global advancement of science and technology. It is quite remarkable to note the ingenuity of the Filipinos despite the lack in resources. The Philippines is known to be one of the most vulnerable countries in terms of natural disasters. Many of the discoveries and inventions made by the Filipinos were therefore built from indigenous materials or created to adapt to the harsh tropical environment.  POST-COLONIAL PERIOD Salamander Amphibious Tricycle Dominic N. Chung and Lamberto Armada, together with Chief Designer Victor “Atoy” Llave, was able to invent the Salamander, an amphibious tricycle that can cross not only flooded streets but also rivers and lakes. It may also be utilized to travel from island to island. Since the Philippines is an archipelago, the Salamander is a useful invention that has a lot of potential.  POST-COLONIAL PERIOD SALt Lamp A young Filipina inventor named Aisa Mijeno was able to invent a lighting system that utilizes a material abundant in the Philippines – saltwater. She invented the Sustainable Alternative Lighting (SALt) lamp, an environment-friendly light source that runs on saltwater. The SALt lamp is safer as it poses no risk of fire and emits no toxic gases. Aside from people who live in coastal areas, it may also benefit those from far-flung barrios because that can make their own saltwater by mixing two tablespoons of salt and a glass of tap water. POST-COLONIAL PERIOD Medical Incubator Dr. Fe del Mundo, a Filipino pediatrician and the first Asian woman admitted into Harvard Medical School, devised a medical incubator made from indigenous and cheap materials which did not run on electricity. Dr. del Mundo’s incubator was made by placing a native laundry basket inside a bigger one. Hot water bubbles were inserted between the baskets to provide warmth and a makeshift hood to allow oxygen circulation. Its main purpose was to maintain conditions suitable for newborn, usually a pre-term baby.  POST-COLONIAL PERIOD Mosquito Ovicidal/Larvicidal Trap System In 2010, the Department of Science and Technology – Industrial Technology Development Institute (DOST-ITDI) was able to introduce the Mosquito Ovicidal/Larvicidal Trap System, also known as OL Trap. This trap system is made of natural ingredients that are lethal to mosquitos but safe for humans and environment.  POST-COLONIAL PERIOD E-Jeepney This modern type of transportation utilizes electricity instead of the more expensive diesel. It is environment-friendly since it does not emit any smoke and noise.