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Science and Technology in the Philippines: Prsent Condition and Future Options

Narrative/ Reflection

The reporters presented their report about this topic in a concise manner wherein important views and topics were highlighted in the discussion.

As what I learned , the Philippines still belongs to the third world country or the undeveloped country it is based on the underdevelopment theory. Major factors that affect the low level development of Science and Technology in our country is the lackluster performance of low Research and Development System and the lack of funding system by the government. We might thinking that by having those technological tools, we have now, we can easily consider our country as advanced in terms of technology ,but the truth is, we are still striving to become known in the field of Science. We cannot deny the fact that we are still dependent on the technology of the other countries and supporting there tools makes them more developed country. If our government has enough funding system in supporting our own technological invention and provide plans for the successive process of Research and Development we might have greater ideas for improving our Science and Technology here in our country. We have many option but we don't have actions for making it possible.

Therefore,  Science is a body of knowledge and ideas and technology is just  product of it. Science and Technology had been changed our society through ages. We can see visibly the hierarchical process of the development in science through the products, machines and tools from the past 'til the present. As a simple advice, use Science and Technology as a beneficial tool and not as a destructive tool that will affect our moral values and will degrade our environment.

Questions:

• As a student, what are the benefits of science and technology in your life? 
• As a student, what are your actions for the  improvement of Science and Technology in our country?

Thank you and God Bless.

Science and Technology in the Philippines: Prsent Condition and Future Options

Topics: Philippine Technological Dependence and Backwardness, History of Science and Technology in the Philippines, Development in science and Technology

Preview:

History of Science and Technology in the Philippines

Precolonial Science and Technology

There is a very little reliable written information about Philippine society, culture and technology before the arrival of the Spaniards in 1521. (8) As such, one has to reconstruct a picture of this past using contemporary archaeological findings, accounts by early traders and foreign travelers, and the narratives about conditions in the archipelago which were written by the first Spanish missionaries and colonial officials.

According to these sources, there were numerous, scattered, thriving, relatively self-sufficient and autonomous communities long before the Spaniards arrived. The early Filipinos had attained a generally simple level of technological development, compared with those of the Chinese and Japanese, but this was sufficient for their needs at that period of time.

With the advent of minicomputers in the early 80’s and LCD projector in
the 90’s, these two objects have permeated practically all aspects of human
activities and life has never been the same again. The best way for us to
anticipate the future is to understand the present. As we all know, quality
education is the only means for upward mobility of the underprivileged groups, an
excellent means for retraining the work force and a key for developing
scientifically and technologically literate citizenry. To cope with the rapid and
complex changes in technology, this paper undertook an in-depth description and
long-term exploration on how academic curriculum programs in science
education were modified and transformed as a result of these changes.

Technological Leapfrogging as a Strategic Option for the Philippines 

These weaknesses refer to our country’s scientific and technological backwardness, dependence on foreign technologies and capital, and its subordination to foreign dominance, exploitation and control. Locked in the international division of labor, the Philippines has played the role of the exporter of primary commodities and importer of production technologies. Accordingly, based on the nation’s economic history, it is the acceptance of the international division of labor that has perpetuated and worsened the underdevelopment of our economy. Assessing our cycle of backwardness and dependence, the nature of science and technology, technological innovations and technological potentials as nuanced in the Philippine context, the paper maps our country’s stages of technological capabilities. Despite achievements in agriculture, industry and health during the past few years, the problem remains that we do not yet have genuine endogenous industries in chemicals, metals, pharmaceuticals, automotives and electronics. The Philippines, once at par with other countries in Southeast Asia and East Asia in scientific and technological development, is now lagging behind most of its neighbors. The inadequate government support and the lack of an effective economic demand for local innovations are seen as reasons for the slow development. The national strategy the paper proposes is technological leapfrogging. As a strategy, it attempts to liberate the country from dependence and backwardness by importing selected high technologies in order to acquire adaptive, replicative, and innovative mastery of these advanced technologies. More importantly, the paper argues that it is this strategy, geared towards national technological mastery, which provides a long-range vision for designing, building and insuring of the nation’s future in the 21st century.

The Present state of STS in the Philippines:

• Shortage of research funds
• Lack of coordination of RND systems in this country
• Lack of science consciousness   
• Sources: 

Leapfrogging the Scientific and Technological Gap: An Alternative National Strategy for Mastering the Future

by:Roger Posadas

 

A HISTORY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN THE PHILIPPINES*

by

Olivia C. Caoili*

 

The National Science and Technology Systems and Strategies of Aseas Countries

Topics: Singapore's Technology Strategy, Building a Workable Infrastructure in Malaysia, Technology Upgrading in Thailand , and System in Indonesia

Preview:

Association of Southeast Asian Nations, commonly abbreviated ASEAN, is a geo-political and economic organization of ten countries located in Southeast Asia.

ASEAN member countries see the promotion of green industry in the region as necessary for creating a sustainable economic community and increasing competitiveness in the future.

Singapore's  Technological Strategy:

• Innovation System- focuses on entrepreneurship and integrate it to technology
• Innovation Growth Strategy- Development in infrastructure and the capabilities of government institutions in facing industrialization issues
• Green Buildings-another term is Zero Energy Building, it is a plan for building using solar panels, as a source of energy, that will provide the electricity for every buildings.

Technological Strategy of Thailand :

• Creation of Awareness of Science and Technology- It was supported by their government to let their constituents know the issues regarding science and technology so that they can contribute better solutions regarding the issue
• Research and Development System- Thai government focused on RND system to become more productive country
• Scholarship Grants- Thai government select 1, 200 person to avail the scholarship to study in the other industrialized countries so that they can gain ideas from other countries regarding industrialization development

Indonesia

As many other developing countries, Indonesia is not considered as world's leading parties in science and technology developments. However, throughout its history, there have been notable achievements and contributions made by Indonesian for science and technology. Currently, the republic's Ministry of Research and Technology is the official body in charge of science and technology development in the nation. In 2010, the Indonesian government has allocated Rp 1.9 trillion (approximately US$205 million) or less than 1 percent of the total state expenditure for research and development

Malaysia

Malaysia is an emerging Asian economy aspiring to move towards
a technology-driven and high-tech production-based pattern of development and thus
replicate the experience of the newly industrializing economies (NIEs) of Asia. In
fact, Malaysia has been categorized in the group of countries that have the potential
to create new technologies on their own (Mani, 2000). The prospects remain promising
despite the 1997 Asian financial crisis, although no country in the region was spared.In view of that,
Malaysia has a strong basis to consider formulating its own technological development
strategy based on those in the NIEs with appropriate adaptations to accommodate the
economy’s uniqueness.

Narrative/ Things I learned:

These topics were reported clearly by the reporter because the ideas we learned from this might be beneficial and serve as guidelines in the improvement of Science and Technology in our country.

There are plans for ASEAN nations, "ASEAN countries are currently enhancing their cooperation toward the establishment of the AEC in 2015. 

To remain competitive over the long run, ASEAN countries should expand green industry in their production processes, "Pushpanathan said. If this plan would be exhibited well , there will be a great change in our country ,as a part of ASEAN nation. Most ASEAN nations are considered as "tiger countries" because of the vast industrialixzation they had been through and our country is still left behind by this improvement.

Source/s:

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN ASEAN ECONOMIC INTEGRATION

TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT IN MALAYSIA AND THE NEWLY
INDUSTRIALIZING ECONOMIES: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS
Mun-Chow Lai* and Su-Fei Yap**

Ethical Aspects of Science and Technology

Topics: Ethics and Science, Science,Technology and Ethics, Introduction to Engineering Ethics and On Becoming a Responsible Engineer

Preview:

Science is a discipline of knowledge which involves many aspects of human thought and endeavour. Ethics is concerned with human character and conduct.  

CAN SCIENCE EVER BE SEPARATED FROM THE QUESTION OF ETHICS? Science is a branch of study concerned with facts, principles, and methods. However, ethics is the moral science that governs what we do with it. It is the branch of philosophy that studies the principles of right and wrong in human conduct. The question of their individuality has been in existence for quite some time. I would argue that in theory they can exist separately but in practice they cannot. In Aristotle's structure of the soul, one can see that science takes precedence over ethics.

Engineering Ethics is the field of applied ethics which examines and sets standards for engineers' obligations to the public, their clients, employers and the profession. This article addresses the subject for both professional engineers and other engineers.

Engineering does not have a single uniform system, or standard, of ethical conduct across the entire profession. Ethical approaches vary somewhat by discipline and jurisdiction, but are most influenced by whether the engineers are independently providing professional services to clients, or the public if employed in government service; or if they are employees of an enterprise creating products for sale.

 Responsible Engineer

Ways to Remeber:

1. Engineers shall hold paramount the safety, health and welfare of the public and shall strive to comply with the principles of sustainable development in the performance of their professional duties.
2. Engineers shall perform services only in areas of their competence.
3. Engineers shall issue public statements only in an objective and truthful manner.

Narrative/ Things I learned:

The reporter reported it in a concise manner and she highlighted only those important topic of her report.

Science cannot be separated from ethics especially where the issues of genetic manipulation are considered.  Science is a collection of the results of a search for facts about our physical reality. Ethics is an arbitrary set of rules for behaving in a way that is acceptable to the culture setting forth those rules. If science pursues knowledge, maybe we should first discuss the morality of knowing things.

In the field of engineering, there is a specific ethics to be followed  in order to become a responsible engineer. It should be followed to become a productive engineer in the society.

Source/s:

Copyright 1988, Harlan B. Miller. Commercial use prohibited. This paper has appeared in Etica & animali I/2 (1988) in Italian translation, and in Between the Species 10/1 (1994)in English.