II.

ISSUES

SOCIAL ISSUES IN THE PHILIPPINES

Poverty is a state of being poor, indigence, lack of material things and finances. Poverty puts people into
the lowest level in a society. Poor people, most of the time, are neglected by the government, shunned
by the society and not given enough opportunities to prosper. They live in a filthy environment, living
among a community of criminals. We can enumerate countless of unpleasant words to define the effect
of poverty, and there are countless of reasons and causes for these. Poverty remains the central
development issue in the Philippines and, despite the ambitious development goals laid out by the
government, the country has not been able to sustain the economic growth required to reduce poverty
to acceptable levels.

Why Poverty Remains a Social Issue in the Philippines

First, there is a fundamental disconnect between Filipino élites and the poor. The political leadership in
the Philippines has always been drawn from those élites, and those politicians have traditionally played
the role of patrons and benefactors, relying on the pork barrel and personal/family funds (often acquired
through corruption) to essentially buy votes. “The core principle of democracy – that representatives
should be drawn from those they represent and advocate for the true interests of their constituents –
has not been operative” (Abueva, 1964).

Philippine Presidents in particular have been drawn from the ranks of the wealthy and privileged. How
can they relate to what it means to be poor or hungry? Even if their heart’s in the right place (which is
not all that common), well-photographed visits to squatter settlements are not the answer.

Second, the Philippines system is exceedingly politicized. President Arroyo herself is already focused on
the 2004 presidential elections. In a sense, you can’t blame GMA. Her predecessor, Erap, had a built-in
constituency among the masa. But President Arroyo must create such a base, given that she is the
daughter of a previous President and has virtually nothing in common with the poor people of her
country. She has worked hard to develop support among the common folk, dressed in jeans with
regularity, and sung on stage with popular recording artists.
She has also latched onto fighting poverty as a key policy emphasis. In her State-of-the-Nation (SONA)
address on July 22nd, she emphasized the so-called “rolling stores” – trucks loaded with subsidized rice,
rice, sugar, and canned meat that ply the streets of Manila – as a sterling example of her administration’s
anti-poverty programs. The only problem was that her remarks had knowledgeable economists
practically rolling in the aisles, given that few poor people ever get access to the trucks and only 5% of
the nation’s poor live in Metro Manila. But real poverty alleviation programs where they are most
needed – say in rural Mindanao – would lack the publicity opportunities of the rolling stores on Manila
streets.

Additionally, several other studies list down the primary causes of poverty in the Philippines in terms of
economic state:

The basic economic problem in the Philippines is inefficient and very low incomes.

The finances of the Government had become steadily worse and were not critical, The Treasury had a
large and mounting deficit with taxes covering little more than 60% of the expenditures.

The country had an excessive volume of imports. In the meantime, the volume of exports was less than
before the war an d could be expected to grow only gradually.

There had been inequalities in the level of income of people. While the standard of living of a great
segment of the population remained below that of the pre-war level, the profits of businessmen and
large landowners had risen considerably. Under the circumstances, the continued rise in the prices of
commodities tended to transfer real income from the poor to the wealthy and;

The inefficiency and corruption in the government led the people to lose their faith and confidence in
the ability of the government “to protect the interest of all the people.” The result was demoralization of
the people.

According to history, “the destruction of the national economy as a result of the war posed serious
problems of subsistence and of peace and order” (Agoncillo, 1990). In such circumstances the leaders if
the nation could only rely on the United States for financial and other material aid. The hundreds of
millions of dollars given t the Philippines by the United States in the form of cash and surplus properties
were used to rehabilitate agriculture, commerce, trade and industry. Some of it, however, went to the
pockets of dishonest officials. There were marked increases in the gross national output and income, but
the cost of living, as a whole, continues to soar or, at least, to remain static on the basis of the immediate
post-liberation years. At the same time, labor grew and continues to grow, demanding increases in wages
and better living conditions. The total picture of the national economy has improved, but the
improvements are not sufficient to bring down cost of living, which has remained one of the highest in
the world.

Agricultural production – The destruction caused by the last war told heavily on the productive capacity
of the people and their standard of living (Agoncillo, 1990). With financial help from the United States,
however, the government, in the first ten years of the Republic, had succeeded in at least partially
solving the minor economic problems. Thus, for instance, crop production from 1946 and 1956 increased
from 3, 507, 200 metric tons to almost double the amount of 6, 274, 900 metric tons. This increased
production was the upshot of the expanded area planted to food crops and the application of improved
means of increasing the yield per hectare, such as the use of fertilizer, irrigation, the use of better seeds,
and the effective use of chemicals against plant pests and diseases. Production of export crops also
increased tremendously from 315, 000 metric tons in 1956, with copra and sugar leading all export
crops. Other exports like abaca, tobacco and their by-products have not so far completely recovered
from the effects of the last war (Martin, 1999).

However, some are blamed upon the things done by irresponsible individuals from high to low profile
individuals such as population growth – some Filipinos believe that it is natural for every married woman
to bear a child in their wombs because they are with their husbands (Friedman et al., 1977). And this are
very wrong beliefs since if you will be reasonable enough, you will realize that having a child is always
together with great responsibility that has no end. And that you will realize that having more and more
children will cause great scarcity in your family such as you would not be able to send your children to
school and you would not be able to provide enough foods so that you children will be healthy and do
good in school. Population growth is also the reason for a number of malnourish children in the
Philippines.

Unemployment is also a very common cause of poverty in the Philippines since there are several
Filipinos who are unemployed plus the fact that there are many companies that are affected of the
global economic crisis. And the least thing that you can do about unemployment is to find a best way on
generating money like you can accept laundry services, plumbing services, or electrical repair services if
you are skilled enough to do the job. Then, you could start a certain profitable business like food house
or a small store that does not require you much capital so that you will not find it hard to save enough
money from the services that you are offering.
Governance concern is still deemed as one of the main reasons of poverty in the Philippines because of
the activities of the corrupt government officials. They are using the money of the people to achieve the
power and authority that they wanted to have and once they have it they will automatically take
advantage of their power to the point that they will neglect the yoke of the people and set aside their
promises when they are just campaigning and try to convince the people to vote for them.

Agricultural problems also pose as the natural cause of the poverty in the Philippines because of the
wrong activities of people. They ruin the treasure of the nature for their own sake without any idea that
the nature they are destroying is the main source of almost all the products that exist in this world. Some
of the examples of destroying the nature are the irresponsible disposal of wastes and trash, dynamite
fishing, illegal logging and more.

Another cause is said to be disability – this is also one of the possible causes of poverty in the Philippines
since more and more people nowadays become disabled because of several illnesses and diseases that
arise like AH1N1 virus, SARS, dengue, and more. Disability may be also caused by uncontrolled
population growth, for instance, you have ten kids in the house, and can you imagine attending to their
needs everyday? Well, definitely not so the tendency is that they are prone to accidents that will cause
them to be disabled since they are at very young age that are typically playful.

Starvation has also been one of the primary effects of poverty in the Philippines. Eating is necessary for
us to survive. As humans we need to eat three times a day or more. Unfortunately, not all of us can
afford this kind of living. Many people, children and families in this world, suffer from hunger due to lack
of finances for their everyday needs. Based on the record of UNICEF, more than half of the children all
over the world are malnourished. Most of them came from countries that are less abundant.

Apparently, research shows that education has also been a problem in the Philippines. It is not prioritized
by the government because only the privileged can have access to basic education in the sense that
most of the children in the Philippines could not afford the needs of a student such as food, clothing,
school materials and even fares used for transportation. There are also schools which offer free
education like the government schools and private schools which accept scholarships, but still, lack in
financial support is their main dilemma. These are just some of the reasons why most of the students
from different levels take education for granted. Instead of going to school, they spent their time working
in order to help their families make a living.
The masses have multiplied extremely. Increase in opportunities for employment has not yet overcome
the rapid increase in population, resulting in the multiplication of the number of jobless proletariat.
When one considers that a large number of school children become “school orphans” that is, they leave
school before or after finishing Grade IV, and that they eventually become peasants or laborers, one
ceases to wonder why the base of the triangular structure of society has widened considerably. The
strong contrast between the upper classes and the lower classes is that the former are earning more and
more and the latter less and less. In other words, the distribution of wealth is one-sided as to make
society top heavy.

In the country’s present situation, the economy of the Philippines is struggling. The government has a
huge debt from the World Bank and those money which the government borrowed where not used in
projects which could alleviate poverty but were where lost to corruption. That’s why many Filipinos
blame the government for the slow progression of our country. The Philippines was even given a tag as
one of the most corrupt countries in Asia. Many people also blame the government because regardless
of scarcity that all of us are experiencing, the government still manages to increase the prices of the
merchandise in the markets.

Conclusion

True anti-poverty programs take a long time to bear fruit, and the politically-driven nature of Philippine
government sector programs almost ensures that the emphasis will continue to be on quick fixes or
interventions that provide high visibility and political payoffs (Warner & Harris).

This is unfortunate given the seriousness of the situation and the implications for the country if
concerted action is not taken.

Poverty and malnutrition are already at alarming levels in this country, and the country’s too-rapid
population growth is magnifying the strain on limited budgetary resources. The rapidly growing
population is jeopardizing the quality of basic social services, contributing to the ongoing decline in
quality of basic education, and limiting access to health care (especially primary health care,
reproductive health/family planning, immunization, and feeding programs).
Achieving any significant reduction in poverty will require rapid economic growth, growth of a
magnitude not seen in recent years. Further, addressing issues of inequality will require significant
investments in human capital, especially in improving the quantity and quality of primary education.

The result of such unbalanced development of society is discontent and grave social problems such as
poverty. The extreme poverty has given rise to starvation in some communities an to criminality, The
unequal distribution of material possessions, in which the rich wallow in wealth and the poor in filth is
one of the reasons for the rise in criminality. Poverty has also given rise to a new class known as
squatters.

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essay.php

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

MAJOR ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC ISSUES

A. Environmental Problems

The Philippines are prone to natural disasters, particularly typhoons, floods, landslides, volcanic
eruptions, earthquakes, and tsunamis, lying as it does astride the typhoon belt, in the active volcanic
region known as the “Pacific Ring of Fire,” and in the geologically unstable region between the Pacific
and Eurasian tectonic plates. The Philippines also suffers major human-caused environmental
degradation aggravated by a high annual population growth rate, including loss of agricultural lands,
deforestation, soil erosion, air and water pollution, improper disposal of solid and toxic wastes, loss of
coral reefs, mismanagement and abuse of coastal resources, and overfishing.

Decline of Natural Resources and Biodiversity

The Philippines is suffering from degradation of the natural environment. It has fifty major rivers now
polluted due to abuse and neglect. Approximately two-thirds of the country's original mangroves have
been lost. A hundred years ago, the Philippines had close to 22 million hectares of old growth forest.

At the start of 2000, we had less than 600,000 hectares of old-growth forest left. In one century, we had
cut down close to 97 percent of our original forest. A study by the Environmental Scientists for Social
Change (ESSC) reveals that we have systematically cut this forest down and that we have not stopped its
destruction and that of its core biodiversity. The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) estimates
that it takes over 4,000 liters of water to produce one kilo of rice. Because of the loss of forests, we have
less water since most of our freshwater comes from watersheds found in forests. Therefore, loss of
forests means loss of food. More tthan 400 plant and animal species found in the Philippines are
currently threatened with extinction, including the Philippine eagle, the tamaraw, and the dugong.

In 2001, 49 of the nation's mammal species, 86 bird species, and 320 plant species were threatened with
extinction. Endangered species in the Philippines include the monkey-eating eagle, Philippine tarsier,
tamaraw, four species of turtle (green sea, hawksbill, olive ridley, and leatherback), Philippines crocodile,
sinarapan, and two species of butterflies. The Cebu warty pig, Panay flying fox, and Chapman's fruit bat
have become extinct.

Alarming Waste Problem in the Philippines

The Philippines is looming with garbage problems despite the passage of the Ecological Solid Waste
Management Act or the Republic Act (RA) 9003. 2007 first quarter data from the National Solid Waste
Management Commission shows that there are 677 open dumpsites, 343 controlled dumps, and 21
landfills in the country. An additional 307 dump sites are subject for closure or rehabilitation plans but
without definite schedules for enforcement. About 215 additional landfills are being proposed to be set
up nationwide.

About 1,000 open and controlled dump sites exist in the country. Prominent dumps all over the country
can be found in Antipolo and Montalban in Rizal; Baguio City; Calapan, Mindoro Oriental; Carmen,
Cagayan de Oro; Mandurriao, Iloilo City; Obando, Bulacan; and San Pedro, Laguna. Environmentalists
stress that Republic Act 9003 calls for the adoption of the best environmental practices in ecological
waste management and explicitly excludes waste incineration as an ecological option. These polluting
disposal facilities are major sources of greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere which adds to global
warming. Landfills and open dumps, according to studies, account for 34 percent of human-related
methane emissions to the atmosphere, a global warming gas that has 23 times more heat-trapping
power than carbon dioxide. These landfills and open dumps are illegal under RA 9003.

Incinerators, on the other hand, have significantly higher levels of greenhouse gas emissions (per
kilowatt) than a coal-fired power plant when all of the carbon coming out of an incinerator stacks is
measured. Such emissions are banned by the country’s Clean Air Act. Inaction on garbage contributes to
the death of at least two persons every minute due to complications from environmental problems,
which could be prevented if the country only developed a more efficient environmental management
program.

Mismanagement of waste has serious environmental consequences: ground and surface water
contamination, local flooding, air pollution, exposure to toxins, and spread of disease. Many of the
disposal sites contain infectious material, thus threatening sanitation workers and waste-pickers.

Annual waste generation in the Philippines is expected to grow 40 percent by 2010. Improvements in
recycling, collection, and disposal will become even more critical as garbage production continues to
increase with population growth and economic development.
People’s Behavior towards Waste

Behavior is a key cultural aspect that is embedded in people’s way of life. Studying a community’s
behavior and introducing new ones requires intensive, long-term, and creative social marketing. This can
be done by studying the demographic and cultural fiber of the community through immersions and
capacity building activities. The Resources, Environment and Economics Center for Studies, Inc.’s (REECS)
2002 study on household waste management systems and the attitudes and behavior showed that:

1. Waste management is still perceived by many as the responsibility of government.

2. Public participation in waste management, especially in segregation at source, remains limited.

3. More extensive awareness- raising activities and training on ecological waste management are
needed, together with stricter enforcement of the Law and local ordinances must be observed.

4. There is lack of community empowerment and political will to resolve the problem. Recognizing the
importance of the environment’s immediate recovery and effects of improper waste management to the
Philippines, there is a need for understanding and reformation of attitudes and concern towards the
protection of environment. The impending garbage crisis can be prevented if we only practice waste
segregation at source, recycling, and composting as what the law requires. An intensive social marketing
program has to be established on a long-term scale within a barangay – the smallest unit of the local
government.

MAJOR ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC ISSUES A ...PDFhttps://actrav-courses.itcilo.org › file

Economics Problems of the Philippines

Like most other southeast Asian regions, Philippines too has a history of European colonization. It was a
colony of Spain and the USA. The country is now home to multiple cultures and ethnic groups. It is also
looked upon as a perfect example of a 'mixed economy'. Traditionally, the economy stabilized on the
agrarian contributions and the manufacture of garments, pharmaceutical products, and semiconductors.
In the last decade, electronic exports added to the exports, along with various products obtained by
mining. Though Philippines too suffered in terms of exports, remittances from overseas Filipino workers,
and foreign direct investments, during the 2008 global economic crisis, there has been steady economic
growth in the recent years. However, there are certain economic problems that cannot be ignored. The
following sections list out some of the economic problems of the Philippines.

Unemployment

In 2012, 10 million Filipinos were either unemployed (three million) or underemployed (seven million).
In October 2013, unemployment rate was 6.5% in comparison to 6.8% in 2012. According to the Labor
Force Survey, the unemployment rate was 6% and 6.6% in October 2014 and January 2015, respectively.
Only one-fourth of the Filipinos that enter the labor force are able to find good jobs in the country, and
the rest of them find jobs overseas, leave the labor force, or end up becoming
unemployed/underemployed. Thus, three-fourth of the workers are unemployed or informally
employed, with lack of opportunities to find good jobs. Though jobs are being generated, there's a need
to generate jobs at a much faster rate, to be able to bring down the unemployment rate. Many of the
unemployed individuals are college graduates. Many wait for job opportunities abroad, and many
families depend on remittances from family members who are staying abroad.

Poverty

Despite the talk about economic growth, the poverty rates have not changed significantly since 2006. As
per the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB), poverty incidence of the population improved
from 26.3 percent in 2009 to 25.2 percent in 2012.

Even though Philippines is a fast-growing economy, there's been just a minor decline in the incidence of
poverty. Poverty is very much linked to unemployment. Unfortunately, the growth is restricted to the
BPO, retail, and real estate sector, and a large number of Filipinos remain without jobs. On top of that,
natural calamities further push people below the poverty line. Thus, economic disparity is a common
feature. In general, the gains from higher economic growth have not really trickled down to the poor.

Poor Infrastructure

Infrastructure is one of the biggest challenges. In the Global Competitiveness Report 2014-2015 of the
World Economic Forum, Philippines didn't fare well in terms of the quality of the overall infrastructure. It
ranked at number 91 among 144 countries. This can be attributed to underinvestment in infrastructure.

In order to host global companies, Philippines will have to pay more attention to enhancing the
infrastructure. A well-developed transportation (roads, railroads, ports, and air transport) and
communication system is extremely essential for economic activities. As per the World Bank's Ease of
Doing Business 2015 report, Philippines ranked 95 out of 189 economies. It needs to improve its ranking
in certain categories. It ranked 161 in the category of starting a business, 124 in dealing with
construction permits, 108 in registering property, 104 in getting credit, 154 in protecting minority
investors, 127 in paying taxes, and 124 in enforcing contracts. Thus, the policy makers should take steps
to attract global companies or investors.

Heavy Dependence on Remittances

Philippines was the third-highest recipient of migrant remittances in 2013, after India and China.
According to the Philippine Central Bank, remittances from overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) reached
USD 25.1 billion in 2013. It was 7.6% higher than the remittances from the last year, and accounted for
8.4 % of Philippine gross domestic product (GDP) in 2013.

The source countries for the remittances included the United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom,
the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Canada, and Japan. The country heavily relies on these funds. Their
economic growth can primarily be associated to the remittances from the overseas Filipino workers, as
well as the growth in the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector. Also, one cannot rule out that the
growth is connected to the global economy. In the event of any crisis, economic growth is bound to
suffer. Thus, greater attention has to be paid to addressing to the internal problems of the economy and
enhancing domestic-oriented growth. A policy of removing structural impediments to growth has to be
adopted, with lesser focus on foreign investors and exporters.

Besides the aforementioned issues, corruption is another aspect that needs to be taken care of. The
current administration needs to prepare an industrialization program that encourages value-addition
manufacturing or services and builds Filipino-owned industries. Being overly dependent on global
economy or remittances from Filipinos living abroad will make the nation vulnerable to external shocks.
Thus, the aim should be to encourage inclusive growth in the country by creating employment
opportunities and reducing poverty.

Social Security Death Benefits

Illegal Immigration

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INFLATION

Inflation is the rate in which the general level of prices of goods and services increase.Its computation is
based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which measures the average price of the standard basket of
goods and services consumed by a household: food products, electricity, gas, and clothing.

The rate in which the CPI changes refers to inflation. Many factors contribute to the inflation rate. Some
of the top contributors of inflation include the prices of rice, vegetables, meat, electricity, gas, tobacco,
among others.

As inflation rises, the value of the peso becomes lower, as people are able to buy less products and
services for the same amount.Prices of rice, energy, and transport specifically were mainly responsible
for the higher-than-expected inflation in August 2018, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said.The
government had initially set a target 2.0 to 4.0 percent inflation for 2018.The Inter-agency Development
Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) later adjusted its inflation outlook to 4.0 to 4.5 percent as the
inflation rate registered at a faster pace in the first five months of the year.

For the month of August, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), the country's central monetary authority,
had a 5.9 percent forecast, but inflation soared to 6.4 percent, the fastest in over nine years since
inflation came in at 6.6 percent in March 2009.

Price stability

Aside from measuring the increase in prices, inflation is an indicator of the country's price stability.The
BSP is mandated to promote price stability that will be conducive to economy growth."There is price
stability when the general price level of goods and services in the country moves at a low and
predictable rate thus preserving the value of your money," BSP said."Conversely, when prices rise
substantially and unpredictably your money buys fewer goods and services," it added.Individual prices
and goods generally rise over time, affected by the supply and demand in the economy.Inflation rates
can either accelerate or slow down.

Inflation and growth

In an episode of Brigada, National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Director-General

"Normal talaga ang pagtaas ng mga bilihin. When the economy is growing, especially when it's growing
fast talaga may inflation effect, kasi mas mabilis ang pagtaas ng demand kesa supply. It will take time for
supply to adjust," he said.

The inflation also has a direct effect on the country's gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate, Pernia
added.He said that as inflation rates soar, the Philippines' GDP growth rate naturally drops.The GDP
measures the country's domestic levels of production.

"Ang direct effect ng inflation, ang inflation kasi maging deflator yun sa GDP growth rate. So kung mataas
yung inflation kasi deflator yun, denominator, talagang bababa yung real growth rate of the economy,"
he said. —JST, GMA News

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SCARCITY

Scarcity is one of the fundamental issues in economics. The issue of scarcity means we have to decide
how and what to produce from limited resources. It means there is a constant opportunity cost involved
in making economic decisions.

Economics solves the problem of scarcity by placing a higher price on scarce goods. The high price
discourages demand and encourages firms to develop alternatives.

How does economics solve the problem of scarcity?

If we take a good like oil. The reserves of oil are limited; there is a scarcity of the raw material. As we use
up oil reserves, the supply of oil will start to fall.Diagram of fall in supply of oilfall-supply-oil-price

If there is a scarcity of a good the supply will be falling, and this causes the price to rise. In a free market,
this rising price acts as a signal and therefore demand for the good falls (movement along demand
curve). Also, the higher price of the good provides incentives for firms to:

Look for alternative sources of the good e.g. new supplies of oil from Antarctic

Look for alternatives e.g. solar panel cars.

Demand over time higher-price-oil-elasticity-time-lag

In the short-term, demand is price inelastic. People with petrol cars, need to keep buying petrol.
However, over time, people may buy electric cars or bicycles, therefore, the demand for petrol falls.
Demand is more price elastic over time.Therefore, in a free market, there are incentives for the market
mechanisms to deal with the issue of scarcity.

Scarcity and potential market failure

However, there is a potential for market failure. For example, firms may not think about the future until
it is too late. Therefore, when the good becomes scarce, there might not be any practical alternative that
has been developed.Another problem with the free market is that since goods are rationed by price,
there may be a danger that some people cannot afford to buy certain goods; they have limited income.
Therefore, economics is also concerned with the redistribution of income to help everyone be able to
afford necessities.

Another potential market failure is a scarcity of environmental resources. Decisions we take in this
present generation may affect the future availability of resources for future generations. For example,
production of CO2 emissions lead to global warming, rising sea levels, and therefore, future generations
will face less available land and a shortage of drinking water.

The problem is that the free market is not factoring in this impact on future resource availability.
Production of CO2 has negative externalities, which worsen future scarcity.

https://www.economicshelp.org/blog/586/markets/scarcity-in-economics/

Science and technology in the Philippines

Science and technology in the Philippines had experienced periods of intense growth as well as long
periods of stagnation. The main managing agency responsible for science and technology is the
Department of Science and Technology. Numerous national scientists have contributed in different fields
of science including Fe del Mundo in the field of Pediatrics, Eduardo Quisumbing in the field of Plant
taxonomy, Gavino Trono in the field of tropical marine Phycology, Maria Orosa in the field of Food
technology and many more.

Even before the colonization by the Spaniards in the Philippine islands, the natives of the archipelago
already had practices linked to science and technology. Filipinos were already aware of the medicinal
and therapeutic properties of plants and the methods of extracting medicine from herbs. They already
had an alphabet, number system, a weighing and measuring system and a calendar. Filipinos were
already engaged in farming, shipbuilding, mining and weaving. The Banaue Rice Terraces are among the
sophisticated products of engineering by pre-Spanish era Filipinos.

Spanish Colonial Era

The colonization of the Philippines contributed to growth of science and technology in the archipelago.
The Spanish introduced formal education and founded scientific institution. During the early years of
Spanish rule in the Philippines. Parish schools were established where religion, reading, writing,
arithmetic and music was taught. Sanitation and more advanced methods of agriculture was taught to
the natives. Later the Spanish established colleges and universities in the archipelago including the
oldest existing university in Asia, the University of Santo Tomas.

The study of medicine in the Philippines was given priority in the Spanish era, especially in the later
years. The Spanish also contributed to the field of engineering in the islands by constructing government
buildings, churches, roads, bridges and forts.Biology is given focus. Contributors to science in the
archipelago during the 19th century were botanists, Fr. Ignacio Mercado., Dr. Trinidad Pardo de Tavera
and Dr. Leon Ma Guerrero, chemist Anaclento del Rosario, and medicine scholars Dr. Manuel Guerrero,
Dr, Jose Montes and Dr. Elrodario Mercado.

The Galleon Trade have accounted in the Philippine colonial economy. Trade was given more focus by the
Spaniard colonial authorities due to the prospects of big profits. Agriculture and industrial development
on the other hand were relatively neglected. The opening of the Suez Canal saw the influx of European
visitors to the Spanish colony and some Filipinos were able to study in Europe who were probably
influenced by the rapid development of scientific ideals brought by the Age of Enlightenment.

American period

The progress of science and technology in the Philippines continued under American rule of the islands.
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, forestry, 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.
In 1946 the Bureau of Science was replaced by the Institute of Science. In a report by the US Economic
Survey to the Philippines in 1950, there is a lack of basic information which were necessities to the
country's industries, lack of support of experimental work and minimal budget for scientific research and
low salaries of scientists employed by the government. 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.

Post Commonwealth-Era

During the 1970s, which was under the time of Ferdinand Marcos' presidency, the importance given to
science grew. Under the 1973 Philippine Constitution, Article XV, Section 1, the government's role in
supporting scientific research and invention was acknowledged. In 1974, a science development program
was included in the government's Four-Year Development Plan which covers the years 1974-1978.
Funding for science was also increased. The National Science Development Board was replaced by the
National Science and Technology Authority under Executive Order No. 784. A Scientific Career in the civil
service was introiduced in 1983.

In 1986, during Corazon Aquino's presidency, the National Science and Technology Authority was
replaced by the Department of Science and Technology, giving science and technology a representation
in the cabinet. Under the Medium Term Philippine Development Plan for the years 1987-1992, science
and technology's role in economic recovery and sustained economic growth was highlighted. During
Corazon Aquino's State of the Nation Address in 1990, she said that science and technology
development shall be one of the top three priorities of the government towards an economic recovery.

In August 8, 1988, Corazon Aquino created the Presidential Task Force for Science and Technology which
came up with the first Science and Technology Master Plan or STMP. The goal of STMP was for the
Philippines to achieve newly industrialized country status by the year 2000.[4] The Congress did not put
much priority in handling bills related to science and technology. The Senate Committee on Science and
Technology was one of the committees that handles the least amount of bills for deliberation.

Former Science and Technology secretary, Ceferin Follosco, reported that the budget allocation for
science and technology was increased to 1.054 billion pesos in 1989 from the previous year's 464 million
pesos. However, due to the Asian financial crisis, budget allocation for the years 1990 and 1991 were
trimmed down to 920 and 854 million pesos respectively. Budget allocation were increased to 1.7 billion
pesoes in 1992.
Social Sciences

Notable Filipino scientist have been contributors in the field of social science in the country. Raul V.
Fabella was an academic, economist and scientist that graduated in Seminario Mayor-Recoletos
(Bachelor of Philosophy; 1970); the University of the Philippines School of Economics (Master of Arts;
1975); and Yale University (Doctor of Philosophy; 1982). He had written articles in both theoretical and
applied fields: political economy and rent-seeking; the theory of teams; regulation; international
economics; and mathematical economics and was associated with the concepts of "Olson ratio" in rent-
seeking, egalitarian Nash bargainng solutions, and debt-adjusted real effective exchange rate. Teodoro
Agoncillo, a 20th-century Filipino historian, and received the national scientist awardfor his contributions
in the field of history. He graduated from the University of the Philippines (Bachelor of Philosophy; 1934)
and finished his Master of Arts degree in the same university in 1935. He also wrote books regarding the
Philippine History like History of the Filipino People.Encarnacion Alzona, a pioneering Filipino historian,
educator and suffragist became the first filipina to obtain a Doctor of Philosophy. She got her degree in
history and a master's degree from the University of the Philippines and later obtained another master's
degree in history from Radcliffe College in 1920, and a Ph.D. from Columbia University in 1923. She was
an advocate of women suffrage in the Philippines and authored the book The Filipino Woman: Her
Social, Economic and Political Status (1565-1933). that stated a stable account for women despite their
lack in political and social rights.

research.omicsgroup.org/index.php/Science_and_technology_in_the_Philippines