Indigenous Science and Technology in The Philippines: Modified By: Anthony A. Alagon

Indigenous Science and
Technology in the
Philippines
Modified by:
Anthony A. Alagon
Indigenous knowledge
Local or indigenous knowledge refers to
the cumulative and complex bodies of
knowledge, know-how, practices and
representations that are maintained and
developed by local communities, who
have long histories of interaction with the
natural environment (UNESCO, 2012).
Indigenous Knowledge
System
Embedded in the daily life
experiences: cultural traditions of
regional, indigenous, or local
communities
Orally passed
Views about nature and their
reflections on their experiences in
daily life are evident in their stories,
poems, and songs.
What makes a group Indigenous?
Descended from pre-invasion of
inhabitants
Close ties to the land in Cultural

and Economic Practices
 Suffer from economic/political

disadvantages as a minority
Indigenous People
 Native Knowledge
 Community
Knowledge
 Folk Knowledge
Examples of Indigenous
knowledge that are taught
and practiced by
indigenous people
Examples of Indigenous Knowledge
•Prediction of weather conditions and
season using knowledge in observing
animals’ behavior and celestial bodies
•Using herbal medicine
•Preserving foods
•Classifying plants and animals into
families
•Preserving and selecting good seeds for
planting
•Using indigenous technology
Examples of Indigenous Knowledge
•Building local irrigation systems
•Classifying different types of soil
for planting based on cultural
properties
•Producing wines and juices from
tropical fruits
•Keeping the custom of growing
plants and vegetables in the yard
Indigenous Science
•Is a part of the indigenous knowledge
system practiced by different groups of
people and early civilizations
•Includes complex arrays of knowledge,
expertise, practices, and representations
that guide human societies in their
enumerable interactions with the natural
milieu: agriculture, medicine, naming and
explaining natural phenomena, strategies
for coping with changing environments.
Indigenous beliefs
•Develop desirable values that are
relevant or consistent to scientific
attitudes, namely:
•Motivating attitudes
•Cooperating attitudes
•Practical attitudes
•Reflective attitudes
Prediction of weather
•Puwek ni killing ( storm of the
killing)
•Shining moon with a rainbow
encircling a bloody red sunset
•During New Year, when the cow or
horse eat grass, wail, it meant
drought
•When the goats repeatedly wail,

there will be landslides
•During New Year, when the cow or
horse eat grass, wail, it meant
drought
•When the goats repeatedly wail,

there will be landslides
Indigenous Knowledge in Rice
Cultivation
 Common salt is dissolved in water
and sprayed in rice fields for
controlling major weeds
 To prevent lodging in rice crop at
maturity in water logging conditions
, the upper portion of the rice plants
is cut with the help of sickle. After
two months of transplanting, excess
growth of rice plant is checked due
to pruning. Lower part of the plant
become strong
SCARECROW
• Farmers set up a human like effigy. It is
believed that the effigy would protect
the plants by scaring birds and other
animals that are supposed to harm their
products.
Birds sits and eats insects.
Especially, Rice Bug, Green leaf
hopper, Brown Plant hopper control.
Procedure of Biological control.
Fruit cover at mature stage.
Insect infestation control
especially fruit borer, White fly,
Ants, Beetle etc.
All fruits mature same time
Drying:
• It is the traditional method for

reducing the moisture content of
grain.
• Sun drying is the most common
drying methods all over the world.
• It is simple method for safe storage of
grains.
 Bamboo leaves are used
during transportation of
milk in rural area
 It keeps the milk
temperature cool
 It helps to maintain
the acidity level of
milk
Removal of Jackfruit sticky latex with
mustard oil
Characteristics
After cutting Jackfruitexcretes
an extremely sticky latex
substance. The chemical
property of the latex/resin of
jackfruits is oil solubility
Advantage
If hand/utensils coated with
edible oil mainly mustard oil,
then sticky latex can easily
removed from hand /utensils.
Green Papaya asa Meat Tenderizer
Characteristics
Green papaya contain an enzyme
called Papain. The connective
tissue in the meat breaks down
when it comes in contact with
Papain. Papaya is preferred
tenderizer for red meat (Lamb,
Mutton, Goat, Beef).
Advantage
It is easy to tough cut of
meat to cook with
papaya. It need less
time to cook.
Green Chilli Presevation
Characteristics Advantages
• The stem of the green chillies are The green chillies will last longer (mine
prone to bacteria and thus it leads to lasts up-to 1-2 weeks).
spoilage.
So these are discarded.
• And, if found any rotten chillies in
the bunch it should be off too because
one rotten chilli can spoil the whole
• Next step is to wrap the chillies in the
paper towel or newspaper and put
them in dry place.
FISHING
Methods of catching included
bamboo fish traps, bait and plants to
stun the fish. Some of these are the
leaves of the galgal tree and the ofey
vine which are pounded and
scattered on slow flowing water.
FISH DRYING TECHNIQUES
Sun Drying of Fish
A processing method of fish involving the
removal of most of the water both from the
surface and deeper flash of the fish.
Importance of DriedFish:
Dried fish processed through sun drying or

dehydration is highly concentrated fish compared to
other preserved form of fish.
As water content become reduced so microbial
activity can not run at normal rate thus reduce the
spoilage of fish.
Less expensive method and comparatively simple
procedure.
Reduced water content, enzymatic and many
chemical process which are responsible for fish
spoilage retarded.
Salting of Fish
Salting is a process of fish preservation where
the water content is reduced by the penetration of
salt, whereby the activity of most of the spoilage
bacteria is stopped or reduced.
Concept of Indigenous Science
1. Uses science process skills such as
observing, comparing, classifying,
measuring, problem solving, inferring,
communicating, and predicting.
2. It is guided by culture and community
values such as the ff:
•The land is a source of life
•The Earth is revered as “Mother Earth”
•All living and non-living things are
interconnected and interdependent with each
other
Concept of Indigenous Science
•Human beings are steward or trustee of
the land and natural resources.
•Nature is a friend to human beings-it
needs respect and proper care
3. Indigenous science is composed of
traditional knowledge practiced and valued
by people and communities such as ethno-
biology, ethno-medicine, indigenous
farming methods, and folk astronomy.
Assignment
1. Identify Filipino indigenous knowledge.

2. Research on the connection of indigenous knowledge to science
and technology.
THINK ABOUT THESE QUESTIONS:
1. What is the role of indigenous knowledge in the development of
indigenous science?
2. What is the role of indigenous science in the development of
science and technology in the Philippines?
3. How do society and culture influence the development of science
and technology?

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Indigenous Science and

Close ties to the land in Cultural

 Suffer from economic/political

•When the goats repeatedly wail,

•When the goats repeatedly wail,

• It is the traditional method for

Dried fish processed through sun drying or

1. Identify Filipino indigenous knowledge.

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