 Higher Education and Science & Technology in the Philippines

 The Nature of Particles

• Richard Feynman – conducted that quantum interactions happened in terms of exchange of “virtual”
particles
• Paul Dirac – was able to correctly predict the existence of anti-matter
* The arrangement of basic particles of nature in accordance with their properties came from newer subatomic
particles which brought the standard model of particle physics to existence
• Sheldon Glashow – merged electromagnetism with the weak nuclear force and transformed it into
one “electro-weak” theory
• Hugh Everett III – proposed that there might be a mathematical basis for concluding that there could
be the real existence of more than one universe
 The Future Beckons
 It is highly probable that more and more problems that we have not previously imagined would soon
emerge. In this regard, we must always be ready to expect the unexpected as surprises are always
present in the field of science.
 Higher Education and Science and Technology in the Philippines
• The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has been mandated by law to chart a new and better
direction of higher education in the Philippines
• They are tasked with the responsibility of developing our burgeoning human resources to satisfy the
ever-changing needs and well-being of our society and nation and to face the challenges of a rapidly
evolving world.
• Institutions must plan to pursue for the continued development and progress of our country.
• Reflect on the higher philosophy that would give guidance and proper mandate for higher education
efforts to address future needs of the state and solve the challenges of a modern society.
• The first section focuses on general historical survey of higher education and an overview of the
more than 100 years.
• The second section will consider the underlying values and principles that were transmitted by
higher institutions of learning in the 19th century, which were instrumental in shaping the goals of the
revolution.
• Mindful of their talents and taking advantage of their strong potentials for the survival of Filipinos.
• Efforts must be undertaken for preservation and enrichment of Filipino culture.
• Continue proper utilization and conservation of our natural resources for the development, progress,
and economic growth of our society
 Education in the 19th Century
• 1863 – Spanish government issued a significant royal decree that was enacted to reform the
educational system in the Philippines.
“Decree” – contained provisions for the establishment of a complete system of elementary, secondary, and
collegiate schools, teacher training schools, and even the Spanish government supervision of these schools.
• 1898 – There was still only one university for the entire country. It was the University of Santo Tomas
(UST) which was run by the Dominicans also known as the Order of Preachers.
• 1871 – Schools of medicine and pharmacy were opened.
• 1871-1886 – UST granted the degree of Licentiate in Medicine to 62 graduates. To achieve a doctorate
in medicine, a student needed an additional year of study at the Unibersidad Central de Madrid in
Spain.
• 1876 – UST granted the bachelor’s degree in pharmacy to its initial six graduates who studied in its
school of pharmacy.
“Leon Maria Guerrero” – among the graduates, he became famous as the “Father of Philippine
Pharmacy”.
• 1898 - No Philippine educational institution offered engineering as a course
• January 1, 1820 - a nautical school was created
• During the 19th century, professional schools known were the School of Commercial Accounting and
the School of French and English Languages.
• The thrust of education under the Spanish government was geared mainly toward the spread of the
Catholic faith.
• Schools that provided higher education were set up by different religious orders in urban centers, most
of them in Manila.
• Academic opportunities were very limited because of the monopoly of the elite – the European-born
and some local Spaniards, mestizos, and a few native Filipinos.

A. Schools in the Spanish Period

 Technical and vocational schools were established (late 19th century by the Spaniards.)
 The first school of arts and trades was founded in Pampanga.
 The first school of agriculture was founded in Manila during 1889.
 A school in fine arts was later transformed into Superior School of Painting, Sculpture, and Engraving.
B. Higher Education in the Spanish Period
 Priesthood and some clerical positions were prioritized in colonial administration.
 Higher education was not encouraged by the Spaniards for they believed that it would impetus Filipinos
to rebel against them.
 Only the strong-willed were able to attend universities but would still be treated with poor education.

C. Higher education in the Medical Field During the Spanish Period

 Regarded to be “materialistic” and “impious” by the Spanish friars making it a discipline with a bad
reputation.
 Poor education received by the Filipinos, came a small number of graduates particularly in the field of
medicine and sciences.
 The small number of graduates were still discriminated against by the colonial government, for they
had the problem of unemployment.

D. The Filipino Graduates Joined the Revolution Against Spain

 The Opening of Suez Canal in 1869
 Big impact on the capability of Filipinos to study abroad.
 Made travel easy between Philippines and Europe.
 Made Filipino students like Jose Rizal, Marcelo del Pilar, Antonio and Juan Luna to go to Europe for
advanced studies.
 They absorbed the liberal ideas of the enlightenment period, like freedom and progress.
 Led to the propaganda movement in Europe that later on spread to the Philippines that eventually
brought revolution against Spain in 1896.

Higher Education in the First Republic

 The violence brought by the Philippine revolution led to many schools in the country to be closed.
 The government took initial steps to temporarily open classes as soon as circumstances allowed.
 On August 29, 1898, the Secretary of the Interior ordered provincial governors to re-establish the
abandoned schools before the outbreak of hostilities.
 During the shortened Philippine Republic, the government took measures to put a secular educational
system.
 October 19, 1898 - decided to create the Universidad Literaria de Filipinas as a secular, state-
supported educational institution of higher learning.
 It offered science courses, such as medicine, surgery, pharmacy, and even the study of law. Most of
its faculty and students transferred from UST.
 During its very short life, the university was able to hold graduation rites on September 29, 1899 on the
province of Tarlac. Corresponding degrees in medicine and law were conferred to the graduates

Higher Education in the American Period

 After the Fil-Am war, Americans introduced a secularized public school system.
 1901 - The Philippine Commission created a Department of Public Instruction (Act No. 74) that
would provide free primary education to Filipinos with English as medium of instruction.
 They also established the Philippine National School in Manila to train Filipino teachers and was
followed by the establishment of secondary schools in 1902.
 1905 - Philippine Medical School was established.
 June 18, 1908 - Philippine Legislative created University of the Philippines and by virtue of such
creation, they absorbed Philippine Medical school.

Under the UP set-up...

 1909 - College of Agriculture Los Banos Laguna.
 1910 - College of Liberal Arts, Engineering and Veterinary Medicine.
 1911 - College of Law
 After 4 years, the school of pharmacy and graduate school of tropical medicine and public health
 1916 - School of Forestry and conservation of music
 1918 - College of Education
 American educational policy - designed primarily for the country to obtain and develop highly-literate,
civic-minded individuals and provide an unlimited pool of Filipino professionals.
 Before 1910, the American Colonial government encouraged and sent young Filipinos abroad to
pursue higher education in American colleges.
 In 1903, they approved an education package to finance the scholarship of 125 young Filipinos that
were later called PENSIONADOS. They were obliged to render public service for five years after their
return from their studies before they could practice somewhere else.
 In 1908, teachers in the sciences and engineering were Americans and some other foreigners.
 December 1926, out of 463 teaching staff, American faculty and the other foreigners dwindled to 44
(American Faculty).
 University of the Philippines was the only publicly-supported university, thus failing to anticipate large,
growing, public demand for publicly-funded tertiary education.
 To address the issue, establishment of other colleges & universities was allowed by the government.
 Private schools were established also to serve as means to conserve national heritage, patrimony
and prevent Americanization of the Filipinos
 Some of the Private Schools that were established…
 Liceo de Manila(1900) – Became the Manila Central University by the Sociedad Filomatica.
 Colegio Filipino(1900) – became the National University in 1925.
 Instituto de Manila(1913) – became the University of Manila in 1929.
 Centro Escolar de Senioritas(1910) – became the Centro Escolar University in 1930.
  Philippine Women's College(1919) – became University in 1932.
 Two other universities in Visayas:
 Silliman University (Dumaguete City)
 Central Philippine University (Iloilo City)
 Founded during 1st decades of American Rule.
 Began as Protestant mission schools that evolved to their current state.

 1906- Philippine Commission provided for the regulation of private schools in the corporation law
(Act no. 1459).
“It made a provision that any group could establish an educational institution by forming a
corporation and that such an entity could grant diplomas and confer degrees with the approval of the Secretary
of Public Instruction.”

 1917- The Philippine Legislature enacted the private school act (Act no. 2076).
Covered private schools as educational institutions and not commercial enterprises
The secretary of public instruction was authorized to maintain a general standard of efficiency
In all private schools and colleges.
 1925- The Philippine Legislature empowered the Board of Educational survey to conduct a
comprehensive investigation as to the state of public and private institutions of learning in the
Philippines.
The survey found most private schools to be substandard. It reported that most of these schools were
poorly equipped and had more part-time than full-time faculty members. -Isidro & Ramos 1973
 1932- The commissioner of private education estimated that the colonial government would have to
spend at least 10 million each year, not excluding the expenses for additional buildings and
equipment.
The private schools in the aggregate are ‘big business’ and they supplement the public
educational system by providing facilities which thus far the government has not had the funds to
supply. –Hayden 1942
 During the American Period the numbers of private schools in the Philippines continued to rise.
 10 million each year is the estimated amount of money that the colonial government would have to
spend not excluding the expenses for additional building and equipments.
 In November 1935 the inauguration month of the Philippine Commonwealth was marked. During that
time Filipinos continued to expand the public school system.
 To accomodate the growing number of the school children the government abolished Grade VII as the
last grade in the elementary system.
 They also instituted a “double-single session” plan to reduce the time allotment and dropping of certain
subjects.
 By 1938, there were 425 private schools and a total of 19,575 students.
 During the World War 2 the Philippine society and its economy was totally disrupted by the Japanese.
Higher Education since 1946
 1946- The Philippines gained its political independence.

The Philippines had to face social rehabilitation, economic reconstruction and rebuilding
educational edifices. With the support for education continuing to be concentrated at the elementary school
level, state colleges accounted for only 15% of the total collegiate population.
○ The number of State Universities and Colleges increased in 1946. often, biased political
affiliations determined the creation, location and staffing of the educational institutions
 These factors affect the quality of education given by the state universities and colleges.
Universities varied their standards which resulted largely from unequal distribution of financial resources for
physical and research facilities.
 Universities and colleges multiplied
 Non-sectarian universities were treated luke business ventures
 Sectarian universities tended to be financially better
 Quality standards were not met in higher Education
 Graduates from public and private universities increased but there has been less enrollment in some
areas
 This situation caused the students to enroll in other courses

Values and vision

• This shows the permanent influence of Spanish and later American colonial principles and policies on
our educational system
• The primary aim of higher education institutions, then, was to train Filipino graduates who would staff
the higher levels of the colonial bureaucracy.
• bu·reauc·ra·cy - a system of government in which most of the important decisions are made by state
officials rather than by elected representatives.
• These principles and vision could be gleaned from the writings of the illustrados and the leaders
of propaganda movement in the 19th century. One of the ideals commonly shared by many
Filipino patriots was the secularization of education.
• sec·u·lar·i·za·tion - the action or process of converting something from religious to secular possession
or use
• This did not mean that religion in schools would be completely given up altogether.
• Marcelo H. Del Pilar pointed out that religious control ever the education system defeated the very
purpose of the Moret education of 1863.
• The illustrados vouched for the mandatory teaching of the Spanish Language to the Filipino masses
for the purpose of having a common language.
• The illustrados also gave importance to vocation education to lift the people from the bondage of
colonial rule. Even Rizal was an avid advocate of vocational education and demonstrated this in dapitan
while he was an exile.
• The constitution of La Liga Filipina stated that one of its purposes was the encouragement of popular
education. Moreover illustrados like Graciano Lopez Jaena, also suggested the sending of exceptional
students to study in foreign countries.
• Filipino patriots in the 19th century, likewise, advocated the incalculation of patriotism in public schools.
• Rizal included in the curriculum of his proposed "Modern school" the teaching of Philippine History,
Exclusive of Spanish or universal history. These great Filipino visions were integrated into 1935 and
1973 constitutions of the Philippines; Likewise, in the present 1987 Constitution specifically, Article
11,Sec 17.
• In a nutshell, our Filipino leaders, centuries ago already had visions of a great Philippine state with a
highly educate population, with expertise not only in the traditional careers and professions but also in
the courses of Trade, engineering, science and technology.
Contemporary Higher Education
-has been transformed by a deep a deep philosophical orientation that puts primary importance on the
pursuit of knowledge and formation of requisite skills and physical tools to make a productive member
of society.
-objectives, plans, programs and delivery of higher education is based on the cultural and historical
legacy, heritage and aspirations
 -reinforced from previous long-term Higher Education Development Plan in 1996-2005
• Higher Education
- considered as means to develop and put into good use the capacities of Filipinos and
constructive use of their full potentials and capabilities in realizing Filipino identity and national pride;
• cultivating and imposing the moral fiber and spiritual harmony; reaching political soundness, economic
stability and social responsibility and lastly is preserving and enriching the historical and cultural
foundations of the Filipinos as a distinct people and race.
• Higher education in the Philippines evolved in order to adjust to the changing needs of the modern
times.
• In the earlier years of the Philippine Republic, the main contents and provisions of higher education is
to meet the requirements of stablishing and building a strong Filipino nation.
• But in the succeeding years, higher education was viewed by the government as a vehicle to launch
the country's economic growth and development.
• And in order for this to be done, comprehensive societal goals and limiting attention to courses that are
suited to meet economic and national development goals should be attained.
• This conscious desire to fit higher education and society's needs drives Education for National
Development Program (1970's) to include National College Entrance Examination (NCEE) as a
screening tool for the development of targeted manpower requirements for national progress and
economic growth.
• This orientation of higher education was reinforced with explicit mission as provided in the Long-Term
Higher Education Development Plan, (1996-2005) to "accelerate the development of high-level
professionals who will search for new knowledge, and provide leadership in various disciplines required
by a dynamic and self-sustaining economy" and to "harness the productive capacity of the country's
human resource base towards international competitiveness."
• Indeed, the twin goals for human resource development, namely, people empowerment and
global competitiveness of our manpower, have been adopted to guide the country's quest for rapid
industrialization and eventual development.
• The essence of higher education in the country has been affected by social realities and aspirations
which influenced our Philippine society and culture.
• Its philosophical focus will continue to be largely directed by the constant harping for knowledge and
the achievement of social inadequacies and the national vision and mission.
• The challenge to its transformational capacity shall be the preparation and Filipino empowerment to
serve the needs of society and address its concern to help attain a greatly strengthened democratic
and just society that will also overpower the intense competition of a global environment in the 21st
century.