Building Blocks of Nation Building: Science, Technology and Education
Building Blocks of Nation Building: Science, Technology and Education
The reason why we at Techblade post and publish articles and stories about science, technology and education is because we recognize that the country can only move forward and develop when all three are ingrained into the consciousness of the Filipino.’
There are many publications both hard copies and online that provide a plethora of such subjects pertaining to the above-mentioned three. But mostly, these are international based and that there is a dearth of online publications and journals that specifically caters to the Philippine experience.
The Philippines and Japan were of similar industrial and technological levels in the mid 19th Century. The Philippines also had a slight edge since European technology were being brought here. But in the next decades, Japan overtook the Philippines. Japan went on to industrialize and had their own steel industry. They began to manufacture ships and trains and had factories producing what the factories in the west were producing.
What happened?
It is obvious that the Philippines was a colony of Spain and the United States. That we were a country where raw materials for the industries of the US were sourced was a matter of fact. Japan had no such raw materials that we have. In fact, both Japanese and Filipinos went to the west to study engineering and science. Both had the same exposure to industrialization and its processes. The difference is that the Japanese learned the science. The Filipino learned the art. The Japanese learned how machines were built. The Filipino learned how to use the machines.
The same reasons for the failure to industrialize can be cited. The Koreans overtook the Philippines when the Philippines was much ahead of them during the 1950s. The Filipinos then had more scientists and engineers. The Filipinos had more teachers and universities.
The failure to industrialize meant that there will be no manufacturing plants that can hire the greater number of semi-skilled Filipinos. The absence of manufacturing made sure that our products are those that markets want but does not need while we cannot produce the things that we need. It is as simple as that.
Not too late
The synergy between science, technology and education is what is needed. The Philippines need a great segment of its population to be aware of science and technology. That the educational system harmonize the Humanities as the core and that science and technology form the chard crust. The Filipino have proven time and again that innovation can be found in this country. What is needed is a structured approach towards science and technology that can be applied in the short, medium and long term to address the needs of the country.
Techblade is presenting itself as one of the vessels in achieving science and technology literacy. It is not the technological “know how” alone but also the technological “do how” so that it can be made relevant in the everyday lives of the Filipino.
The reason why we at Techblade post and publish articles and stories about science, technology and education is because we recognize that the country can only move forward and develop when all three are ingrained into the consciousness of the Filipino.’
There are many publications both hard copies and online that provide a plethora of such subjects pertaining to the above-mentioned three. But mostly, these are international based and that there is a dearth of online publications and journals that specifically caters to the Philippine experience.
The Philippines and Japan were of similar industrial and technological levels in the mid 19th Century. The Philippines also had a slight edge since European technology were being brought here. But in the next decades, Japan overtook the Philippines. Japan went on to industrialize and had their own steel industry. They began to manufacture ships and trains and had factories producing what the factories in the west were producing.
What happened?
It is obvious that the Philippines was a colony of Spain and the United States. That we were a country where raw materials for the industries of the US were sourced was a matter of fact. Japan had no such raw materials that we have. In fact, both Japanese and Filipinos went to the west to study engineering and science. Both had the same exposure to industrialization and its processes. The difference is that the Japanese learned the science. The Filipino learned the art. The Japanese learned how machines were built. The Filipino learned how to use the machines.
The same reasons for the failure to industrialize can be cited. The Koreans overtook the Philippines when the Philippines was much ahead of them during the 1950s. The Filipinos then had more scientists and engineers. The Filipinos had more teachers and universities.
The failure to industrialize meant that there will be no manufacturing plants that can hire the greater number of semi-skilled Filipinos. The absence of manufacturing made sure that our products are those that markets want but does not need while we cannot produce the things that we need. It is as simple as that.
Not too late
The synergy between science, technology and education is what is needed. The Philippines need a great segment of its population to be aware of science and technology. That the educational system harmonize the Humanities as the core and that science and technology form the chard crust. The Filipino have proven time and again that innovation can be found in this country. What is needed is a structured approach towards science and technology that can be applied in the short, medium and long term to address the needs of the country.
Techblade is presenting itself as one of the vessels in achieving science and technology literacy. It is not the technological “know how” alone but also the technological “do how” so that it can be made relevant in the everyday lives of the Filipino.
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