SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY

What are Science, Technology and society, and why should people want to study
and learn it? Why should students, teachers, researchers and other professionals have
interest
interest in the subject?
subject? Primaril
Primarily,
y, we need some background and understanding
understanding of the
significance of science and technology in the living past and their importance in the
modern world (Mosteiro,2004)

DEFINITIONS OF SCIENCE.

1. SCIE
SCIENC
NCE E IS
IS A PROC
PROCES ESS S
a. Conc
Concererne
nedd with
with discdiscov
over
erin
ingg relarelati
tion
onshship
ipss betw
betweeeenn obse
observ
rvab
able
le
 phenomena in terms of theories.
 b. Syste
Systemat
matize
izedd theoret
theoretica
icall inquiri
inquirieses
c. It seeks
seeks for truth
truth about
about natu
nature.
re.
d. It is determ
determined
ined by observa
observation,
tion, hypothes
hypothesis, is, measurem
measurement, ent, analysis
analysis and
and
experimentation
e. It is the descrip
description
tion and
and explanati
explanation on of the
the developmen
developmentt of knowled
knowledge ge
f. It is the study
study of the beginnin
beginning g and endend of everyt
everything
hing that
that exist.
exist.
g. Conceptualiza
Conceptualizationtion of new ideas,
ideas, from
from the abstra
abstractct to the
the particular
particular..
h. Kind
Kind of human
human cultcultura
urall acti
activit
vity.
y.
2. SCIE
SCIENC
NCE E IS
IS A PRO
PRODU DUCT CT
a. Syste
Systemat
matize
ized,
d, organize
organized d body of knowledge
knowledge based based on facts
facts or truths
truths
observations.
  b.
b. A setset of logi
logica
call and
and empi
empiri rica
call met
methods
hods whi which prov
proviide for
for the
systematic observation of empirical phenomena.
c. Source
Source of cognit
cognitive
ive author
authority
ity..
d. Concer
Concerned
ned with
with verifi
verifiabl
ablee concep
concepts ts
e. A proprodu
duct
ct of the
the min
mind d
f. It is the variety
variety of knowledge
knowledge,, people,
people, skills
skills,, organizat
organization
ions,
s, faciliti
facilities,
es,
techniques, physical resources, methods and technologies that taken
together and in relation with one another.

The Nature of Science

Prof. Pacifico U. Payawal
“Science is the interpretation of nature and man is the interpreter.”(G. Gore 1878)1
“Nature, with all her irregularities, might have been just as real even if there were no men
to observe and to study her. But there could have been no science without human beings,
or beings like them. It is the spirit of man brooding over the stream of natural events that
has given birth to science.” (A Wolf 1925).2

“Science is the attempts to make the chaotic diversity of our sense experience correspond
to a logically uniform system of thought.” (A. Einstein 1940)3

What is Science? According to the definitions given by gore, Wolf, and Einstein, the
subject matter of science is nature. Every physical entity in the extra terrestrial and
terrestrial environment is a component of nature. The galaxies, the stars in the galaxy, the
 planets and their moons, the asteroids and the comets, the air, water, and soil; the plants
and the animals,
animals, they are physic
physical
al entities
entities of Mother
Mother Nature.
Nature. We are conscio
conscious
us of 
nature’s reality because of the stimuli emanating from these entities which our sense
 perceived.

 Nature is very complex. The multitudes of entities comprising nature, and their complex
interactions, make nature innately complex. Therefore, the totality of stimuli emanating
from her is intuitively chaotic. Science represents the attempt of man to put order to this
chaotic perception of nature. Thus, Albert Einstein 3 defined science as “Man’s attempts
to make the chaotic diversity of his sense experience correspond to a logically uniform
system of thought.” And indeed, as G. Gore1 wrote,” Science is the interpretation of 
nature and man is the interpreter.” And as A. Wolf 2 opined,” It is the spirit of man
 brooding over the stream of natural events that has given birth to science,” Clearly,
science is the product of human curiosity.

Why are we curious? It is almost an instinct for us humans to try to understand what our 
senses perceived because of our highly developed mental skills. These are the mental
skills to observe, infer, measure, classify, experiment, and to communicate. Through the
ages, our ancestors learned to use these skills in a methodical manner to investigate the
‘how,’ the ‘why,’ and the ‘when’ of natural events. This methodical manner to ou r mental
skills to satisfy human curiosity is the scientific method.

Using the scientific method, generation after generation pf scientist gradually discovered
the natural laws that govern natural processes. As each generation described with an ever 
increasing accuracy the events and circumstances that prevail in nature, what was once
 perceived as chaotic becomes rational, and man saw the unity in the diversity of nature.
In other word, the scientific endeavors spanning several generations yielded a number of 
natural laws. These laws reduce natural events in nature to orderly predictable events.

What sets the limitation of science? Science is a product of the human senses and the
human mind and that is why there could be no science in the absence of an intelligent
  being like a human or any other intelligent creature like him. And therein lies the
limitation of science; the limitation of the human senses and the limitation of the human
mind. We can not investigate what our senses cannot perceive, and we can not explain
 beyond what our human mind can understand. As a matter of fact, the optical and the
electron microscope, the optical and radio telescopes, and all the other new scientific
instruments are but the result of our attempts to extend our sense of perception.
 How does science operate? Science is a self correcting and self-generating human
activity. Using the scientific method, each generation of scientist develop explanations of 
natural phenomena but at the same time, within the same generation, there are scientists
who question the validity of the proposed explanations. And within the same generation,
there are scientists who arrive at some new observations which lead to the identification
of new and heretofore undescribed phenomena. In this manner science is self-correcting
and self-generating, it is never stagnant.

  How does the Scientific Method operate? The scientific method is a mental process
which serves as the “tool” of scientist with which new discoveries are made Although the
scientific method is traditionally characterized as a rigid mental process consisting of (a)
observation, (b) problem identification, (c) hypothesis formulation, and (d) drawing of 
conclusions as to the possible validity if the prediction, scientists are not in general
agreement as to exactly what constitutes
c onstitutes scientific procedure.

In realit
reality,
y, this
this rigid
rigid proces
processs called
called the scient
scientifi
ificc method
method did prove useful
useful in some
some
 partic
 particula
ularr instan
instances
ces,, like
like in biolog
biology
y where
where the proble
problem
m is amenabl
amenablee to experi
experiment
mental
al
manipulation. But in some other cases, the problem may not be amenable to controlled
manipulation, like in the geological process of volcanic eruption and mountain building.
Under such unmanageable events, the traditional scientific procedure is unrealistic.

What seems to be common to all scientific investigations is that scientific procedure

involves postulating and testing hypothesis. The testing part may or may not strictly
involve
involve experimentat
experimentation
ion but accurate observation
observations.
s. In other words, not all scientists
scientists
necessarily conduct experiments to prove hypotheses.

In the development and proving of hypotheses, scientists use inductive and deductive
logic, but they do not tend to think exclusively in one way or the other at different times.
In practi
practice,
ce, they
they use the interp
interplay
lay of induct
inductive
ive and deducti
deductive
ve logic.
logic. Induct
Inductive
ive logic
logic
 proceeds from the specifies and arrives at a generalization. On the contrary, deductive
 proceeds from the general to the specific. To be sure, the following examples are in order.

Inductive logic involves arriving at a probable conclusion based on several samplings.

Suppose that a person tasted a green mango and found it sour and slightly tangy to the
taste buds. Then he subsequently tasted 24 other mangoes and found the same result.
Based on the these 25 samplings, he may then conclude that all green mangoes are sour 
and tangy to the taste. Inductive logic thus proceeds from several specific observations to
a generalization. Most of the major theories are arrived at I this manner. For example, the
Cell Theory, the Theory of Biological Evolution by Natural Selection, and the theory of 
 plate tectonics, all these are generalizations arrived at by inductive reasoning.

Deductive logic proceeds from a generalization to specifics. For example, after testing 25
green mangoes and finding them sour and tangy, one may hypothesize that the next
mango he will taste will be sour and tangy. This kind of reasoning is used to formulate a
new hypothesis after a generalization. For example, the generalization that all green
mang
mangoe
oess are
are sour
sour and
and tang
tangy
y was
was arri
arrive
ved
d at afte
afterr 25 gree
green
n mang
mangoe
oes.
s. From
From this
this
generalization, the scientists may further formulate a new hypothesis using deductive
logic. If 25 green mangoes are sour and tangy, then the next green mango I will taste
should be sour and tangy. If indeed the mango tasted sour and tangy, then the validity of 
the origin
original
al genera
generaliz
lizati
ation
on has gained
gained greate
greaterr probab
probabili
ility
ty (or credib
credibili
ility)
ty).. Thus,
Thus, the
scientific procedure; or science progress by the interplay of inductive and deductive
reasoning.

It should be pointed out however that inductive generalization never attain absolute
certainty. They only attain higher degrees of probability. For example, the probability
that all green mangoes are sour and tangy based on 25 samples has a lower degree of 
certainty than if the sample size is increased to 20 mangoes. But even if the sample size is
increased tom 1000 green mangoes, still there is no absolute certainty that all green
mangoes are sour and tangy. The number of green mangoes is infinite and no one can be
absolutely certain the next green mango to be tasted will not be sweet. Thus science can
only seek for the most probable truth and never for the absolute truth. A.W. Ghent
developed a conceptual scheme to illustrate the role of inductive and deductive logic in
the conduct of scientific investigation.

The scheme shows that scientific procedure begins with an educated guesswork about the
 probable explanation to a perceived problem. The guesswork is an educated guess based
on previously
previously known facts related to the problem. The scientist
scientistss then make a prediction
 based on the guesswork; this is the hypothesis. Thus, hypothesis formulation involves
deduc
deducti
tive
ve reas
reasoni
oning
ng and
and goes
goes this
this way,’
way,’ If(a
If(an
n assu
assump
mpti
tion
on is made
made base
based
d on the
the
guesswo
guesswork)
rk),, then
then (the
(the predic
predictio
tion
n that
that is expecte
expected
d if the assump
assumptio
tion
n is valid)
valid).. The
 prediction is actually the anticipated event to happen if the assumption is correct.

Experiments or factual observations are then made to prove the validity of the hypothesis.
Usually,
Usually, the result of the experiment/
experiment/obser
observation
vationss may overlap only slightly
slightly with those
  predicted by the hypothesis. Nevertheless, the result allows the investigator to arrive
inductively at new and more realistic concept (guesswork) about the explanation as the
 problem.

From the improved guesswork, a new and more realistic hypothesis is made by deductive
logic. Experimentation/observations are then made to test the new hypothesis which
normally results in a much improved guesswork. Thus, the interplay of deductive and
induct
inductive
ive reason
reasoning
ing contrib
contribute
utess to increa
increasin
singly
gly reali
realisti
sticc concep
conceptt of explan
explanati
ation
on to a
 problem. I other words, the interplay yields increasingly reliable factual knowledge less
and less of guesswork.

 Is technology a part of science? The little we understood about nature we were able to
use to develop technologies that enabled us to survive and progress; and to be the most
dominant animal species on earth. But technology is not science. Science only seeks to
understand nature, no more no less; technology is but the application of what science has
discovered, for better for worst. That is why usefulness is not a prerequisite to the
generation of knowledge; on the contrary, usefulness is the primary prerequisite to the
generation of technology.

DEFINITIONS OF TECHNOLOGY
On the same view, technology is defined as both a PROCESS and a PRODUCT
1. TECH
TECHNO NOLOLOGYGY AS A PRO PROCE CESS SS
a. It is the applica
applicatio
tion n of scienc
science.e.
 b. The practic
practice,e, descripti
description,on, and termi
terminology
nology of applied
applied sciences
sciences..
c. The intelli
intelligent
gent organiz
organizatiation
on and manipu
manipulat lation
ion of materi
materialsals for useful
useful
 purposes.
d. The means
means employed
employed to provideprovide for human needs needs and wants.
wants.
e. Focus
Focuseded on inve
invent ntin
ingg new or bette betterr tool
toolss and mate
materi rial
alss or new and
 better ways of doing things.
f. A way of usingusing findi
findings
ngs of scien
science ce to produc
producee new thingsthings for
for a better 
better 
way of living.
g. Search
Search for concret
concretee solutions
solutions thatthat work
work and givegive wanted results.
results.
h. It is char charac
acteterristic
stical
allly calc
calcul
ulatatiive and
and imitimitat
atiive,
ve, tends
ends to be
dangerously manipulative.
i. Form
Form ofof huma
human n cultu
culturarall acti
activi
vity
ty..
2. TECH
TECHNO NOLOLOGYGY AS A PRO PRODU DUCT CT
a. A system
system of know-how
know-how,, skillsskills,, techniques
techniques and processe
processes. s.
  b.
b. It is like
like a lang
langua uage
ge,, ritu
ritual
als,
s, valu
values
es,, comm
commer erce
ce andand arts
arts,, it is an
intrinsic part of a cultural system and it both shapes and reflects the
system values.
c. It is
is the
the product
product of the the scien
scientitific
fic conc
concept
ept..
d. The complex
complex combinat
combination ion of knowledge,
knowledge, materia materials
ls and methods.
methods.
e. Materi
Materialal product
productss of human
human making
making or fabric
fabricati
ation.
on.
f. Tota
Totall soc
socie
ieta
tall ent
entererpr
pris
ise.
e.

DEFINITIONS OF SCEINCE AND TECHNOLOGY

1. A fiel
field
d of endeav
endeavor
or upon which
which a two-
two-wa
way
y inte
intera
ract
ctio
ion
n oper
operat
ates
es betwee
between
n
science and technology.
 2. Inte
Interd
rdep
epen
ende
dent
nt and
and over
overla
lapp
ppin
ing
g meth
method
odss whic
whichh empl
employ
oy both
both exis
existi
ting
ng
knowledge and existing know-how.
3. A system
system of know-how,
know-how, skills,
skills, techniq
techniques
ues and processes
processes which
which enable
enable societ
society
y
to produce, distribute, install, maintain or improve goods and services needed
to satisfy human needs.
4. Is an interd
interdisc
iscipl
iplina
inary
ry field
field of study that
that seeks
seeks to explore
explore and underst
understand
and the
many ways that modern science and technology shape modern culture, values
and institutions, and how modern values shape science and technology.

PURPOSES OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

1. To impro
improve
ve quali
quality
ty of human
human condi
conditition.
on.
2. To provid
providee soluti
solution
on to our prac
practi
tical
cal probl
problems
ems..
3. To establish
establish relevant
relevant institu
institutional
tional linkage
linkagess and essential
essential mechanis
mechanisms
ms
4. To devel
develop
op indi
individ
vidual
ual knowle
knowledgedge..
5. To find order
order in the chaos
chaos of nature
nature and deliver
deliver personal
personal and social
social libera
liberation
tion
6. To give an informat
information
ion and explanation
explanation of of the natural
natural world
world
7. To devel
develop
op new
new areas
areas of knowle
knowledgedge
8. To comb
combatat irr
irrat
atio
iona
nali
lity
ty..
9. To maintai
maintainn the availabili
availabilityty of
of natural
natural resources
resources

LIMITATIONS OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

1. Epistemolo
Epistemological
gical concern
concerns. s. It cannot
cannot help
help us with questions
questions about
about the
the God,
God, the
ultimate
ultimate Good, and Truth. It cannot deny nor confirm confirm the existence
existence of God,
soul, heaven and other uncertainties.
2. Metaph
Metaphysi
ysical
cal concerns.
concerns. Immateri
Immaterial al and transcen
transcendent
dental
al nature
nature is beyond
beyond the
grasp
grasp of scient
scientifi
ificc inquir
inquiry.y. It cannot
cannot speak
speak to issues
issues of ultimat
ultimatee origin
origin,,
meaning, or morality.
3. Axiological
Axiological concerns.
concerns. It cannot answer questionsquestions about value.
4. Dependent
Dependent on the the values
values and personal
personal beliefs
beliefs of those
those who use it.
it.
5. Use of natural
natural resou
resource
rcess that are being
being used in scienc
sciencee and technolo
technologygy are
limited
6. Data
Data is limite
limited d to the physica
physicalllly
y observabl
observable. e.
7. Ultima
Ultimatel
tely
y rest
rest on past
past observ
observati
ations
ons
8. Not all of its
its principles
principles are applicable
applicable toto different
different world
world phenomen
phenomena. a.
9. Needs human
human interv
intervention
ention to carry
carry out
out its functions
functions properly
properly
10.
10. It can
can pred
predicictt forc
forces
es of natu
naturere but
but it cann
cannot
ot prev
preven
entt the
the prev
preven
entt the
the
 prevalence/occurrence
11. Can not guarantee an ultimate solution to any specific specific problem.
12. Can not fully explain what is is in the mind of a person.
TECHNOLOGY
Technological leadership is vital to the national interest of any developing and
developed nation. As we enter the twenty-first
twenty-first century, humans ability
ability to harness the
the
 power and promise of leading-edge advances in technology will determine, in large
measure, national prosperity, security, and global influence, and with them the standard
of living and quality of life.

Requirements for technological innovations

1. rese
resear
arch
ch and
and dev
devel
elopm
opmentent
2. cadre
cadre of
of scie
scienti
ntists
sts and engineer
engineerss
3. diver
diverse
se manuf
manufacactu
turi
ring
ng base
base
4. produ
product
ctiv
ivee work
workfo
forc
rcee
5. broad
broad and
and sophi
sophisti
sticat
cated
ed servi
service
ce secto
sector 
r 
6. climate
climate and culture
culture that encourag
encouragee competition,
competition, risk
risk taking
taking and entreprene
entrepreneurshi
urship
p

Technology and Economy

 1. Technology
Technology is the the single most
most importan
importantt determining
determining factor
factor in sustai
sustained
ned
economic growth, estimated to account for as much as half a nation’s
growth over the past 50 years.
2. Technology
Technology is transfor
transforming
ming the very
very basis
basis of competiti
competition-enab
on-enabling
ling small
small
 businesses to perform high-quality design and manufacturing work that
 previously required the resources of big business, while allowing big
 businesses to achieve the speed, flexibility, and proximity to customers
that were once the sole domain of smaller firms.
3. Technology
Technology provides
provides thethe tools
tools for creati
creating
ng a spectacular
spectacular array
array ofof new
 products and new services.
Technology and the Quality of Life
 New technologies are improving the quality quality of life. These are seen in:
1. Medical
Medical research
research in pharma
pharmaceutic
ceuticals,
als, biotechno
biotechnology,
logy, and
and medical
medical devices
devices
helps us lead healthier lives and offers new hope for the sick.
2. Environmenta
Environmentall research
research brings
brings better
better monitoring
monitoring,, prevention,
prevention, and remediati
remediationon
technologies.
3. Advanced
Advanced monitoring
monitoring and and forecasti
forecasting
ng technologie
technologiess – from satellites
satellites to
simulation – are helping to save lives and minimize property damage by
severe weather.
4. Sophisticat
Sophisticateded traffic
traffic management
management systems
systems for land,
land, sea, and air transpor
transportati
tation
on
enable the smooth and timely movement of more people and goods.
5. Agricultur
Agriculturalal research
research is producing
producing safer,
safer, healthi
healthier,
er, and tastier
tastier food
food products.
products.
6. Automobile
Automobile research
research is is providing
providing safer,
safer, cleaner,
cleaner, energy
energy efficient
efficient,, and more
intelligent vehicles.
7. Aeronautical
Aeronautical technol
technologyogy is making
making air travel
travel safer,
safer, less
less costly,
costly, and more
more
environmentally compatible.
8. Energy resear
research
ch is helping
helping to deliver
deliver cleaner,
cleaner, renewabl
renewable,e, and less
less expensive
expensive
fuels.
9. Informati
Informationon and telecommuni
telecommunicatiocations
ns technologie
technologiess have enabled
enabled instantaneo
instantaneous us
communications around the globe.
Emerging Technology Issues
1. Informati
Informationon Age. Important
Important issues
issues include
include:: fair rules
rules of competit
competition,
ion, the
 protection of intellectual property, the security of business transactions in
electronic commerce, individual rights to privacy, law enforcement
investigation, upgrading the skills of the workforce, and integrating
information technologies into the educational system and the delivery of 
government services.
2. Global Investments
Investments.. Support
Support forfor resear
research
ch and
and technolog
technology y developm
development ent
remains strong in the advanced industrial nations such as U.S., Japan and the
countries of the European Union. Several Asian countries countries – including South
Korea, Taiwan, China, Malaysia, and Indonesia – are rapidly developing
technical capabilities that will enhance their competitive position in global
markets. Many industrializing
industrializing countries are emphasizing
emphasizing the development of 
indigenous technological capabilities – increasing research and development
investments, establishing research institutes and key technology programs,
forming government-industry partnerships, boosting technical manpower 
development programs, modernizing key manufacturing sectors, and planning
for information superhighways.

Technology Policy.
1. retain
retain a long-term
long-term commit
commitment
ment to resear
research
ch education,
education, and
and innovation.
innovation.
2. create
create a business
business environment
environment inin which the innovat
innovative
ive and competit
competitive
ive efforts
efforts
of the private sector can flourish
3. encourage
encourage the developm
development,
ent, commerci
commercializat
alization,
ion, and the
the use of civilian
civilian
technology
4. create
create a world-class
world-class infrastru
infrastructure
cture for the
the twenty-fir
twenty-first
st century
century to support
support
industry and promote commerce
 5. develop a world-c
world-class
lass workfor
workforce
ce capable
capable of participat
participating
ing in a rapidly
rapidly changing
changing
knowledge-based economy.

THE STATE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN THE PHILIPPINES

GEARING TOWARDS POVERTY ALLEVIATION

William G. Padolina

02 March 2000

GLOBAL COMPETITIVES AND PEOPLE EMPOWERMENT

Global developments underscore the important role of science and technology world
trade
trade has been
been libera
liberali
lized,
zed, exertin
exerting
g pressu
pressure
re for innovat
innovation
ion;; econom
economic
ic activi
activity
ty has
  become
become knowle
knowledge
dge-in
-inten
tensiv
sive,
e, requir
requiring
ing compet
competence
ence in the emergi
emerging
ng technol
technologie
ogiess
elabor
elaborate
ately
ly trans
transfor
formed
med manufa
manufactu
ctured
red product
products,
s, develop
developed
ed throug
through
h the indivi
individual
dual
countries’ system of innovation, have become the major items in world trade, making the
capabil
capabilit
ity
y to add value
value the basis
basis for compet
competit
itiven
iveness
ess,, it is, thus,
thus, appropr
appropriat
iatee that
that
assessment be made of the state of science and technology in the Philippines.

In an increasingly technological world, we are told that the competitive edge lies with
those nations or companies who are either first or best; to open or conquer new markets,
or pioneer in the development of next generation products that will shape our lives the
way telecommunications and antibiotics have.

Admittedly, the Philippines still has to reach a level of excellence in terms of scientific
discoveries and innovation and wealth creation. Whatever it has of a national system for 
innovation is weak. It educational system, something to be proud of before, a showing
signs of decline. There are examples if world-class companies, but also a long trail of 
mediocrity in industries that are demonstrably in terminal decline. It has been noted that
economic activity in the global scene is becoming increasingly knowledge-intensive.
Studies between 1964 and 1987, importation of raw materials and non-fuel minerals in
the world market decreased from 17% to 6% of total imports, while more elaborate
 products like machinery and transport equipment increased from 19% to 33% of total
imports over the same period.

The observ
observati
ation
on that
that the elabor
elaborate
ately
ly transf
transform
ormed
ed manufa
manufactu
ctured
red product
productss such
such as
 pharmaceuticals, electronics equipment and motor vehicles are the major players in the
growth
growth of world
world trade
trade undersc
underscore
ore the role
role of scienc
sciencee and technol
technology
ogy in enhanci
enhancing
ng
national capability to create new wealth by absorbing new manufacturing and processing
tech
techni
niqu
ques
es.. The
The impo
import
rtan
ance
ce of tech
technol
nology
ogy is incr
increa
easi
sing
ng in the
the know
knowle
ledg
dge-
e-ba
base
sed
d
econo
economy
my.. Rapi
Rapid
d and
and cont
contin
inuo
uous
us impr
improve
oveme
ment
ntss in produ
product
ctss and
and manu
manufa
fact
ctur
urin
ing
g
techniques, as well as, efficient marketing strategies, give business the competitive edge.

Achievi
Achieving
ng global
global compet
competiti
itivene
veness
ss and people
people empower
empowermen
mentt to propel
propel the countr
country
y

towa
toward
rdss a newl
newly
y indus
industr
tria
iali
lizi
zing
ng econo
economy
my aroun
around
d the
the turn
turn of the
the centu
century
ry mayb
maybee

consi
conside
dere
red
d as a bid
bid to incr
increa
ease
se produ
product
ction of  world-class
ion world-class elaborately
elaborately transformed 
transformed 

manufactured goods and also to provide world-class

world-class services
services sophisticated enough to

serve
serve an intern
internati
ational
onal client
clientele
ele.. This
This transl
translate
atess to having
having the policy
policy and regula
regulator
tory
y

environment, the human capability, and the physical infrastructure to enable us to deliver 

such
such good
goodss and
and serv
servic
ices
es at the
the right
right pric
price,
e, qual
qualit
ity
y and
and time
time.. Thes
Thesee neces
necessi
siti
ties
es a

movement from what Alvin Toffler calls the “first wave” technologies to the “third

wave” science-based technologies within an economic milieu that is’ trisected,” i.e.,

charact
characteri
erized
zed by the existe
existence
nce of all three
three levels
levels of technol
technologi
ogical
cal develo
developme
pment,
nt, in

different stages of development and application.

The capability to add value to goods or services is now the basis for competitiveness.

The higher the value added, more and new wealth is created, bringing greater returns to

the economy. It is now clear that economic development is not achieved by increased

infusion of labor and capital but by improving economic efficiency or productivity.

OUR DEVELOPMENT AGENDA

Devel
Developm
opment
ent could
could be rede
redefi
fined
ned in term
termss of the
the capac
capacit
ity
y to gene
genera
rate
te,, acqu
acquir
ire,
e,

disseminate, and use knowledge, both modern and traditional.

It is in this light that I submit that without S and T capacity, no country will be able to

formulate policies and strategies for achieving sustainable development; absorb, adapt,

and improve imported technology; or expect to develop its production potential, even in

those areas where it has competitive advantages.

 But the journey is going to be tough. Although economic arguments linking R and D

investment to wealth creation have largely been won, even though science is higher on

the government’s list of priorities, government funding for R and D has remained steady,

at the very least, but declining in real terms.

Furthermore, too little of the great power of modern science and technology has been
directed
directed at development.
development. The attempted
attempted mobilizati
mobilization
on of scientist in developed
developed countries
countries
to deal with problems found mainly in developing countries has not been very successful;
and the S and T capabilities of developing countries are far too limited to deal adequately
with
with the enormo
enormous
us proble
problems
ms of develop
developmen
ment.
t. Our capacit
capacity
y to genera
generate,
te, acquire
acquires,
s,
disseminate, and use knowledge is limited.

A Mr. John gibbon, the former presidential assistant for S and T of the US, has said that
the ROI of R and D is in the order of 50%. He also gives the following advice;

“S and T is the seed corn, and we have to resist the temptation to eat that seed torn
rather that to plant and nourish it.’ 

Due to severe resource limitations, we in the developing countries are already eating our 
seed corn. Only about 4 percent of the world’s expenditure on R and D and about 14% of 
the world’s supply of scientist and engineers are in developing countries where more than
80% of the world’s people live

. And yet the world’s population

population is now increasing
increasing at the rate if three people per second
(IDRC) While one hectare of productive land is being lost every 8.23 seconds (IDRC).
All evidence points to a continuation of this trend; 6 billion people will be living on earth
 by the year 2000. The equivalent of a new Bangladesh with 100 million inhabitants will
 be created annually (IDRC).

Our perseverance in instituting the repair mechanism in correcting scientists’ mistakes

have been
been made
made doubly
doubly diffi
difficult
cult consid
consideri
ering
ng that
that global
globaliza
izatio
tion
n expres
expresss humani
humanity
ty to
 processes that are dispassionate, brutally calculating, and fickle. We can only cite with a
sense of helplessness, for example, the current speculative assaults into some ASEAN
local currencies.
To explain the Asian crisis, many observers only focus on depth and currency problems.
What is overlooked is that most ASEAN corporations fail to deliver world-class returns
on capital. Knowledgeable observers trace this partly to a week S and T base, even in
Korea which has barely reached the innovation stage.

Asian
Asian conglom
conglomera
erates
tes return
returnss on capita
capitall employ
employed
ed average
average 5 to 8%, while
while easter
eastern
n
multinationals in the same markets average 25 to 35%. Thus we are pertness to assault
that challenge the real productive competence of or nation. To reinforce this observation,
we note
note that
that even as early
early as 1942,
1942, Joseph
Joseph A. Schump
Schumpete
eterr in his book Capita
Capitali
lisms
sms,,
Socialism and democracy said:
“  But
But in capita
capitalis
listt realit
reality,
y, as distin
distingui
guish
sh from
from its textbo
textbook
ok pictur
picture,
e, it is not (price
(price))
completion which counts but the completion from the commodity, the new technology, the
 source, of supply, the new type of organization… completion which… strikes not at the
margins… of the existing firms but at their foundations and their very lives.’ 

Obviously, the path we have not assiduously taken is the path towards innovation.
Evidence is now clear that technological innovation raises productivity and cuts work 
time. For example,
example, it took 82.86 hours to produce one vehicle in 1962; this was reduced
to 37.12 hours in 1970.

PROMOTING INNOVATION
Esta
Establ
blis
ishi
hing
ng a stra
strate
tegi
gicc enab
enabli
ling
ng envi
enviro
ronm
nmen
entt for
for inno
innova
vati
tion
on,, and
and even
eventu
tual
ally
ly
competitiveness, especially in tech transfer and acquisition are both recognized as vital
elements in coping with poverty and globalization.

What are the critical roles of science and technology?

Let us turn to what Ron Nichols of the NYAS (1997) has to say:
“Of cours
course,
e, batte
batteri
ring
ng agai
against
nst long
long-st
-stand
andin
ing
g doct
doctri
rine
ness is no easy
easy busi
busines
ness.
s. To be
  succe
successf
ssful
ul,, one
one must
must show
show profo
profoun
und
d origi
original
nal,, but
but one
one must
must adhe
adhere
re to the
the high
highest 
est 
 standards of evidence and inference. Without the discipline to follow those standards, to
resist the clamor for shortcuts, the dreams remain empty frequently though, the public
does not readily discriminate between wishful novelty and proven advance… quality
control is what has earned for science its special claims to knowledge.”

What Mr. Nichols refers to is the urgent need to eliminate speculation and guesswork in
our activities
activities.. The informatio
information
n to minimize
minimize uncertainty
uncertainty is derived
derived from scientific
scientific work.
Science underpins risk management decisions involving many aspects of national life.
The containment and eradication of threats to human, animal and plant health, weather 
forecasting, and correct time information are some examples of minimizing uncertainty.
It is also science and technology that provides the basis for preventing non-tariff trade
  barriers fostered by protectionist lobby, from strangling world trade. These technical
 barriers include unusual requirements to technical regulations covering packaging and
labeling.

How do we translate this into solid, long lasting interventions?

1. Niching - seizing the opportunities for change. We need to niche because:

a. Resources are limited; there is not enough for all.
 b. We cannot be winners in all areas .We should therefore accord low
 priority to areas where we cannot priority competitive now, or we cannot
 be competitive ever. We must position ourselves to be agile.
c. Regional/ cress border groups are rapidly shaping up. The individual
or specific role of nations must be clear.
2. Enli
nlight
ghtened
ned gov
governme
nment inte
ntervent
ention
ion
Leapfrogging to free market economy may not be advisable for developing
countries because of the inability of the private sector to absorb and assure all
the risks. Government will have to assume part of the risks to allow the
 private sector to move forward. Clinton and Gore (1993) noted that:

“We cannot rely on the serendipitous application of defense technology to the

 private sector. We must aim directly at these new challenges and 

Focus efforts on the new opportunities before us, recognizing that government can play a
key role helping private firms develop and profit from innovation.”

There are either roles that the government is expected to play. These include:
- ensuring a strong bas
base of
of fundamental sc
science
- prov
provid
idin
ing
g a bus
busin
ines
esss env
envir
iron
onme
ment
nt that
that fost
foster
erss inn
innov
ovat
atio
ion
n and
and inve
invest
stme
ment
nt..
- Inve
Invest
stme
ment
nt in
in rese
resear
arch
ch tha
thatt is
is cri
critical
ical to
to the
the econ
econom
omiic and
and soci
social
al nee
needs
ds of 
of 
the nation but cannot attract private sector support ensuring S and T security.
maintaining a certain level of self reliance to allow us to add value to new
knowledge and technologies transferred. The message is that we should recognize
that the market, left entirely to its own devices, is unlikely to guarantee an optimal
level of research. R and D is characterized by high rates of market failure and high
start-up costs.

3. Increased private sector participation

 A sustai
sustainabl
nablee science
science base
base depends
depends ultimat
ultimately
ely on the privat
privatee sector
sector and the
 preparedness of industry to invest in S and T. Let us remember that while government is
expect
expected
ed to establ
establish
ish the enablin
enabling
g enviro
environme
nment
nt for high
high perfor
performan
mance,
ce, it is still
still the
individual company that has to compete. The ability to compete will be enhanced by its
innovation capacity through R and D.

I should say that in the ultimate, it is our science and technology competence that will
enable us to manage knowledge. Scattered bodies of knowledge can be brought together 
so that people who use them can work faster and better. This will also enable us to
establish structural intellectual assets, such as information systems, knowledge of market
channels and relationships, and management focus; turn individual know-how into a
 property of the group. Unraveling lines of authority and laying out new ones will be the
main task of the new knowledge workers.

What is clear is that the future belongs to the knowledge workers. Technology has given
them the tools to build a world in constant
constant transformati
transformation.
on. We can only stand in awe at
the changes brought about the following:
- transistor  
- photocopier  
- fax
- PC

It is ther
theref
efor
oree imper
imperat
ativ
ivee that
that trai
traini
ning
ng a work
workfo
forc
rcee with
with great
greater
er reas
reason
onin
ing
g and
and
mathematical skills who can master complexities of a new process technologies.

As is beco
becomi
ming
ng incr
increa
easi
sing
ngly
ly appa
appare
rent
nt in the
the fero
feroci
ciou
ouss inte
intern
rnat
atio
ional
nal batt
battle
le for 
for 
technol
technology
ogy’s
’s product
productss and market
markets,
s, the contri
contribut
bution
ionss made
made by human
human capital
capital and
intellectual resources are crucial to the economic vitality of the country.

These intellectual resources can be used to transform business and create new models for 
globa
globall comp
compet
etit
itio
ion.
n. It is about
about chang
change.
e. And its
its futu
future
re depe
depends
nds on the
the abil
abilit
ity
y to
accommodate dramatic, often unexpected change.

We find in the records of the US Congress the letter of Congressman Watkins to

Congressman Brown (1992):

“The
“The scienc
sciencee and tech
technol
nology
ogy base
base of the
the labor
laborat
atori
ories
es provi
provide
de what
what I call
call this
this
infrastructure for solving problems of great complexity. It is this infrastructure that I 
 propose to bring to bear on the question of the competitiveness of our industries and 
business. This should be done in partnership with business and universities… business
can provide the market pull on the talents of the laboratories that will assure their work 
is relevant”

HIGH TECH AND POVERTY

The convent
convention
ional
al short
short term,
term, but politi
politicall
cally
y attrac
attractiv
tivee gains
gains of povert
poverty
y allevi
alleviati
ation
on
 programs are indeed very tempting. They are valuable approaches, but they have their 
limitations in that we are not liberated from the v icious cycle of squalor and want.

Human societies
societies that have, by and large, found some solutions
solutions to liberate
liberate major portion
of their population from poverty have anchored their programs on productivity. And this
is where modern science and technology can make significant contribution. The solutions
will not be easy to discern and we have to go beyond our ivory towers. We have to get to
the jugular.

Individually, we all have to contribute to the commencement of a new chapter- the

modernizing, progressive chapter-and become an active partner in the national system for 
innovation rather than become a reactionary force in the modernization of S and T in the
Philippines. Sad to say, Philippine S and T is still beset by some reactionary elements
who refuse or cannot accept the inevitable onslaught of the emerging technologies and
refuse to retool.

We have a few in our ranks who believe that high technology is not for poor. It is this
mindset that continues to undermine our efforts to get to the jugular; to replace the
 paradigm of regarding the poor as the Cinderella of national development to the paradigm
that is more strategic, knowledge-based, scientific long-term.

But suffice it to say that we scientists must in fact be part of the solution and not the
 problem.
Our national efforts towards poverty alleviation need, among others, trained people who
are familiar with the frontiers of subjects and thus can help assess the potentials of new
 processes and technologies. Nations must retain capacity to identify and absorb emerging
technologies, which are the most solid instruments for human development.

ON COMPETITIVENESS
While it is clear to many that industry and services must be competitive, agriculture,
 because of its role of food security, is perceived as something that need not or cannot be
competitive, like the armed forces or the national police. But agriculture deals with
tradable items and is directly linked to the vagaries of the global market. Furthermore,
agriculture, If closely examined is as information-intensive as a manufacturing operation.
It is high time we eliminate
eliminate guesswork in standards of products, which, in fact, demand
  precision. Unfortunately, government is saddled by a number of constraints, such as
outdated missions, effectiveness that is compromised by bureaucratic constraints, and the
inability to attract the best scientific talent, the most experienced management, or state-
of-the-art equipment.

One way to overcome constraints is for the agricultural community to take advantage of 
the developments in biotechnology and information technology.

Indeed, contrary to some traditional view that agriculture is a low-technology activity,

there are many examples, which show that agriculture is indeed a knowledge-intensive
activity. The earlier we disabuse our minds from the traditional views, the faster we can
extricate ourselves from the notions that agriculture need not and cannot be competitive,
especially for the poor farmers of the developing countries. This defeatist attitude has
caused many farming operations to be inefficient, with the farmer feeling helpless and
losing control of his operations. Government, on the other hand, fearful of social unrest,
 persists in providing short-term rescue measures that perpetuates the vicious cycle.

Another important function of this knowledge base in the effective management of the
tense is relationship between sustainability and productivity. The harmonious relationship
 between
 between maintaining
maintaining adequate levels of productivit
productivity
y and preserving the integrity
integrity of our 
environment can only be enhanced if we have an adequate understanding of the impact of 
human activity on how nature operates. This includes studies on the regenerative capacity
of natural ecosystems and the earth’s capacity to absorb waste. And at no other time in
the history of science are more and more secrets of nature being unlocked than now. Thus
availability of the powerful tools of information technology should be exploited to serve
the purposes of defining sustainable productivity, especially at the farm level.

CONCLUDING REMARKS
In closing, I would like to reiterate the call to act quickly and purposively for the Filipino
 people, we acknowledge that time is the least that we have of, and for that reason, we
must continually redirect our resources to task and select programs and interventions that
 bode the most direct impact on improving the lives of Filipinos afflicted poverty.
We must train Filipinos
Filipinos who are adaptable
adaptable to a broad range of new technologies.
technologies. In this
knowledge-driven competitive environment, Filipinos workers must possess the talent,
skill, and willingness to learn in order to be able to make innovation a vital partner in
 poverty alleviation.

In the ultimate, it is the competence and skill of our workforce that will enable as to
manage
manage knowled
knowledge.
ge. Scatte
Scattered
red bodies
bodies of knowle
knowledge
dge can be brought
brought together
together so that
that
 people who use them can work faster and better. This will also enable us to establish
structural intellectual assets, such as information system, knowledge of market channels
and customer relationships, and management focus; turn individual know how into a
 property of the group. Unraveling lines of authority
authority and laying out new ones will be the
the
main task of the new knowledge workers.

What is clear is that the future belongs to the knowledge workers. Technology has given
them the tool to build a world in constant transformation. It is therefore imperative to
train a workforce we greater reasoning and mathematical skills who can master the
complexities of new process technologies.

Above all else, the only way we can ever cope and flourish in the face of today’s
challenges is by adhering to the highest standards of excellence. We wish to promote the
ethic of excellence, a most democratic ideal in which only requirement is to bring out the
 best in all of us. Effective leaders learn how to delegate as a matter of course. But they do
not delegate the one thing that only they can do with excellence, the one thing that will
make a difference, the one thing that will set standards, the one thing they want to be
remembered for. They just do it.

Having said these let ends with a oft-repeated statement that the shortcut to development
is never science and technology alone, but in development itself.