CHAPTER VI

SELECTED INDIGENEOUS SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGIES

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE

Name: Parafina, AcerJun G. Date: December 09, 2023
Year and Section: BAPS 2-1 Score:

1. Differentiate indigenous science from indigenous technology by giving specific examples.

Indigenous science is concerned with understanding the natural environment, life

experiences, and the relationships among living and non-living things. On the other
hand, Indigenous technology is the product of continuous pursuit of indigenous
science concerned with creating and using tools, materials, and techniques to improve
the quality of life and to adapt to changing conditions.
Both branches of knowledge that are based on the experiences and practices of
indigenous peoples. However, they have some differences in their focus, purpose,
and examples.

Differences based on focus and purpose.

Indigenous Science Indigenous Technology

It involves the use of science process It is meant to facilitate maintaining balance
skills such as observation, comparison, and harmony in a multi-dimensional
classification, measurement, problem- environment.
solving, inference, communication, and
prediction
It integrates culture and community Developed based on a sensory environment
values such as respect for nature, that includes all five senses as well as
harmony, balance, and reciprocity. relationship, memory, and place.
is deeply rooted in the stories, songs, It is influenced by factors such as the
and rituals of indigenous communities availability of resources, community needs,
and environmental conditions.

Differences based on specific examples.

Indigenous Science Indigenous Technology

The traditional fish conservation T’nalak - the weaving technique of the T’boli
practice of the Dumagat people of people of South Cotabato. They use abaca
 Luzon. They build fish sanctuaries in fibers that are dyed with natural colors to
the rivers and lakes, where they create intricate patterns and designs. These
prohibit fishing and allow the fish to patterns and designs reflect their rich culture
breed and grow. This way, they ensure and history. The fabrics they weave are
a sustainable source of food and used for a variety of items such as clothing,
income for their community. (General blankets, and bags. (Handayani & Triyanto,
Framework for the Protection and 2023)
Promotion of Indigenous Knowledge
Systems and Practices in the
Philippines, 1998)
The use of herbal medicines Yoyo
Building irrigation system Medical Incubator
Knowledge on preserving foods Banana catsup
Classifying different types of soil for Erythromycin
planting

2. Identify whether the following are indigenous science or indigenous technologies.

a. Use of herbal medicine (Indigenous Science)

b. Building irrigation system (Indigenous Science)
c. Patis or fish sauce (Indigenous Technology)
d. Mole remover (Indigenous Technology)
e. Making wine and juice from fruits (Indigenous Science)

3. Give at least 2 examples for each of the following:

a. Animal behavior that predicts weather. 1. Frogs: These loud are known to
croak louder and longer than usual
before a bad weather event. As their
volume increases, it's a good
indication that a storm is on the
horizon and approaching.
2. Birds: their flight patterns can also
give us clues about the weather. If
they're flying high, it's usually a sign
of clear weather. However, if they're
 flying lower than usual, it means that
the air pressure of a storm system is
causing them discomfort at higher
altitudes. This is a good indication
that bad weather is on its way.
Indigenous Soil Classification for
b. Classification of soil for planting
planting in the Philippines:

Moderately Fertile Soil (Uplit):

Yellow Soil (Ngemilla) Yellow soil was

considered a less fertile soil (Uplit). It is
locally known as ngemilla. This could be
found at the lower slopes and in some
spots at the hilly sides. It was identified
as medium in texture. Compared to red
soil, it has slighter stickiness and was
moderate hardness when dry. It has
good water retention and good
drainage. The degree of erosion was
considered slight. However, just like the
red soil, it must be supplemented with
fertilizer/manure application before for
planting. Furthermore, farmers
mentioned in the key interview that the
usual inorganic fertilizer they applied in
yellow soil is the complete fertilizer,
which is the triple 14, consisting of
commercially manufactured mineral
nutrients.

Farmers had indications in determining

the elements needed by the plants.
Example of this is the nitrogen. They
observed that plants need nitrogen
when its leaves are light green or pale
green. Another one is the lack of
phosphorous. They observed the
discoloration of leaves into reddish and
then yellow. They used phosphorous
element for the plants to become robust
and potassium to bear more fruits. Aside
from perennial/permanent crops, at least
34% (21) of the farmer-respondents
indicated that they were tilling yellow
soils. (Martin & Santos, 2016)

Figure 1. Yellow Soil

(Source: https://m.indiamart.com/)

Very fertile soil (Magabay):

Black soil (Natuling). The black soil

(natuling) was found inside the
forested areas with some spots on the
lower or plain of the Imugan domain. It
was identified as moderately fine in
terms of texture. It was classified by
farmers as the most fertile (magabay).
Fertility was based on the experience of
farmers where they found that crop
survival was insured with this soil. This
means that all types of temporary crops
such as sweet potato ginger, taro,
sayote, beans, tiger grass and
permanent crops like guava, dagwey,
lime and lemon can grow on it and the
land produces higher yields compared
with the other identified soils. Indicators
of fertility of the soil were the robust
appearance of crops and the immediate
occurrence of weeds and grasses
after tilling the land. Farmers
believed that the darker the soil the
more productive it is.

According to farmers, this black soil has

slight stickiness when wet when
compared to red ones; thus, black soil
imposed no constraint in plowing.
Stickiness is the capacity of the soil to
adhere to other objects. Black soil has
good water holding capacity; that means
crops survive even without frequent
watering and no sign of wilting even
without heavy rains. It is well drained
since farmers have not experienced any
flooding condition in their fields.
Farmers also observed that this soil has
no restriction on root growth. The
degree of erosion was slight or
moderate when compared to sandy soil.
Hence, farmers considered this type of
soil to pose no limitations in terms of
farming operation. Based on the survey,
69% (42) of the farmers observed black
soil in their farm. (Martin & Santos,
2016)
 Figure 2. Black Soil
(Source: https://www.amazon.in/)
Traditional Health habit or practices in
c. Traditional health habit process
the Philippines:

Hilot/Ablon - a type of therapy that is

often misunderstood as a massage and
is offered at spas to attract tourists. It is
carried out using the hands and is like
osteopathy, acupressure, chiropractic, or
physical therapy. The practitioner, called
a manghihilot or mangablon, detects
areas of congestion and treats skeletal
misalignments and energy imbalances
through a person's urat (nerve or vein),
pennet (tendons, ligaments, or sinewy
structures), lasag (flesh or muscle
structure through which urat and pennet
flow), and tulang (bones). The use of
herbs, plants, and oils may also be
integrated into the treatment. (Nomoto,
2023)

Bulong and Orasyon - Bulong is a term

used to refer to whispered healing or
manipulation in Filipino culture. One-way
healers may perform this practice is by
reciting an orasyon, which is a written
prayer on a piece of paper or cloth that
is usually moistened with saliva and
applied to the affected area. Sometimes,
the prayer is written directly on the skin
while being whispered. For certain
gastrointestinal illnesses, the orasyon
may be rolled up and placed in a glass
of water, and then given to the patient to
 drink. These prayers are typically in
Latin or pig-Latin and are also used to
counteract evil spirits, prevent physical
harm, or as a ritual for various everyday
activities.
The Department of Health (DOH)
d. Herbal medicine
approved 10 medical plants used in
treating ailments found in the country.
Two of them are:

Lagundi (Vitex negundo): This is a

shrub, with purple flowers and palmate
leaves, is used to treat coughs and
asthma due to its anti-inflammatory,
antitussive, and bronchodilator
properties.

Sambong (Blumea balsamifera): This

is a tall grass that has yellow flowers
and aromatic leaves. It is used as a
diuretic and a treatment for kidney
stones, as it helps in the excretion of
urinary stones and reduces the risk of
stone formation.

4. Identify the function of these inventions.

a. Medical incubator Its function is to regulate the body temperature of newborn
babies.
It is a toy that comprises an axle connected to two disks and a
b. Yoyo
string looped around the axle. To play with a yoyo, one needs
to hold the handle (string) by inserting one finger into a knot at
its end. This toy has been used by people in the past to fight
against intruders and Spaniards.
This antibiotic can treat a variety of bacterial infections,
c. Erythromycin
including respiratory, skin, ear, eye, and sexually transmitted
 infections, by blocking production of the proteins necessary for
bacterial survival and reproduction. (Erythromycin Uses,
Dosage &Amp; Side Effects, n.d.)
This chip enables computer users to create graphical
d. 16-bit microchip
presentations using graphics as commands, resulting in faster
data processing with a smaller chip instead of a large board.

5. Fill in the tablet below about the inventors and their inventions.

1. Diosdado Banatao 16-bit Microchip

Banana catsup
2. Maria Orosa y Ylagan
Patis or fish sauce
3. Ruperta David
Anticancer cream
4. Rolando De la Cruz
Yoyo
5. Pedro Flores
Erythromycin
6. Dr. Abelardo Aguilar

6. Do library research and be able to list down five science inventors covering the periods
2005 to 2007 and their important inventions.

Inventor/Year Invention and Description

Tim Holly and Zhongsheng Guo Singing Mice: They discovered that mice construct
(2005) complex songs and sings them when they come
across sex pheromones. (Jha & Randerson, 2017)
Chris Aram (2005) He invented a smart device called Sensiboil, It
automate the boiling process and prevent any fire
accidents in the kitchen. When the soup or any
liquid starts to boil, Sensiboil will automatically
reduce the temperature of the stove. In case there
is no cooker or pot on the stove, the device will
automatically turn off the stove. Sensiboil is a small
device that can be mounted on the kitchen wall
without any obstruction while cooking. (Tanner,
 2018)
Steve Jobs with Engineers and iPhone is a type of smartphone that is produced by
Designers at Apple Inc. (2007) Apple Inc. It uses Apple’s own operating system,
called iOS, which allows users to access various
applications and features. An iPhone can also
function as a digital camera, a music player, a web
browser, and a personal computer. The first iPhone
was announced by Steve Jobs in 2007, and since
then, Apple has released new models and updates
every year. The iPhone is one of the most popular
and influential smartphones in the world, with more
than 2.2 billion units sold as of 2018. (“15
Revolutionary Inventions of 2007,” 2008)
Thomas Fischer and Blood Staunching Bandages – made from
Colleagues (2007) 65% glass fiber and 35% bamboo fiber, which not
only absorb blood, but also stimulate the body’s
ability to staunch the flow3. The bandages could be
useful for treating wounds and preventing infections.
(Mullins, 2007)
HelioVolt (2006) Solar Skin – made from copper indium gallium
selenide, a thin film used to generate electricity from
sunlight. Solar Skin was manufactured in a faster
and cost-effective way for usage of large
commercial spaces. The process involves printing a
fine layer of semiconductor directly onto glass,
metal and other building materials so that new
skyscrapers can go up solar power-ready from day
one. (Best Inventions of 2006 - TIME, 2006)
 References:

General framework for the protection and promotion of indigenous knowledge systems and

practices in the Philippines. (1998, November 20).

https://www.ilo.org/manila/publications/WCMS_764036/lang--en/index.htm

Handayani, R. D., & Triyanto, T. (2023). Integrating Indigenous Technology into Science

and Technology. In Contemporary issues in technology education (pp. 269–282).

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-1396-1_17

Erythromycin Uses, Dosage & Side Effects. (n.d.). Drugs.com.

https://www.drugs.com/erythromycin.html

Martin, H., & Santos, E. S. L. D. (2016). Comparison of indigenous and scientific knowledge

on soil classification among farmers in Imugan, Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines. Journal

of Environmental Science and Management, 71–83.

https://doi.org/10.47125/jesam/2016_sp2/07

Bulong and Orasyon: Miscellaneous Therapies in Philippine Alternative Medicine:

StuartXchange. (n.d.). http://www.stuartxchange.com/Bulong.html

Nomoto, S. (2023, November 3). Indigenous Filipino healing practices. Cold Tea Collective.

https://coldteacollective.com/indigenous-filipino-healing-practices/

10 herbal medicines in the Philippines approved by the DOH. (n.d.).

https://www.philippineherbalmedicine.org/doh_herbs.htm

Mullins, J. (2007, August 6). Invention: Blood-staunching bandages. New Scientist.

https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn12424-invention-blood-staunching-bandages/

Best Inventions of 2006 - TIME. (2006, November 13). TIME.com.

https://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1939342_1939446_1

939762,00.html
Jha, A., & Randerson, J. (2017, February 22). High points of 2005: the top 10 breakthroughs.

The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2005/dec/30/research.stemcells

15 Revolutionary Inventions of 2007. (2008, August 19). Entrepreneur.

https://www.entrepreneur.com/science-technology/15-revolutionary-inventions-of-

2007/188038

Tanner, J. (2018, December 15). Interesting inventions in 2005. scienceinfo.net.

https://scienceinfo.net/interesting-inventions-in-2005.html