STS Group 4: The Native Philippine Environment

credits to itsmorefuninthephilippines.com

It has been a common notion in our history textbooks that the entrance of the Western Civilization also brought about the entrance of a sophisticated and complex way of thinking, that is, technology, science and its study. But, thanks to the recent development on the Philippine historiography we were able to properly view the complexity of the Philippine Culture before the entrance of the colonizers. The Philippines being a maritime and a tropical country is prone to the devastation of typhoons every year, as shown, by the devastation made by Haiyan (Yolanda) recently. This gives importance to the observation and study of heavenly bodies, the sky, and the phenomena related to them which affects the Philippine Weather.

The present day agency which takes responsibility in advancing the atmospheric and meteorological studies in the country is PAG-ASA (Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical – Astronomical Services Administration). The agency we now call PAG-ASA and the study of the atmospheric condition of the country often traced its origin with the Manila Observatory and the efforts that were undertaken by the Jesuit Missionaries in the Philippines, starting with Padre Faura. The Jesuits and the creation of Jesuit colleges are often linked with the advancement of modern science, indeed, their works contributed a lot to our knowledge of science nowadays. One of the most enduring contribution of the Jesuits is the creation of observatory in the different parts of the world. One of the observatory that they were able to create and operate was the Manila Observatory that was founded in the year 1865 and operated until 1945.^¹ It was first headed by Padre Faura, the street in Manila near Robinsons Place Ermita and UP Manila was named after him. The Robinsons Place Ermita being the original location of the Manila Observatory. By 1884, the Observatory was given the status as center for the Meteorological Service of the Philippines under the Spanish Colonial Government, however the funds were not still enough. In 1901, with the advent of American Colonialism the authorities continued the relationship to the Manila Observatory as center for Meteorological Services but also established their own Philippine Weather Bureau.^²

credits to PAG-ASA

During the Great Pacific War of 1940s, Manila became the second most devastated country next to Warsaw. The devastation of the capital also led to the devastation of the Manila Observatory. The next years saw the rebuilding of the observatory however some of its works were discontinued in order to gave way to the official Philippine Weather Bureau and not to be redundant. The observatory then focused on radio astronomy, geomagnetism, solar and ionosphere physics and seismology.^³

We are greatly indebted to the contribution and efforts made by the colonial masters in order to put an official meteorological service for the Philippines, their colony, however it is interesting to note if the current PAG-ASA also had its native and ethnic roots in the prehispanic period. If you are now trying to imagine a structure, a building, a dish or satellite, it was not what this article meant. By roots, we mean, the perception, study, effects and influences of the heavenly bodies and the meteorological phenomena to the native Filipinos and how they greatly deal with it.

In order to trace the roots of linking these atmospheric phenomena to our native and complex culture (kabihasnan/kalinagan), we must take a look at the work and study that was made by Dr. Ambrosio. He was a professor of history in the UP Department of History, and an amateur astronomer. He studied ethnoastronomy linking it with our culture. His research produced a book entitled BALATIK.

credits to Dr. Dante L. Ambrosio

What is Balatik? According to the findings of Dr. Ambrosio, the Western Judeo-Christian religion has its great influences on the way we view and perceived the constellations in the sky, as evidence to this we can recognize the constellation called Tatlong Maria. However, Dr. Ambrosio found out that we have our native and own perception of the constellations (Talampad in Filipino). Dr. Ambrosio in conducting the study used different literary traditions like epics and the dictionaries that were recorded and created by the Spanish Friars and other foreign travellers. One example that he gave us was the Balatik. Balatik was a trap used by the different ethnic groups all throughout the Philippines in hunting. When the Spaniards arrived in the 16the century the concept of Balatik was already in use and it is still in use in the present day. What is the connection of Balatik as a trap to the heavenly bodies? Balatik on the other hand also means, a constellation in the sky that was named by these groups after the Balatik trap used in hunting. This constallation (talampad) called Balatik by the ethnic groups came to be known as the shining and shimmering Tres Marias of the Judeo-Christian worldview, on the other hand, in modern science and astonomy it is called the Orions Belt.^⁴ The importance of Balatik (Orions Belt) as a reference star of the native Filipinos in their Slash and Burn (Kaingin) System gives us a clue of its precolonial origin and importance.

We can now conclude, that there was an advance culture relating to the view on astronomy and the atmospheric phenomena on our precolonial past. This study about different natural phenomena might give us a big help on our disaster preparedness. I remember, Ted Failon on national television saying that if Storm Surge was announced and was explained in a language that is understable to all (that is Filipino), then, the people might have understood what a storm surge really meant and was able to prepare for it. Who knows? Storm Surge might also have its precolonial roots. The dictionaries of the past created by the early friars are still waiting to be unearthed.