Age of Enlightenment

Suez Canal opens in 1869; whereas western liberal ideas and scientific knowledge started to flourish because of the consequent ease in travel and communications. Linking to the prosperity that resulted from increased Philippine commerce between parts of the world, Filipino students were able to arrived Europe for professional advanced studies secreting up a Propaganda Movement. This eventually led to the Philippine revolution against Spain.

Jose Rizal was able to proceed for Spain and Germany to study medicine specializing in Ophthalmology; Graciano Apacible who studied medicine in Madrid; Antonio Luna who obtained Ph.D. in Pharmacy and later worked with renowned scientists in Ghent and Paris; Jose Alejandrina took up engineering in Belgium. These Filipino scholars have received a reputable status which could match the "powerful" Spanish colonizing government.

Source: https://aprilmaynjune.weebly.com/lit-1/the-period-of-enlightenment-1872-1898#:~:text=After%20300%20years%20of%20passivity,the%2017%20th%20of%20February.

Earlier on, Spaniards introduced the technology of town planning and how to build with stones, brick, and tiles. The inception of the Suez Canal has brought multifaceted developments for scientific ideals during the Age of Enlightenment. It has loaded the influx of European visitors to their Spanish colonies like the Philippines, and a chance for Filipinos to study abroad.

The Manila Galleon Trade ||  Source: https://pineappleind.com/blogs/about-us/pineapple-industries-is-in-philippines-56m-journey-of-the-barong-tagalog-spanish-colonial-philippines-part-5-the-manila-acapulco-trade

Spaniard colonial authorities traded of big profits during the Manila Galleon Trade, nevertheless, the market was essential to the Philippine colonial economy. Manila Galleon (“Nao de China” or “Nao de Acapulco”) delivered silk, ivory, porcelain, myriad, and exotic spices from China across the Pacific, via the Philippines to and forth Acapulco on Mexico’s west coast, in exchange for New World silver. The Galleon Trade entering the Philippine colonial state parallels new scientific inventions that was making livelihood convenient.

References:

HISOUR. (2023). Philippines Science History. https://www.hisour.com/philippines-science-history-37197/

Hecht, J. & Department of European Sculpture and Decorative Arts, The Metropolitan Museum of Art. (2003). The Manila Galleon Trade (1565–1815). THEMET. https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/mgtr/hd_mgtr.htm#:~:text=The%20so%2Dcalled%20Manila%20Galleon,went%20to%20the%20Far%20East.)

New Era University. (2015). The Period of Enlightenment (1872-1898). Carpe Diem. https://aprilmaynjune.weebly.com/lit-1/the-period-of-enlightenment-1872-1898#:~:text=After%20300%20years%20of%20passivity,the%2017%20th%20of%20February.