Giving value to Filipino inventors

Internationally, Filipino scientists have been reaping honors and awards for their inventions and discoveries ranging from technologically advanced gadgets and innovations which can effectively fight global warming.

A year after we discussed about a US-based Filipino scientist who was named 2007 scientist of the year by the Harvard University Foundation, the list of Filipino scientists and inventors recognized internationally continues to grow.

Toward the end of last year, another Filipino scientist, Aquilino A. Tubigan Jr. bagged the gold medal in the Invention/New Products Exhibition 2008, the US’s biggest international invention trade show in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Tubigan, a Filipino Inventors’ Society member, bagged top honors for his invention, “I-charj”, a coin-operated cell phone charger recognized for its “excellence in telecommunications and compatibility with leading mobile phone brands including Nokia, Motorola, Samsung, Siemens, as well as iPods and PSPs.”

Tubigan’s invention, the judges pointed out, is very much attuned with the needs of the times, a vital gadget especially for people on the go that can be operated in vital public places such as airports, sea ports, shopping malls, hotels and gasoline stations.

Simply fascinating

There is just too much to gain from the fascinating scientific exploits of our gifted scientists, many of who are now based in the US where they and their works are better appreciated.

Other than Tubigan’s coin-operated phone charger and Dr. Baldomero Olivera’s seashell-derived medications for chronic, debilitating pain, other Filipino scientists continue to draw raves for their fascinating ideas, works, inventions and discoveries.

In agriculture, scientists at the world-renowned International Rice Research Institute are conducting experiments and tests to pave the way for the development of new genes of rice that can withstand extreme weather conditions, in anticipation of further global warming.

Likewise, already in the final stages of testing for commercial production is a genetically engineered papaya variety with delayed ripening capabilities and with active resistance to the ring spot virus.

Such qualities will make papaya more attractive to the export market by allowing longer storage and shelf life particularly during sudden weather changes or extreme temperatures when the fruit is prone to rotting. Multi-location field tests are next in the line, with commercial production of the hi-tech papaya is targeted in a year or two.

There are many other ongoing science and technology initiatives aimed at addressing the need for robust exports and food security.

Algae as biodiesel source

One fascinating prospect that Filipino scientists are looking into is in the field of alternative sources of energy and fuel. A US-based scientist, Dr. Guillermo Mendoza, along with local counterparts are zeroing in on the possibility of tapping an often overlooked plant, the lowly algae (lumot) as a biodiesel source. 

The scientists discovered that algae have a substantial, viable yield of oil compared to other oil-containing plants. The oil from algae, they said, can be refined and made into cost-effective and non-polluting diesel.

Other US-based Filipino scientists, including Dr. Jose Cosimo, Terry Sarigumba and Lino Blanche, also vowed to share their expertise and knowledge in technological innovations that would soften the impact of climate change and global warming in the Philippines.

Comiso specializes in environmental protection through his constant work with the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) while Blanche is connected with the US Department of Agriculture.

In need of funding support

After winning the 2007 Scientist of the Year award from the Harvard Foundation, Dr. Olivera stressed that there is a need for bigger funding and support for science, technology and research to make the most of the Filipino scientists’ potentials.

Unfortunately, in the 2009 budget deliberations, the allocated P5.44-billion budget for the Department of Science and Technology is P54 million less than the 2008 budget of P5.494 billion. Worse, of the amount, only a measly P3.6 million was allocated for the support of Filipino inventors. 

Dr. Olivera is a firm believer that the country’s rich marine biodiversity is key to the discovery of new life-saving drugs. Just imagine the immense benefit that the Filipino people, rich or poor, could derive if a government- or private sector-funded research led to the discovery of substances that could be used as medication for conditions such as cancer, AIDS, diabetes and other life-altering illnesses. 

With the world in a financial tailspin, aggravated by declining natural resources due to environmental degradation, war and poor politics, investing in science and the fascinating fruits of its inventions and discoveries is a smart and timely move.

The world needs a lot of improvement in the face of all its troubles. And science is our best bet; after all, it has often been said that necessity is the mother of invention. 

Mabuhay “Boy” Rosero’s ace

The former Pagcor senior managing head of Poker Dept., Mabuhay ‘Boy’ Rosero got an “ace” last Saturday but not on the green felt of a poker table but at the par-3 third hole of Wack Wack’s East course. I was one of the witnesses of Boy’s hole-in-one effort together with Rafael “Butch” Francisco, Pagcor president and COO, and Gilbert Gacrama, president and CEO of Glimex, Inc.

Everyone in the flight agreed that it was a “miracle shot.” The odds for a regular hole-in-one are reported to be 12,800 to one. In this particular case, Gilbert estimated that the odds for Boy’s shot is three times more – considering that the ball hit a tree on the left side of the green, bounced back to the putting surface and rolled straight to the hole. “Everything must be perfect for that ball to go in,” remarked Butch Francisco in disbelief.

But Boy Rosero is used to have “lady luck” smile at him not only when he plays poker with his friends but also in his career at Pagcor. He was the first head of the poker department, and was mainly responsible for initiating the establishment of several poker rooms that are now contributing regularly to Pagcor’s revenue stream.

Boy, however, agrees that it would take more than luck for him to reach Tiger Wood’s record of 18 hole-in-ones.

Should you wish to share any insights, write me at Link Edge, 25th Floor, 139 Corporate Center, Valero Street, Salcedo Village, 1227 Makati City. Or e-mail me at [email protected]. For a compilation of previous articles, visit www.BizlinksPhilippines.net.