Chemist bottles up the meaning of life
Pinky Pe Tobiano, observing the solutions her parents sold as part of their poultry supply business, has always been interested in finding the right mix literally.
“I really wanted to be a chemist ever since I was a child. I started working at five, helping my parents in our poultry supply selling medicines for animals. And from then on, I always told myself, ‘I will formulate the best medicines for animals to help them and to make sure they will live longer.’ I really wanted to be a chemist.”
Now the president and CEO of Progressive Laboratories and Qualibet Testing Services, Pinky has spent most of her professional life (she passed the Chemistry board exams in 1993), finding the right solution — not just for livestock but also for people to lead healthier lives.
When the COVID-19 virus struck, Pinky the chemist immediately put on her battle gear and joined the fight to prevent it from spreading.
Pinky and her team worked non-stop in formulating and providing solutions, not just for households and individuals, but even hospitals, government institutions and some NGOs.
“During the lockdown, my team of chemists, pharmacists and microbiologists was able to formulate disinfectants that helped fight the spread of the virus. My team and I formulated one of the best anti-COVID disinfectants that will kill 99 percent of virus and bacteria. We donated it to public institutions like the East Avenue Medical Center and Philippine Lung Center. I found the true meaning of chemistry in finding solutions that help save lives.”
Pinky claims that the solution they came up with, Viralcyde X, has no bleach. “This is glutaraldehyde with quaternary ammonium chloride with French Provence essential oils.”
“Another new breakthrough we came up with is Viralycyde Hands. This is not only a hand sanitizer that contains ethyl alcohol, but we added Filipino aloe vera extract to smoothen the skin while it kills the germs and bacteria. I added one of my favorite French Provence essential oils to leave a nice scent on the hands,” she reveals.
As a chemist, her strongest everyday advice is, “Thoroughly wash the hands and also disinfect the shoes. The shoes are elements everyone forgets. How do we put on our shoes? We use our hands. The shoes travel everywhere we go, they step on most germs and bacteria, so it is also advisable to spray disinfectant on the sole of the shoes.”
She also urges us not to share ballpens and sanitize phones regularly.
Knowing full well that the elderly are more vulnerable than younger people when infected with COVID-19, the team also reached out to Graces for the Elders (formerly Golden Acres Home for the Aged) by providing them much-needed cleaning solutions.
Pinky, a cancer survivor and a passionate advocate of care for the elderly, has been working closely with the facility for some 28 years now through her non-stock, non-profit foundation. She said she founded Pinky Cares after her grandmother passed away.
“We are also smoke-disinfecting the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) because they are at the forefront of the food chain. The men and women of BAI have been working to issue food passes so that basic goods can be delivered across the border,” adds Pinky.
Trust a chemist to come up with the right solution for many of today’s situations, and contribute to the eternal search for a better quality of life for all.
ADMU bags silver in HSBC/HKU biz tilt
Students of the Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) brought home the silver at the recent HSBC/Hong Kong University (HKU) Asia Pacific Business Case Competition 2020.
The final case faced and aced by the ADMU team was themed “Food Angel: A sustainable solution to food waste in Hong Kong.”
The competition was conducted online due to the limitations brought about by the coronavirus pandemic.
The ADMU team was composed of Lucia Lorenzo, captain, BS Management Engineering and Program Awardee for ME; Annicka Koteh, BS Management Engineering; Javi Macasaet, BS Management; and Isa Villanueva, BS Management Engineering.
Prof. James Soriano was designated head coach and Prof. Gabe Sin, assistant coach. To back up the primary coaches was a community of student alumni and senior coaches who are subject matter experts.
They are Dr. Ricky Abad, an expert in presentation development and storytelling; Chito Tanchoco, who had taught Quantitative Methods in Ateneo for more than 30 years; Hector Guballa, a strategic management professor of Ateneo; Jun Alli, a successful Mergers and Acquisitions professional; and Alex Mallare, who handles team building.
On June 5, the competition started with 20 global universities, including University of Auckland, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Peking University, The University of Hong Kong and the University of British Columbia.
The first case was on the application of blockchain technology for preventing fraud in vintage wine trading. Ateneo won the group division and advanced to the finals.
After the four finalists had finished their presentations, Ateneo had definitely stamped its mark on the Asia-Pacific competition. The gold prize went to Peking University; silver prize to ADMU; and Bronze Prize to the University of Hawaii at Manoa. (You may e-mail me at [email protected]. Follow me on Instagram @joanneraeramirez.)
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