Heneral na babae sa pulisya

Alam nyo ba na sa tinatayang 118,000 tauhan ng Philippine National Police ay aabot lamang sa may 8,000 ang babae. Kaya naman ipinagbunyi ng mga alagad ni “Eba" nang sa unang pagkakataon ay may babaeng pulis na nabigyan ng ranggong Chief Superintendent na katambas ng Brigadier General sa militar.

Si Ma. Luisa Dimayuga ang kauna-unahang pulis na babae ang nabigyan ng ranggong Chief Superintendent noong panahon na ang tawag pa sa PNP ay Philippine Constabulary - Integrated National Police (PC-INP).

Binuwag ang PC-INP noong 1991 at pinalitan ng PNP dahil sa pagkakasangot nito sa mga kaso ng paglabag sa karapatang pantao noong panahon ng Batas Militar.

At sa panahon ng PNP, si Yolanda Tanigue ang sumunod sa yapak ni Dimayuga na nakatanggap ng ranggong Chief Superintendent.
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Public urged to forego meat, walk daily

THE inventor of the portable machine that can detect early signs of atherosclerosis (plaque buildup in the arterial wall) and in the process help save many lives from coronary artery disease can think of only two perfect complement to her machine: exercise and a diet filled with fruits and vegetables.

Dr. Helen Marcoyannopoulou-Fojas, a dual Greek and Filipino citizen who invented the BPULS, a modem-sized device that can noninvasively detect the elasticity of a patient’s arteries, shared with Inquirer Science and Health that her next objective for her invention was to have it replicated and distributed to underdeveloped countries.

More than just advocating the promise of early detection of atherosclerosis, Fojas, a cardiologist, who is in the Philippines as part of the Department of Science and Technology’s Balik Scientist program, urged Filipinos to eat as much fruits and vegetables as they could daily, cut consumption of meat into just once weekly, cut down on fish paste (bagoong), fish sauce (patis), salty eggs and engage in daily 45-minute brisk walks or dancing (which Fojas herself engages in regularly).
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You know it’s a Pinoy home if…

MOST Filipino contemporary houses are patterned after western style homes, at times, to the point of impracticality. Often, our real needs are ignored just so that the house is “nasa uso,” making the homeowner “in.”

Specific countries have their own idiosyncrasies or style and their traditional structures generally address their needs. In Japan for example, the “Ryokan,” a typical Japanese house, has some features unique to the Japanese: a place to remove and store shoes, rooms covered in “tatami” mats, minimal low-to-the-ground furniture and other features that can be quite strange to westerners.

Similarly, in Batanes, our very own Ivatan houses have almost no furniture inside, enabling multiple uses for the main areas: for dining and entertaining during the day and for sleeping at night. Again, the indigenous houses of the Ifugaos are just as flexible, as well as the houses on stilts of the Badjaos. But as Madonna says in the words of her popular song, we are living in this material world; and so, all the must-haves of the idealized western home fill up our domestic wish list.
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March is women’s month. Celebrate Womanhood!

Philippines Women's Month Logo

The issue about women is never ending. We are in the 21st century but still the issues about women are still in the process of making it better. Sexual harassment, rape, women liberation, women empowerment, gender issues, women’s worth in the society, gender equality and so on and so forth. We are still crying for recognition, respect and equality.
As I was contemplating about the women’s roles from the ancient to the present, the women‘s roles are innovating. They can now work and earn equally as men do. Nevertheless, there are countries and places, which threat women as their slaves.
I am proud to be a Filipino, where women can achieve what men can. In the latest survey of the Grant Thornton International Business Report, 97 percent of businesses in the Philippines have women in senior management positions, the highest among 32 countries surveyed. The figure is substantially higher than the global average of 59 percent.
The ranking was:
1. Philippines – 97%
2. China - 91 %
3. Malaysia - 85 %
4. Brazil – 83%
5. Hong Kong- 83%
6. Thailand – 81%
7. Taiwan- 80%
9. South Africa – 77%
10. Botswana – 74%
11. Russia – 73%

Philippines belong to the poor country but we can say that we are working for the betterment of our country.
Proud to be Pinoy!

RP 'robot wars' bet unveiled

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) presented yesterday “Larry Labuyo,” the Philippines’ entry to the FIRST Robotics Competition to be held in Honolulu, Hawaii from March 26 to 28.

FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is a US-based organization founded by inventor Dean Kamen in 1989, aimed at inspiring young people to engage in science and technology.

Science Education Institute (SEI) Director Ester Ogena said the Philippine team is composed of 32 junior students from the Philippine Science High School (PSHS), eight mentors from the University of the Philippines and De La Salle University and three coaches from PSHS. read more...

Availing patent protection in the Philippines and abroad

The advent of global trade has, to a large extent, contributed to the dramatic increase in the number of patent applications across the world. It has also caused an unprecedented complexity in the patent legal system.

Patent applicants still need to file a patent application in each and every country where they seek exclusive commercial exploitation because patent laws remain territorial in scope. Hence, a foreign entity needs to file a patent application here in the Philippines to be protected, even if it has already obtained patent registration in its “home country.”

To illustrate that cross-border trade has caused a dramatic increase in the number of patent applications, the Philippine Intellectual Property Office reported that patent applications made by foreign entities constitute 97 percent of total patent applications. If foreigners need to file a separate patent application here in the Philippines, the reverse statement is also true and Filipinos also need to file patent applications abroad to protect their inventions from infringement.

However, through international agreements, the patent system in the global context has been made simpler. Under the so-called traditional mode of filing, a Filipino applicant has to win the race in being the first to file a patent application within a jurisdiction. This is primarily because almost all countries adopt the “first-to-file” system. read more...

There’s money in research, says IPO chief

THERE is money in research, not just honors. This was the message to young scientists who were encouraged to think of “investing” in the commercial value of their intellectual property (IP) by having them protected, in other words patented or registered.

The suggestion was made by Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IP Philippines) Director General Adrian Cristobal Jr., who spoke before students and teachers of the Philippine Science High School (PSHS) in Quezon City on Monday.

Cristobal told students that the benefit of protecting their work does not accrue to them but to their country, as well.

Cristobal was guest at the opening exhibit marking the Youth Math and Science Technology Week at the PSHS main campus on Agham Road, Quezon City. Some 80 science and technology research projects were featured.

At that time, IP Philippines and the PSHS also signed a memorandum of understanding to promote a better IP environment among students and teachers of the pioneer and premier science high school. read more...

Bicolano engineers succeed as entrepreneurs

Salvador Albia, a mechanical engineer, established his own backyard enterprise, the Tropics Agro-Industries, in 1975.

Initially engaged in the manufacture of tractors and threshers, Albia, after a number of years, created a brand that is now familiar to the Filipino public – KOLBI (reverse of Bikol).

KOLBI started as Albia’s invention of his own version of Philippine-made rice mills, after realizing that there is a growing need and potential in the post-harvest industry.

He then expanded his business to other agricultural equipment such as grain dryers and corn processors.

The continuous expansion of Tropics Agro-Industries has shown Albia’s capacity to innovate – and to take risks. As an entrepreneur, he saw the strengths of the agricultural machineries industry – the strong market, the availability of skilled manpower, and the availability of technology and basic production facilities.

Even with his accomplishments, he has faced the challenges of high and oftentimes foreign exchange-dependent cost of raw materials as well as limited working capital for production.

Albia worked through these challenges by seeking financial assistance.

Under the National SME Agenda, the Department of Trade and Industry endorsed Tropics Agro-Industries to the SB Corp., which in turn released P1.5 million with a loan term of three years. Albia used the amount to purchase raw materials and equipment.

Albia’s company has since expanded into the manufacture of other products, including the newly developed re-circulating grain dryers and post-harvest equipment for pili processing. read more...

Biggest ‘batchoy’ bowl aims for Guinness spot, draws thousands of people in Iloilo City

ILOILO CITY, Jan. 23 (PNA) – Vying for a place at the Guinness Book of World Records and the world’s culinary map, the biggest bowl of the Filipino favorite La Paz Batchoy was served today at the hot soup’s home in this southern city.

The stainless steel bowl was filled with 3,500 liters of soup stock made of meat, innards, pork liver and spices. A total of 100 kilos of “miki” noodles completed the soup served to 300 school children and more than 1,000 adults who witnessed the unique entry of this city’s native food to the world record.

The event was sponsored by Deco’s La Paz Batchoy, Iloilo Convention and Visitors Bureau (ICVB) and the city government here as a major side feat of the Dinagyang Festival celebration.

City Mayor Jerry P. Treñas, Vice Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog, Edgar Sia II of ICVB and Lee Chuan of the Iloilo Dinagyang Foundation Inc. (IDFI), led the ribbon cutting in unveiling the biggest bowl of batchoy measuring two meters in diameter and 1 meter in height. read more...

Filipino invention goes to Indonesia

MANILA, Philippines—Seeing rice husk left on the fields in Iloilo where he taught as an agriculture professor, Alexis Belonio thought of putting them it to good use: he invented a stove powered by rice husk, whose leftover ashes he used either as a fertilizer or a raw material for fiber cement boards.

For providing a clean alternative to stoves powered by costly fuels like liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), the 49-year-old Belonio received the associate laureate citation of the Rolex Awards for Enterprise in 2008.

He is the first Filipino to get the citation from the luxurious wristwatch brand which annually honors outstanding projects for the poor around the world.

There are already a few cooking stoves fueled by rice husk, a common sight in countries like the Philippines where rice is the staple food. Belonio said the country generates about two million tons of rice husk every year. continue reading...

Karen finds an igloo in the tropics

ABS-CBN news anchor Karen Davila spotted igloo-like structures in Surigao, which can very well be an alternative to expensive school buildings in the country. Made only of sand, cement, and drum, the structures are not only cheaper and easier to build, but also offer better ventilation for students.

Surigao’s igloo is just one of the many ingenious Filipino inventions that Karen will feature tonight on The Correspondents.

Due to the economic crisis, Filipinos have found a way to cut expenses by inventing alternative systems and machines that can help “Juan” cope with the demands of his everyday life.

High gasoline prices and environmental concerns, for example, have fueled the development of vehicles powered by electricity like the “e-jeep” and “e-tricycle.”

Karen was recently named one of the 2008 Ten Outstanding Young Men by the Junior Chamber International Philippines for her significant contribution to Philippine journalism and her award-winning documentaries. continue reading...

Filipino honored for inventing low-cost stove

MANILA - A 48-year-old Filipino professor has been honored as one of the recipients of the prestigious Rolex Awards for Entrepreneurship for inventing a low-cost stove that uses what is usually considered as waste from rice production.

The honoree is Alexis Belonio, an associate professor of agricultural engineering at the privately-owned Central Philippines University located in Iloilo City in Iloilo province in the Visayas.

Officials of the Rolex Award said Belonio was granted a $50,000 cash prize in addition to a Rolex chronometer watch.

Started in 1976 the Rolex Awards have been established to support pioneering work in science and medicine, technology and innovation, exploration and discovery, the environment as well as cultural heritage.

Belonio’s invention is now widely used by farming households not only in the Philippines but also in Indonesia and Cambodia which belong to the 10-member Association of Southeast Asia Nations (Asean).

Belonio said he would use his cash prize to promote his invention for free, especially by the poor throughout the world who are suffering from the high cost of cooking food.

“I will focus on disseminating the stove throughout the world,” he vowed. “To achieve this, I will produce more publications to show people how to do it.” read more...

Alex Belonio is Rolex enterprise laureate

A 48-year-old Filipino inventor created a new technology that transforms waste from rice production into clean, affordable cooking fuel.

For his unprecedented feat, Alex Belonio was honored by Rolex as one of five Associate Laureates in the 2008 Rolex Awards for Enterprise, which for more than 30 years have supported pioneering work in science and medicine, technology and innovation, exploration and discovery, the environment and cultural heritage. continue reading...

Monthsary: A Filipino Invention?

It seems like the concept of “monthsary” was invented by Filipinos. Google the word “monthsary” and 99% of the links you will come up with are Filipino blogs. I said 99% because I didn’t bother to check if there’s an international link there. There should be a few, though, because Filipinos are all over the world and they’re bound to spread the concept of “monthsary” to foreign countries.

The first link in Google is from Urban Dictionary. The first definition says that a monthsary is celebrated like an anniversary but you only celebrate it for the first eleven months of the relationship since the twelfth month is already an anniversary. It has 52 thumbs up and seven down as of this writing.

Urban Dictionary’s third definition is even more revealing. It reads:

“Commonly used among Filipinos. Its actually supposed to be monthiversary. for some reason they use it. monthsary mean that a couple has been together for a month, thus, monthsary!”

I’m quite sure a Filipino wrote that definition or a foreigner with a Filipino partner. The definition ends:

“used rather than anniversary coz couples are playas and b*tches enough to be together for only a meager amount of time.”

Now, that’s informative — or at least, insightful. Indeed, a monthsary seems to be a convenient way to enjoy the pleasures of celebrating a committed relationship without necessarily being committed to a long-term relationship at all. continue reading...

Engineer creates Philippines’ first ROV


MANILA, Philippines — The remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV), better known as a submersible, has become stuff of the movies ever since it was used in some scenes in the movie Titanic. It found huge applications in the underwater research, mining and salvaging sectors.

One Filipino company aims to be a player in this industry.

Pobletech Inc recently released the Roboteknik i100, country’s first commercial ROV, a robotic machine that can submerge to a depth of up to100 meters and be controlled via remote control box. The ROV and the control box are all connected via an umbilical cord that serves as both power and data cable for the ROV, which transmits live streaming video to a monitor on a control box.

Because the Roboteknik runs on external power, it could be operated for over 24 hours while operators of the ROV work in shifts. The ROV could also be outfitted with external attachments, such as soil and water sample collectors, robotic arms and special cameras.

Meanwhile, the control unit has its own hard disk drive to save hundreds of hours of videos and photos. continue reading...

QUEZON CITY INVENTOR SAYS NO TO P3.5-BILLION OFFER

MANILA, December 19, 2005 (STAR) By Perseus Echeminada - A barber-turned-inventor from Quezon City refused an offer of P3.5 billion for the patent of his invention, a cream based on cashew nut oil that rids users of warts, moles and other skin growths.

"The formula was a divine gift that I asked from God so I must share with my countrymen and I will hand it down as a legacy to the future generations," Rolando de la Cruz told The STAR.

He said he turned down the offer by two multinational drug firms for the outright purchase of his patent for his RCC herbal cream preparation, which could have assured him of P1 million in interest income a day for the rest of his life.

"I came from a poor family so I want to share this blessing with the poor. I want to make Filipinos beautiful," De la Cruz said.

The De la Cruz family runs the Amazing Touch Co. and has been conducting free treatments for residents of depressed areas, particularly in Zambales, where wild cashew nuts abound.

De la Cruz’s wife, Lydia, said that despite the success of their business, they have no plans of migrating to another country.

"Anytime we can travel but we have to return to Quezon City to keep the cycle of blessing on the move," she said.

De la Cruz paid a courtesy call on Quezon City Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr. last Friday, presenting the Highest Gold Medal award he won at a competition held in Nuremberg, Germany last month. He was accompanied by his wife and children.

De la Cruz told Belmonte of his desire to help the city government’s pro-poor program. Lydia said they wish to provide skin care treatment to overseas workers, particularly caregivers and domestic helpers, so they would look attractive when they arrive at their places of employment abroad.

Lydia said her husband’s invention, which has become popular among celebrities, will be made available to the poor.

"If they really cannot afford it, then we will treat them for free," she said.

Despite the substantial earnings derived from the sale of the cream, the De la Cruz family still prefers to live in a government housing project in Barangay Balumbato in Quezon City. continue reading...

Filipinos’ love of drinking inspired ‘Vitamin Beer’

MANILA, Philippines -- Invention is 5 percent inspiration and 95 percent perspiration, Thomas Alva Edison, one of the world’s greatest inventors, said.

For Filipino inventor Virgilio “Billy” L. Malang, who invented a vitamin-laced beer, that 5 percent inspiration came from the Filipinos’ love of drinking.

“Tubig sa atin ang beer (Beer is like water to us),” he told the Inquirer. “The Pinoy’s weakness is beer, and his next weakness is the next beer,” he added.

A 2004 Kirin Research Institute study ranks the Philippines as the 5th highest beer consumer in Asia (next to China, Japan, South Korea and Thailand), with 1.4 billion liters consumed annually and projected growth of 15.6 percent per annum. A Filipino drinks an average of nearly 20 liters of beer a year.

“Sa Pilipino kasi, tatlong okasyon lang na pwedeng uminom siya—Kapag siya ay malungkot; kung siya ay masaya; at yung pagitan ng dalawa (Filipinos drink only on three occasions—when they are sad, when they are happy and in between),” Malang noted in jest.

Malang’s Vitamin B complex-fortified beer or Vitamin Beer takes some of the guilt out of drinking.

“If you are looking for an excuse to take a swig, this is it,” said Malang, who claimed that Vitamin Beer replaces the essential Vitamin B which is lost when excessive amounts of alcohol are consumed. continue reading...

PINOY INVENTOR DEVELOPS VITAMIN-FORTIFIED RICE BEER

A Filipino inventor has developed a rice beer that is fortified with multivitamins and can be considered as food supplement.

Dr. Billy Malang, inventor of the “Rice Beer Fortified with Multivitamins,” said, “hindi mo rin lang naman maawat and Pilipino sa pag-inom, ang sweldo, gagastusin niya para sa pakikisama, etc., e di at least, gawin mo nang healthy ang pag-inom (Since we cannot stop Filipinos from drinking beer, as they would even spend their entire salary for the sake of camaraderie, I made a healthy drink made of beer).”

Malang said the rice beer, which can be stored for six months, is considered a health drink and a food supplement as it is fortified with multivitamins, has low calories, and an alcohol volume of only 3.5 percent.

He added that the patent for this particular invention, which he received July of this year, was approved since he had brought back the vitamins in beer, which is not present in ordinary beer because of the fermentation process.

Malang rice’s beer invention recently qualified for the National Inventor’s Contest, which will be held this November. continue reading...