Manila Bulletin

Green inventions are taking center stage in this year’s National Inventors’ Week (NIW) which runs Nov 17-21 at the Philippine Trade and Training Center, Pasay city.

The NIW features the National Invention Contest (NIC), a competition among local inventors’ handiworks. The NIC is an annual search for the most outstanding inventions, utility models, industrial designs, and creative researches by professionals and students.

Green inventions are given recognition in this year’s NIC through the Chemrez Green Chemistry Awards.

“Green chemistry is the use and design of chemical products and processes that reduce or eliminate the use or generation of hazardous substances”, said Mr. Dean Ang Lao Jr., chief operating officer of Chemrez Technologies, sponsor of the award.

Lao said a wide breadth of exciting inventions have been adjudged as finalists for the green chemistry award. These include:

• use of plant extract as insecticide
• utilization of mushroom for medical purposes
• production of bio-plastic from tapioca starch
• use of chicken feather as fiberglass creation reinforcement
• production of chemical-free handmade paper
• removal of pollutants in waste water using naturally occurring resources
• manufacture of fuel energy saving device
• conversion of wastes, including plastics, into fuel
• others

The award has two categories: the Chemrez Green Chemistry Award for professionals and Chemrez Green Chemistry Award: Sibol for high school and college students. Winners who will be announced on Nov 21 will receive trophies and cash prizes of P60,000 and P40,000, respectively.