1st Manila Water Foundation Prize for Engineering Excellence awardees named
The Manila Water Foundation and the Department of Science and Technology ( DOST) honored the first awardees of the Manila Water Foundation Prize for Engineering Excellence. The awards recognized the winners’ innovative solutions to some of society’s problems and to inspire more homegrown engineers to use their talents in nation-building via projects that champion water, sanitation, environment and sustainability.
Five exemplary engineers proved to be the crème de la crème of the Prize’s maiden year.
Rex Demafelis, vice chancellor for research and extension of the University of the Philippines in Los Baños, was recognized for his work on the production and processing of sweet sorghum into bioethanol that enforces local accountability and positive social change. He said that his venture of using sweet sorghum will not only address the issue of biofuel, but will also greatly contribute to the poverty alleviation of the country especially the farmers in ethanol producing provinces.
Poverty alleviation was also one of the inspirations of chemical engineer and University of San Carlos College of Engineering dean Evelyn Taboada. A native of Cebu, Taboada patented the bio- technology and chemical process of turning fruit waste such as mango peels and mango seeds into high value products. This initiative was not only successful in achieving 100 percent zero waste, it has also generated employment for numerous scavengers in her hometown.
Enrico Paringit, a professor at the University of the Philippines Diliman, used his expertise in surveying and hydrology to create maps that give vital information on possible flooding occurrences and provide early warning systems. Paringit and his team ported these crucial information to mobile phones, as he firmly believes that such life-saving products and services should be accessible to everyone, anywhere and at any time.
Bringing technologies from the lab to communities is a passion of Joel Joseph Marciano Jr., a professor of electrical and electronics engineering at the University of the Philippines Diliman. Recognizing the need for more cost- eff ective monitoring of landslide- prone slopes, he and his team developed instrumentations that provide scientists with better insights into slope stability towards more accurate prediction. He led efforts in developing engineering interventions for rapid restoration of communications capability in the aftermath of disasters.
Merlinda Palencia, who serves as dean of the Graduate School of Adamson University, spearheaded the creation of an affordable solution to the sewage and sanitation problem of the country through low cost wastewater treatment technology. The application of locally abundant organo minerals (OM) that make wastewater treatment economical, safe, simple, odor-free and sustainable was proven effective in Palo, Leyte where it was able to address the septage problems in the temporary shelters of people affected by Typhoon Yolanda.
Aside from the honor of being the premier recipients of the Manila Water Foundation Prize for Engineering Excellence, each awardee received P500,000, a medal, and a trophy that features the work of renowned art photographer, Don Jaime Zobel de Ayala. The prize, part of the Manila Water Foundation’s 10th anniversary scale-up, aims not only to recognize the Filipino engineers’ dedication in finding solutions that give positive and relevant impacts, but also to inspire practitioners and aspiring engineers to come up with innovations that Filipinos will greatly benefit from.
Ferdinand de la Cruz, president, Manila Water Foundation, said “If you look at the five awardees, they have their own individual stories but a lot of them are both academicians and practitioners. They’re teaching engineering students and young engineers what they know and at the same time use their knowledge and scientific depth to solve problems or create opportunities… All of them have hit certain challenges along the way and yet they continue to pursue what they have started.”
DOST Secretary Mario Montejo, meanwhile, cited how each awardee has stepped up and addressed uniquely Filipino problems that require uniquely Filipino ingenuity.
The awarding ceremony was graced by notable former President Fidel V. Ramos, former NEDA Director-General Cielito Habito, and social innovator Vicky Garchitorena. Manila Water Foundation chairman Gerardo Ablaza Jr. and DOST Undersecretary Rowena Cristina Guevara helped hand out the prizes to the awardees.