On the Spotlight!

The Industrial Technology Development Institute (DOST-ITDI) , in its bid to contribute to industrialization and progress through R&D initiatives, will conduct a webcast for its newly opened Modular Multi-Industry Innovation Center (MMIC) or InnoHub sa Pinas on March 31, 2021. Following MMIC’s successful launch in December 2020 and inauguration in February 2021, ITDI once again invites industry partners and stakeholders to share their insights and expectations about the new facility. InnoHub sa Pinas is an industrial processing facility with multifunctional/multi-application modular unit operation equipment that can be retrofitted to accommodate different manufacturing lines. It is built to serve the needs of the food, personal care, and pharma-nutraceutical industries using its three main processing lines for nut/seed and oils, mix blend powders, and liquids/emulsions which rely mainly on by-products of commercial operations as raw material . In effect, new or novel products ...

Travelling becomes complicated ever since the Covid-19 pandemic hits the world. There have been so many requirements needed just to make sure that the traveler is covid-free and the community he/she will be visiting will be safe. In the Philippines, a “travel authority” is needed to be able to travel from one province to another. There are many requirements and travelers have a hard time getting one. The Department of Science and Technology developed the Safe, Swift and Smart Passage or S-PaSS , an innovative travel management system for local travelers, returning OFWs and Tourists. In light of the approval of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases Resolution #101 , on February 26, 2021, of the uniform travel protocols for all local government units (LGUs), the S-PaSS Travel Management System will now be institutionalized as the one-stop-shop application/communication for travelers. S-Pass was virtually launched last March 26 ...

Indeed no better time than National Women’s Month to highlight the ever-increasing role of women in shaping Philippine society in general, and the business world in particular. In the Philippines’ male dominated corporate world, a woman named Rosemarie P. Rafael has been breaking stereotypes and challenging the big boys since the 1980s. In 1985 , Mrs. Rafael founded Airspeed , one of the leading logistics solutions and express courier companies in the country . Airspeed is a company that reflects Ms. Rafael’s values and beliefs as a woman, a mother, and a leader. Being Airspeed’s Chairman and President and a true advocate of women, Ms. Rafael chose to empower women at Airspeed because she believes women are naturally nurturing and she knows that when people are supported and enabled, they can do great and impossible things. These three women executives of Airspeed – together with the management team, envisioned to help propel the company to greater heights and, in the process, m...

Did you know that.... This building in Dubai was built out of 3D printing. With the promising benefits and advantages that additive manufacturing or more popularly known as 3D printing can bring, DOST-ITDI headed by Director Annabelle Briones  focused on this technology and came up with  the very first  DOST-ITDI AMCEN-MATDEV Stakeholders Forum   held last March 25, 2021 via Zoom and streamed on Facebook live. Main objective of the forum is to present  MATDEV Laboratory’s current and future activities on additive manufacturing (AM),   and to inform concerned industries to engage and make use of these facilities and services available for collaboration at the DOST-ITDI thru the AMCEN-MatDev group.  DOST Secretary Fortunato “Boy” Dela Pena on his keynote address encourages the manufacturing industry to make use of the 3D printers, services, and facilities of ITDI.   He said, “ Additive manufacturing is a great alternative to those companies t...

Relaxing a bit keeps our sanity this Covid-19 days. At the comfort of your homes, you can sip in one or two to cap off a night. Want to know how to enjoy most your rums at home? Actor Derek Ramsay can give you some tips about rums, as he was a long-time endorser of the Philippine-made Rum, Tanduay, one of the biggest-selling spirits in the world. First-off, you have to be aware, there are different kinds of rums, White, Dark, Golden and Premium. You’ve got to know which one to pick to fit in your mood and purpose. How they’re made determines their taste. There are different kinds of rum in the world, and the ingredients, distillation, and aging process play a huge role in how they taste. Rum can be mixed as a cocktail , enjoyed neat, with a splash of water, or on the rocks. White rums are usually used for cocktails, while dark and golden rums are enjoyed neat or with ice. “I like my rum on the rocks! I usually enjoy a drink before I call it a day,” said Ramsay. In other countr...

Pepsi-Cola Products Philippines, Inc. (PCPPI) —the exclusive manufacturer of PepsiCo beverages in the country—donated more than 800 COVID-19 Rapid Test kits to Naga City. PCPPI Bicol Regional Operations General Manager Francisco L. Escala, Jr. turned over the test kits to Naga City Mayor Nelson Legacion , aiming to help the local government unit maintain its health and safety standards to stop the spread of the virus in the Bicol region. In photo are (from left) PCPPI Operations Manager Emmanuel Manaog, Territory Manager Sharmaine Banaag, HR Manager Roxana Ulpindo, Finance Manager Jose Bergonio, General Manager Francisco Escala, Jr. and Naga City Mayor Nelson Legacion.

  The damage of getting your house razed by fire is insurmountable; fires at home can break out anytime and anywhere and can damage livelihood, household appliances and more. In 2018, the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) recorded a total of 14,316 incidents of fire from January until December. This is why every March is Fire Prevention Month in the Philippines , and BFP’s campaign for this month is safety consciousness among our people every day of the year as a positive preventive approach to a problem that can be solved by more caution, vigilance, sobriety, exercise of common sense and respect for the law. It is a campaign that focuses on exercising vigilance at home and keeping oneself knowledgeable on the best way to protect your home and family from destruction brought about by fire. “Cebuana Lhuillier has always committed to be of help to the Filipinos at all times, and our call for Fire Prevention is a reflection of that, our insurance products that aims to keep our clie...

  The Industrial Technology Development Institute (DOST-ITDI) is gathering industry, academe, government, and non-profit organizations in a stakeholders' forum to be held on March 25, 2021 , via the Zoom Meeting platform, to present MATDEV Laboratory’s current and future activities on additive manufacturing (AM). AM is the technique being used by the MATDEV Laboratory to produce models and prototypes directly from three-dimensional (3D) computer-aided design (CAD) without using any tools or fixtures. Funded by the DOST Grants-In-Aid Program , MATDEV Laboratory is a project under the Advanced Additive Manufacturing R&D Program. Inaugurated on December 22, 2020, the MATDEV Laboratory undertakes research and development on materials for use in additive manufactured products to reduce the cost of raw materials by using local resources. However, AM has been in use since the 1980s with Hideo Kodama of the Nagoya Municipal Industrial Research Institute inventing two AM pho...

The Philippine Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted emergency use authorization (EUA) to Sputnik V , one of Russia’s COVID-19 vaccines, today, 19 March 2021, as announced by FDA Director General Eric Domingo during the Department of Health (DOH)’s Special Briefing. Vials labelled "Sputnik V Coronavirus COVID-19 Vaccine" are seen in this illustration photo taken March 12, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration. Photo taken from Channelnewsasia.com Authorized for limited use among Filipino individuals aged 18 and above, the non-replicating viral vector COVID-19 vaccine was developed by the Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology through the support of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF). Both Gamaleya and RDIF were identified by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), which chairs the Task Group on Vaccine Evaluation and Selection (TG VES), as one of its bilateral partners for the possible conduct of vaccine clinical trials in the ...

The award winning Architect and CEO, Kaydee Marie Velasco is part of the esteemed membership committee of American Association of the Philippines. One of the oldest American organisation of the Philippines. For this 2021, the selection process will be different. Some draft adjustments and not final yet will be the following; •Applicant must be endorsed by an existing member •Fee will be from Php 2500 to 7500 •Must allot time to attend events •Must allot time for community activities •Etc   All adjustments will be discussed soon by the Board of Directors and must be approved. Aside from Architect Kaydee Velasco, here are some of the membership committee members; Larry Dimagiba Grace Bondad Nicolas Den Manzano Micheal Haskell Architect Kaydee Velasco is a young thought leader on sustainability in real estate and development. Under the group is KMVAsia , specialists on pocket developments in the Metro. She specializes in creating thoughtful, strategic, and expert so...

Architect Kaydee Velasco is a young thought leader on sustainability in real estate and development. Under the group is KMV Asia, specialists on pocket developments in the Metro. She specializes in creating thoughtful, strategic, and expert solutions for a multitude of urban industries including construction, architecture, and design - creating a diverse, learned assessment on real estate. Just recently, she won multiple awards and one of them is under Asia Leaders Awards as Young CEO of the Year under Real Estate and her company for Green Company of the Year. When asked about her career and thoughts on different issues, here are her answers; Survival. Compassion. Opportunity.   “ Survival this 2020 despite the several challenges we faced. Survival to hold on and trust the people who can decide for the betterment of your household, or your workplace.” “ Compassion to the people who worked hard for you, making sure that you do your best to ensure that each and everyone ...

In the situation that we are all in now, battling an invisible enemy Covid 19 virus and with its many variants still proliferating today, we can do nothing but to take care of ourselves. Mask, Face Shield, and social distancing can protect us from being infected. But most important of all, we should prepare our body to fight this virus just in case.   Boost our Immune System   When all else fails, your body is your last defense to fight this virus. Live a healthy lifestyle, proper diet, nutrition, exercise and enough rest. Since we cannot get all the nutrition our body needs by the food we eat, it is vital that we take vitamins as a reinforcement, as a supplement in other words.   I came across recently with one brand offering “multivitamins with probiotics.” Sounds new, isn’t it?   It is called Biocomplete. By its name, Biocomplete contains Multivitamins and Minerals needed for optimum daily function of our body. And the ingredient that makes it unique, the...