Filipino inventions: 2BIG POWER and Tubig-powered Machine - green solution to scarce electricity

Aiming to help his Filipino countrymen, Stevenson “Steve” Rejuso invented the LED Lamp Portable DC Generator or simply known as 2BIG POWER. The invention generates electricity and enables to light its LED bulb using water as a fuel.

Screen shot of ABS-CBN's video in YouTube
featuring 2BIG POWER being filled with water

According to him, 2BIG POWER lights up to 3-4 days depending on the amount of water added and capable of producing 3-10 watts. The device doesn’t need clean water for it to light. It works also with dirty water, seawater, freshwater, buko juice, or even wastewater.

Along with 2BIG POWER, he also invented the Tubig-powered Machine prompted with the shortage of electricity in their area. The device can light a flashlight, a lamp post, charge batteries and battery pack of cellular phones or even power a transistor radio and can light a village for two weeks. Same with his 2BIG POWER, it generates electricity using water.

The principle for both of his devices is simple. The production of electricity happens through a reaction between the several metal plates inside the device chamber aided by the addition of water. Water serves as an electrolyte that enables the ions from different plates to pass through. Since it consists of many plates, it produces electricity strong enough to have an economical value.

Sir Rejuso is a member of the Filipino Inventors Society (FIS) and known for his inventions here and abroad. He was featured in ABS-CBN separate programs, IMBENSIYON and Kabuhayang Swak na Swak. He said that many foreign countries are interested for the sale of his inventions. However, he refused the offer because he wants that Filipinos to benefit first.

2BIG POWER is safe to use compared to the candles and oil lamps as source of light. It is more economical and environment-friendly. On the other hand, Tubig-powered Machine is now functioning at Brgy. Greater Lagro, Quezon City, Metro Manila.

His inventions are very useful especially in areas where electricity is scarce. He is aiming to reach far-flung places of the Philippines where service of electricity is not available.

Source:

YouTube

The Lemurian's Scroll

Photo and video credits:
YouTube

Philippines' plastic bottle classroom - first in Asia

First bottle classroom in Asia rises in Laguna

                                 By Sarita Kare, ABS-CBN Southern Tagalog

                                 Posted at 12/21/2010 12:04 PM | Updated as of 12/21/2010 4:55 PM

MANILA, Philippines - Inside the Dalubhasaan ng Lungsod ng San Pablo in Laguna stands a building made up of hundreds of plastic bottles.

Illac Diaz

The “Plastic Bottle Mo, Kinabukasan Ko” project of the provincial government together with former actor/model and architect Illac Diaz, known for his ecological structures and other sponsors, has unveiled the model classroom on Saturday.

Diaz of My Shelter Foundation said that they have thought of using plastic bottles to save the environment and for economic reasons. Plastic bottles are known to decompose only after 700 years.

“Instead of burying them as garbage under the ground, we thought of making them rise as buildings”, he said.

Eight classrooms and a library will be built in the said school with the support of 3rd District Board Member Angelica Jones who helped in securing a donation for the lot.

The country lacks 7,000 classrooms and this project aims to encourage more local government units (LGUs) to build similar classrooms without having to worry about the funds.

Sturdier and practical

Celso Alcantara who helped build the plastic classroom admitted that the bottle classroom is stronger compared to the structures he has put up in his 14 years as a mason.

A mixture of cement and sand is placed inside each plastic bottle and in between bottles.

The Plastic Bottle classroom

“It takes about 2 months, longer than the normal construction of concrete, but it is more worth it," said Alcantara.

It is even stronger than hollow blocks, said Diaz, as tested by the Mapua Institute of Technology. It's a technique the Spaniards used, proof why our old churches are still existing.

Aside from bottles, rice hulls were also used for the walls.

They also plan to use tetra packs for the roof.

Source:

ABSCBN News

Photo Credit:

whatsnewph.com

Self-Charging Electric Car - Philippines' hope from oil independence

Ismael Aviso Self-Charging Electric Car

                             by Sterling D. Allan
                             Pure Energy Systems News
                             Saturday, February 5, 2011

A "bare-bones" version of Aviso's Self-Charging Electric Car

When we hear of electric vehicles, we typically envision a trunk full of batteries. Not so with an electric vehicle prototype developed by Filipino inventor, Ismael Aviso. In his small prototype vehicle, one 12-volt battery is all that is needed, because his vehicle is not running from the storage capacity of the battery, but the battery is merely serving as the delivery point for the energy that is being harvested from unseen energy all around us through his special circuitry.

This is reminiscent of Nikola Tesla's Pierce-Arrow electric automobile conversion that he ran on a little black box, extracting energy freely somehow from the wheelwork of nature, requiring no petrol.

Aviso has been working on this for 13 years but recently achieved a major milestone, posting a video to YouTube showing his vehicle running for around 10 minutes back and forth in his long garage, with passengers on January 31, 2011; but the battery stayed full.

First of all, the 11 kilowatt DC motor should have very quickly drained the one battery. Aviso says that "there is no one else who can run an 11 kilowatt motor on just one 12-volt battery." So that was the first feat.

Secondly, at the end of the demonstration, the voltage on the battery was 13 — higher than the rated 12.6 volts for the stock battery. Acceleration takes a lot of energy. Stopping and starting like that repeatedly should have sucked a battery bank down. Yet the battery stayed full.

Here's the video of their demo. It's not entertainment material, but it is an excellent demo in content. Even though they don't show a "before" shot of the battery voltage, the stock specs of the Motolite battery can easily be looked up, to show that their "full" voltage is 12.6 volts.

Aviso said that this is made possible by an antenna that receives energy from signals in the range of 750 megahertz to 1.2 gigahertz. He says that once he tunes his device to the proper resonance, "any signal within that range will be collected to boost the power of the battery", enabling one battery to power his vehicle. He names the effect "Fymeg" (FYMEGM) energy, in memory of two of his late friends who helped in the earlier phases of the project. In contrast to the Bedini and Bearden technologies which are high impedance, his technology is based on low impedance and high voltage.

He did the demo in the garage because the weather was unpredictable. The next day, he posted a video of them driving around his neighborhood: a third-world depiction, that he said he would like to uplift once this technology takes hold.

In looking at his earlier videos, you can see that he stripped down the vehicle to its bare minimal requirements – making it easy to see that there are no hidden power sources or other devices that could be accounting for the power being demonstrated. This version is also greatly simplified from earlier ones that involved banks of capacitors and other electronics equipment.

This whole scenario brings to mind for me a prophecy: "And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are…" (1 Corinthians 1:28)

Aviso envisions a retrofit kit costing around $3000 (not including labor) to enable a petrol vehicle to be converted to electric using this technology. He likes to compare that to the $25000 price tag usually accompanying conversion to run on an AC motor; or the $12000 price tag for conversion to run on a DC motor.

He said that his technology is ready for demonstration to qualified parties who are ready to help them move forward with the funding and expertise they need.

A screen shot of GMA network's interview with Ismael Aviso 

Once he gets adequate funding, he plans to file patents simultaneously worldwide. So he is not disclosing how it works yet, just that it does work. He said that the equipment that will be required to measure the ambient frequencies around the device costs around $150,000; and this will be one of the tests that will need to be done fairly soon to characterize what is going on with the device.

He hopes to get some support from the Philippine government to get some funding to do proper third party testing.

But this isn't all. There's more where that came from.

Electro-Piston

Once Aviso gets adequate funding, whether from investors and/or from sales of this first product, he wants to finish developing another technology he's been working on – creating an electric piston engine using his repelling force. He demonstrates this force in a video, showing a 1 kilogram weight flying about 15 feet into the air, the ejection having been powered by one AA battery. Aviso envisions replacing a fuel-based combustion engine with this electro-motive-force-driven engine.

Sir Ismael Aviso, we're proud of you!

Please visit the PESWIKI site for more information and to support Aviso's invention. 

Source:

peswiki.com

Photo credit:

GMA Network
YouTube

Video credit:

YouTube

IRONMATE® - cut your flat iron electrical consumption up to 53%, a diligent Filipino invention

Electric bills, water bills, phone bills, internet bills, credit card bills and all other bills are the main recipients of Filipinos' income at the end of the month. What’s left for an average income earners whose salaries are barely enough for the family’s food and everyday needs?

Cutting down these bills are necessary. If not to eliminate, at least reduction shall be done. In the case of electric bill, some people resort to cut their electrical consumption illegally especially those who are leaving in overpopulated areas. But what if we can do it legally without compromising a necessary household chore that needs electricity? Yes, there’s a way. 

An IRONMATE® promotional banner

Electric iron is one of the appliances that consumes electricity a lot. A typical clothes iron has 1000-1800 wattage. To save electricity, a former teacher in Albay, Rodolfo B. Biescas, Sr. invented the IRONMATE®. Due to his love for the ordinary Pinoys, and believing that the Filipino is a creative persona and has strong global-standard that one can be the pride of Asia, he began inventing and innovating things that Filipinos may benefit. He believes that “Necessity is not the mother of all Inventions” because there are inventions that are not necessity like those that causes destruction. IRONMATE® was invented in 1988. Sir Biescas applied patent in 1990 and granted in 1991. 

The IRONMATE® is a device which automatically shuts off the electrical flow towards the flat iron when the iron is rested or not in use without losing the heat energy. It can save up to 50-53% of energy consumption and electricity cost. It is portable and made of fiber plastic crystals, with the stainless steel plate and a heat indicator at the rear side.

Major highlights of the IRONMATE® include: 

• Timely energy saving & fire safety device for flat iron. 
• Pay only what you actually consume in ironing clothes 
• Multi-awarded Filipino invention 
• Conserves heat and reduce electrical consumption by 50-53%. 
• Controls built-in loss in ironing – electrical consumption automatically stops and heat conserved when the flat-iron presses the push button while rested on the IRONMATE® during frequent idle periods
• Ensures fire safety in ironing 
• Automatic shut off power 
• Portable and easy to use. 
• Affordable 

Specifications: 

• Voltage: 220v 
• Power Capacity: 1000 watts 
• Fuse: 10mA

Due to the excellence of the product, it became a recipient of the following awards.

• 1993 National Inventors week and Golden International Expo ’93 – Gold Medal 
• 1999 Phil. Official Entry to: 27E Salon International DES Inventors- Geneva, Switzerland 
• 1999 Official Delegates to Europartenariat, Vienna Austria I-TEX 2000 international Invention, Invention Industrial Design and Technology 
• Putra World Trade Center – Malaysia – Broze Medal 
• National Inventors week 2000- Tuklas Award – Outstanding Invention

The IRONMATE® was featured in various television programs such as SiS of GMA7, Shopping Network (ShopTV),  and Venta5 in ABC 5. 

Rodolfo B. Biescas Sr.,
inventor of the IRONMATE®

Among his other high-impact technology inventions and innovations which concretely addresses pressing global concerns on energy, environment and health are the following: Multi-Cooler Fan (Semi Air Conditioning Unit), Ironmate Economizer (Energy Saving Device for Flat Iron), Super Flame (Charwood Stove) Brickcoal (Charcoal Briquettes) Cosmic Pure (Water Purifier), The Pacman (Mechanical Street Sweeper), Sapun (Sanitary Disposal Toilet Seat Cover), and Nature’s Air (Car and Room Ionizer), a timely health advocacy during this times of spreading environmental pollution in society. He is also one of the founders of the Filipino Multi-Purpose Cooperative and credited for eight inventions/innovations which he developed, patented spanning 25-year period (since 1982).

To order this product, contact 09293189480 or 09759270863. You may also send an e-mail inquiry to BuyPinoyInvention@gmail.com.

Tangkilikin po natin ang sariling atin.

Source: 
energy.gov
opinyon.com
Rodolfo B. Biescas Sr.
YouTube

Photo credit:

Rodolfo B. Biescas Sr.

Hummingbird: the first Philippine-made helicopter

The PADC Hummingbird in flight in 1980's

Today, the Philippine government rely most of the hardwares from foreign suppliers. But don’t you know that Filipinos are capable of designing and developing their own? Many Filipino inventors had proved this. In the field of transportation, one can’t forget the famous moon buggy used by the American astronauts, the hydrogasifier engine, the water-powered car, the solar-powered car, etc. and many other unsung inventions that only few people know.

I have featured two fixed-wing crafts in my previous articles --- the under development Wing-in-Ground (WIG) vehicle and the Defiant 300 which was built decades ago and not realized into production due to the lack of government support. Do you know that Philippines produced its indigenous helicopter? Yes, it is!

The helicopter is known as the Hummingbird. It was designed and developed by the Philippine Aerospace Development Corporation (PADC) which also developed the Defiant 300 aircraft in 1980’s. It was basically an improvement of the German MBB Bo 105 helicopter. After the initial development stage, it was later deactivated due to budgetary constraint.

It was not until July 1997 when President Ramos authorized spending for the project. The PADC undertook the development effort. Ramos was succeeded shortly thereafter by President Estrada, whose government immediately conducted a review of the Hummingbird program along with the Defiant. The review concluded that the two projects, which were only a year old at that point, were likely to be unjustifiably lengthy and expensive. As a result both were immediately terminated and added to the list of Filipino inventions that became scraps.

Hummingbird's present form

Another factor was that the Hummingbird was in fact essentially an unlicensed copy of the MBB/Eurocopter Bo-105C and Eurocopter had threatened to sue the Philippine government. PADC had been involved with the assembly and maintenance on the helicopters, first acquired during the 1970s. To avoid the impending legal battle the PAF destroyed the prototypes. As of 2012, no attempt had been made to revive the Defiant or develop another helicopter program.

Source:
globalsecurity.org

Photo:
wikipedia.org
globalaviationresource.com

Defiant 300 aircraft: ingenious Filipino invention

Another invention of Filipinos that became “trash” due to the lack of support from the government is the Defiant 300 aircraft. It proves Filipinos ingenuity in developing military hardware that poses capability in defending the country from threat if further improved. The Defiant 300 is a prototype turboprop aircraft designed for light attack, counter insurgency (COIN), close air support, aerial reconnaissance missions in low threat environments, as well as providing pilot training. It was made through the cooperation of Philippine Aerospace Development Corporation (PADC), Philippine Air Force (PAF) and the Philippine Aerospace and Sciences Foundation (PASF) in 1986. It was designed to operate in high temperature and humidity conditions in extremely rugged terrain and very suitable in the type of conditions that the Philippines’ have.

The Defiant 300 aircraft

Only one prototype was completely built and another one in an incomplete airframe. The aircraft made its first flight in 1987 which lasted in little more than an hour. The brain and the main designer of the plane was Capt. Panfillo Villaruel who also contributed to the design of the first indigenously built PADC Hummingbird helicopter.

The Defiant 300's fuselage was composite construction (wood and fiberglass) and was powered by a 300 hp Lycoming piston engine. Landing gear was taken from the Beech T-34 and provided by the PAF. The intent of the program was to provide the PAF with a trainer and light strike aircraft similar in performance to the Brazil’s Tucano. The Defiant 300 was to have been followed by a larger version equipped with a turboprop engine and designated the "Defiant 500". The overall cost of the project at that time (1987) was Php40 million.

The project languished soon after the development of the prototype because of lack of government support. Currently, the sole remaining prototype now lies abandoned and display at a hangar in Philippine State College of Aeronautics.

Source:
wikipedia.org

facebook.com

Photo credit: 
facebook.com

Jollibee - one of the largest Filipino-owned fastfood chain in the world

Jollibee logo

Jollibee Foods Corporation (PSE: JFC) (widely known as Jollibee) is a fast-food restaurant chain based in the Philippines. As of December 2007, Jollibee has become one of the biggest fast-food chains in the world with 1,655 stores worldwide (although its own web site claims only 600) and total sales of more than US$1 billion. As of March, 2008, JFC has 1,466 stores in the Philippines namely, Jollibee (627), Chowking (377), Greenwich Pizza (236), Red Ribbon Bakeshop (194), Délifrance (28) and Manong Pepe's (4). According to its own web site, it has 23 stores overseas. As of end-September, 2008, JFC has 1,490 local and 228 foreign stores in its portfolio.

Foundation and History

Tony Tan Caktiong and his family opened a Magnolia Ice Cream parlor in Cubao in 1975. The original name was Jolibe. Sometime in 1978, Tony Tan and his brothers and sisters, being partners, engaged the services of a management consultant in the person of Manuel C. Lumba. Lumba became Tony Tan's first business and management mentor.

Consultant Lumba shifted the business focus from ice cream to hamburgers, after his studies showed that a much larger market was waiting to be tapped. He had the name changed from Jolibe to Jolly Bee, then to the one-word name Jollibee. Next, Lumba conceptualized the Jollibee mascot, inspired by local and foreign children's books, and created the product name "Yumburger" as well as "Chickenjoy". He had the company incorporated and leased a house on Main St. in Cubao, Quezon City, as their first headquarters.

Lumba also formulated the company's long-term marketing strategy, listing a number of consumer promotions and traffic-building schemes. Tony Tan stressed that developing internal strengths was primary. The stores were re-designed, the restaurant transformed into a full self-service, fast food operation with drive thrus. Not long after, Tony Tan and Manny Lumba went on an observation tour in the United States, attended food service and equipment conventions. Tony Tan put Manny Lumba in charge of franchise development.

Expansion and Acquisitions

The company acquired 80% of Greenwich Pizza Corp. in 1994, enabling it to penetrate the pizza-pasta market. From being a 50-branch operation, Greenwich has established a strong presence in the food service industry. In early 2006, Jollibee Foods Corp. bought out the remaining shares of its partners in Greenwich Pizza Corp., equivalent to a 20% stake, for P384 million in cash.

In 2000, the company acquired Chowking, allowing Jollibee to be part of the oriental quick service restaurant market. In 2005, they acquired Red Ribbon Bakeshop, another popular restaurant chain in the Philippines. 

In 2004, Jollibee acquired Chinese fast food chain Yonghe Dawang for $22.5 million. Jollibee entered into a joint-venture contract with US-based Chow Fun Holdings LLC, the developer and owner of Jinja Bar Bistro in New Mexico, in which Jollibee will have a 12% stake for $950,000. Jollibee purchased 70% of Taipei restaurant Lao Dong in June and Chun Shui Tang tea house in 2006. In the same year, the company acquired the franchise of Délifrance. This further expanded its penetration in the food service industry, particularly in the French cafe-bakery, a growing segment of the Philippine food market. In September of 2006, the company acquired the remaining 50% stake of Delifrance Asia Ltd. in Baker Fresh Foods Phils., Inc. (BFFPI). This means BFFPI is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Jollibee and that the listed food giant has the exclusive rights to operate Delifrance outlets in the country. "The acquisition involved a restructuring of all advances by Jollibee and Delifrance Asia amounting to P130 million into equity," a public statement said. Jollibee added that the strong sales posted by Delifrance encouraged it to buy out its partner.

Jollibee's locations worldwide as of 2013

The corporate actions in buying out the minority shareholders in Greenwich Pizza (20%) and Delifrance (50%) were the prelude to a plan to integrate the Greenwich Pizza, Chowking, and Delifrance brands under one corporate entity. Under this plan, merging of the subsidiaries would be implemented by having Greenwich Pizza Corp. and BFFPI folded into Chowking Food Corp. The surviving entity would be renamed Fresh 'N Famous Foods, Inc. No new shares would be issued as the assets of Greenwich and BFFPI will be injected into Fresh 'N Famous as additional paid-in capital.

On July 25, 2007, Jollibee launched its pilot restaurant "Tio Pepe's Karinderia" in Edsa Central in Mandaluyong, to professionalize the Philippine carinderia business.

On August 26, 2008, Jollibee formally signed a P2.5 billion ($55.5 million) deal with Beijing-based Hong Zhuang Yuan through its wholly owned subsidiary Jollibee Worldwide Pte. Ltd. The sale is subject to the approval of China's Ministry of Commerce.

On October 19, 2010, Jollibee acquired 70% share of Mang Inasal, a Filipino food chain specializing in barbecued chicken, for P3 billion ($68.8 million). The same month, Jollibee signed a deal to acquire 55 percent of China's Guangxi San Ping Wang Food and Beverage Management Co. Ltd., operators of the San Pin Wang beef noodle business for 30 million RMB.

On October 1, 2011, Jollibee acquired a 54% stake in BK Titans, Inc., the sole franchisee of Burger King in the Philippines. In the same year, Jollibee opened 260 new stores, of which 167 were in the Philippines led by Mang Inasal (86) and Jollibee (40). This brought the company's total number of stores to 2,001 as of end December 2011. The same year, Jollibee closed Manong Pepe foodchain in favor of Mang Inasal, and sold Délifrance to CaféFrance. In the same year, the company acquired Chowking stores in the US from their licensee, Burger King business in the Philippines and SuperFoods business in Vietnam and other Southeast Asian countries.

Overseas, Jollibee opened 93 stores, led by Yonghe King in China (70) and Jollibee Vietnam (11). Currently, it also has locations in the United States, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Dubai and Brunei. Jollibee is also the name of their mascot, a large bee in a blazer, shirt and chef's hat.

Products and Services

The famous Jollibee Chickenjoy meal

Jollibee is an American-style fast-food restaurant with Filipino-influenced dishes specializing in burgers, spaghetti, chicken and some local Filipino dishes. In the Philippines, Jollibee serves Coca-Cola products for its beverages; in overseas markets, the chain serves Pepsi products. 

Jollibee has a variety of menu choices. Some of its menu items are as follows: 

• Chickenjoy - fried chicken
• Champ - a half-pound burger with tomato, lettuce, cheese, pickles, etc. (similar to McDonalds' Big Mac)
• Jolly Spaghetti - spaghetti with the typical Filipino-style sauce (sweet and a bit spicy), hotdog slices and spiced ham
• French Fries
• Yumburger - regular hamburger with special dressing
• Yumburger with Cheese
• TLC Burger - hamburger with tomato, lettuce and cheese
• Mushroom and Cheese Burger - hamburger with sauteed mushrooms and a cheese sauce
• Aloha Burger - hamburger with bacon and pineapple ring
• Burger Steak - served with mushroom sauce
• Jolly Hotdog - hotdog sandwich topped with manhattan sauce (similar to 7-11's hotdog sandwich) and grated cheese

To provide their costumer better satisfaction, they offered the following services:

• 8-7000 Jollibee Express Delivery Service
• Jollibee Kids Party
• Jollibee Drive Thru
• 24-hour Service
• 8 success secrets from Jollibee, which aims to be in world’s top 3

Secrets behind success

In the interview of the Philippine STAR in March 2013 in connection with Jollibee’s 35th Anniversary this year, Chief Operating Officer (COO) Ernesto “Ato” Tanmantiong revealed how the company made it to success.

1. Customer focus — “The market is so dynamic and fast-changing, so we do a lot of research. When Jollibee was small and we had little research funds, we directly asked customers their needs and wants.” 
2. Vision — Tanmantiong said, “When we started in 1978, people asked why we didn’t get a US franchise. We already wanted to create our own brand because we didn’t want to be limited to the Philippine market. Since the start, our vision was, first, to become No. 1 in the Philippines; second, to eventually expand overseas. Now our vision is we want to be one of the top three largest and among the most profitable restaurant companies in the world. Again, this is a big dream.” 
3. Spirit of family and fun — “Among the Jollibee core values are unity and team work. We have less than 10 family members working at Jollibee group. We now have over 40,000 employees, roughly 4,000 of whom are managers. If you include the other brands, we have maybe more than 60,000 employees.” 
4. Good quality — Tanmantiong said that the consistently “superior taste” of Jollibee foods is one success secret of their business. The family’s eldest sister Virgie Tan Chua was the one who started Jollibee spaghetti. When I asked if they had paid her for this recipe, Ato Tanmantiong laughed, saying, “Don’t give her the idea!”
5. Location — Jollibee makes sure that its stores and affiliates are conveniently located.
6. Good partners — Jollibee group has grown phenomenally due to good business partners through its franchising system. Today, 50 percent of Jollibee stores are owned by franchisees. Each franchise now costs about P25 million.
7. Culture — “We make sure the whole organization shares our vision and values, meaning they’re all part of that,” Tanmantiong said. “Our corporate values are excellence, spirit of family and fun, humility to learn and listen, integrity, frugality, respect for the individual, and teamwork. Anybody who is not a fit to all that, we remove from the organization. Our people are more engaged and committed.”
8. Marketing — The overall marketing programs and efforts have contributed to the success of Jollibee, from the brand name, logo, the popular mascot, TV commercials and print ads, to their very own TV show. Their top celebrity endorsers include Aga Muhlach, Sarah Geronimo, Gerald Anderson, Enchong Dee, Kim Chiu, international brand ambassador Jessica Sanchez and the very first endorser of the early 1980s, singer Gary Valenciano.

A Filipino Pride

Jollibee dedicated its continuous success to the Filipinos who have been there from the very start. Jollibee is so well-loved everytime a new store opens, especially overseas, Filipinos always form long lines to the store. It is more than home for them. It is a stronghold of heritage and monument of Filipino pride.

Source:
jollibee.com

wikipilipinas.org

wikipedia.org

HAPEE - the first Filipino toothpaste brand

Lamoiyan/Hapee, 25 years of business & CSR success

                                         BULL MARKET BULL SHEET by Wilson Lee Flores (The Philippine Star)

                                         Updated May 6, 2013 - 12:00am

A distinctive homegrown consumer brand in Philippine business, Hapee toothpaste and its founder Cecilio Kwok Pedro is this year celebrating the brand’s 25th anniversary, not just of flourishing business, but also of diverse civic undertakings through their strong corporate social responsibility (CSR). Apart from strengthening its market share locally, Hapee plans to continue expanding overseas.

Dr. Cecilio Kwok Pedro
President and CEO, Lamoiyan Corp.

A Christian entrepreneur who passionately believes in private business with a social conscience, Cecilio K. Pedro has supported the international non-governmental organization (NGO) Operation Smile Philippines to care for children afflicted with oral cleft. His factory is unique and noted for employing a lot of hearing-impaired people.

Lamoiyan Corp. has also donated dental equipment and supplies to the newly inaugurated Manila Cleft Care Center in Sta. Ana Hospital, Manila City. 

Cecilio K. Pedro has also donated various public school-buildings to poor rural regions of the Philippines through the “Operation: Barrio Schools” project of the Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce & Industry, Inc. (FFCCCII), of which he was in March elected one of this civic and business group’s new vice presidents.

Humble beginnings of a well-loved Philippine brand

Like Jollibee in fast food and Bench in fashion, Hapee has become a progressive homegrown Filipino brand competing directly with top multinational brands. How did this brand and product start 25 years ago by seizing an unexpected business opportunity?

The prime mover behind Hapee toothpaste is entrepreneur Dr. Pedro, president and chief executive officer of Lamoiyan Corporation. He started out in the 1970s as an aluminum toothpaste tubes manufacturer to the multinational firms.

In 1985, the multinationals started changing their toothpaste packaging from aluminum to plastic tubes, so Pedro was stuck with industrial equipment but no customers, plus a stockpile of aluminum tubes. Faced with this crisis, he decided to venture into toothpaste manufacturing with affordable Hapee and Kutitap brands. Lamoiyan, the firm name, came from the name of Pedro’s beloved grandmother, a gesture of filial love.

Like a David challenging the well-established Goliaths who have for generations cornered the local market, Pedro changed the dental care landscape in the country by introducing his own locally-made, world-class quality and affordable toothpaste brand as a new alternative.

How did Dr. Cecilio K. Pedro come up with the brand name Hapee? He said: “Initially, the brand I chose was Smile because when you brush your teeth, you are supposed to smile. When you frown, it becomes difficult to brush your teeth. And when you smile, you look happy.”

However, Pedro discovered that the brand “Smile” had already been registered and owned by a multinational company. He nevertheless came up with another brand name with the same positive mindset and cheerful disposition, which best describes the feeling of people who smile.

A Hapee toothpaste variant

“I thought ‘happy’ did not seem suitable as a brand, so I changed it from ‘h-a-p-p-y’ to ‘h-a-p-e-e,’” Pedro explained. The choice of “Hapee” as brand name was deemed by marketing observers as “a stroke of genius” due to its easy and positive brand recall in the Philippines and eventually in several foreign markets as well.

Social mission: Offering affordable Filipino brand for basic dental care

The 25-year journey of Lamoiyan Corporation and Hapee toothpaste has been historic and fulfilling. Dr. Pedro, his dedicated team of executives and employees competed versus the multinationals with innovations, marketing initiatives and consistent world-class quality. They envision Hapee to be at par with multinational brands.

Why such optimism about the prospects for Hapee toothpaste? Pedro believes that Filipino consumers are ready for a good-quality Filipino-made toothpaste as an alternative and affordable brand.

National University (NU) College of Dentistry dean Dr. Joseph Dy Lim of Dr. Smile Dental Center at Podium Mall told this writer that one of the social problems of Philippine society is the large proportion of urban and rural poor who do not have adequate dental hygiene practices and basic dental care services.

The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) Board of Dentistry chairman Dr. Steve Mark G. Gan of Gan Advanced Osseointegration Center (GAOC) also said that much can still be done to improve accessibility of basic dental care nationwide.

Pedro said: “We introduced world-class quality toothpaste at affordable prices so that many Filipinos can afford to brush their teeth regularly. We found out that many Filipinos, especially in the provinces, could not brush their teeth because toothpaste and toothbrush are expensive. That dream pushed us initially and we were not afraid to face the multinational companies because we believe there is this need to help Filipinos, especially those belonging to the poorest of the poor.”

For entrepreneur Pedro, his business has a mission to help improve the people’s quality of life through affordable and good dental products, and his employees share his sense of mission for the past 25 years. 

“Every year we survive the competition thrown at us and we celebrate each happy moment. Every day that I wake up I consider it a happy moment, thanking God for giving me another day. There are so many challenges and difficulties in this world but it really depends on how you look at life. For me, we are so blessed as a country and as a people. We are fortunate here in Lamoiyan Corporation and we tell the world that yes, we can survive and we can compete with the best of the best in the world,” he said.

Corporate social responsibility as part of Lamoiyan & Hapee DNA

Under the idealistic Dr. Pedro, corporate social responsibility (CSR) in Lamoiyan Corporation is considered an intrinsic aspect of the company’s DNA or reason for existence. He said: “Here at Lamoiyan Corporation, we are fueled by our corporate philosophy which is to make a difference for the glory of God.”

Lamoiyan's hearing-impaired employees

One of the admirable company policies of Lamoiyan is its hiring the hearing-impaired, who make up about 30 percent of their total workforce and who receive equal opportunities. Proper attention and training are given them. He said: “I call them angels sent by the Lord. When I see them, I’m happy because they were provided by the Lord.” Pedro further elaborated on Lamoiyan’s experiences with the hearing-impaired: “We have very good experiences with the hearing-impaired as they are always among the top performers. It is quite good to note that every year, around six or seven of them are in the Top 10 best performers. It is indeed very rewarding and fulfilling to provide jobs to people who may not be as fortunate as us. At the same time, we are able to promote better relationships and a culture of compassion and harmony inside the company. This, I think, is what makes us different from the world and this is what we believe is making a difference for the glory of God.”

Going global, growing beyond the Philippines

This writer was part of the Philippine business delegation that visited Myanmar in March, and I observed that one of the entrepreneurs most assiduous in looking out for economic opportunities in that country was Hapee’s Dr. Pedro.

The past quarter century of Hapee success in the Philippines has witnessed the growth of Lamoiyan Corporation’s manufacturing facilities in Parañaque, Hapee toothpaste’s new flavors and the addition of new product lines in the household and personal care segments through brands like Gumtect, Kutitap, Dazz and Licealiz.

Pedro said that this year Hapee toothpaste is setting its sights higher to go global with its commitment to world-class quality at affordable prices.

He said: “We are very bullish about 2013; we believe this is the year when we will grow faster than before. This is the year where we will probably also explore exports to other countries, particularly Southeast Asia, by the grace of God. We will again be facing the multinational companies, so hopefully we will gain some footing (there) in the very near future.”

To know more about how Lamoiyan Corporation gives hope to Filipinos and shares smiles, visit www.lamoiyan.com or www.facebook.com/LamoiyanCorporation.

Source:
Philstar

Photo credit: 
Lamoiyan Corp.
Philstar

Quink fountain pen ink - a Filipino invention

Writing is a form of transmitting information through textual media using a set of signs and symbols which is known as the writing system. Throughout history, writing has been a mode of communication which probably resulted from the consequence of political expansion. According to H.G. Wells, writing has the ability to "put agreements, laws, commandments on record. It made the growth of states larger than the old city states possible. It made a continuous historical consciousness possible. The command of the priest or king and his seal could go far beyond his sight and voice and could survive his death".

Today, we are more adept to communicate one another through the use of internet, cellphones, telephone, etc. We convey our “written” messages through social media and/or emails. If we need a concrete copy, we may be able to print the message with ease. However, we still employ the original concept of writing using pen and paper. Today, we utilize different types and designs of pen depending on the material or project we work for. But one of a pen’s characteristics is having an ink, whatever type it may be.

Before ballpoint pens (pens we commonly use today) came into being, the famous fountain pen was marketed. Maybe your parents and grandparents know about how beautiful these pens are. Its difference to ballpoint pen is that its a nib pen that contains an internal reservoir of water-based liquid ink. It draws ink from the reservoir through a feed to the nib and deposits it on paper via a combination of gravity and capillary action. Filling the reservoir with ink may be achieved manually or via an internal filling mechanism which creates suction to transfer ink directly through the nib into the reservoir. Some pens employ removable reservoirs in the form of pre-filled ink cartridges. A fountain pen needs little or no pressure to write. 

The PARKER 51 fountain pen with the marketing slogan:
"Writes dry with wet ink!"

Today, fountain pens are often treated as luxury goods and sometimes as status symbols because they are expensive. Fountain pens may serve as an everyday writing instrument also much like the common ballpoint pen. Good quality steel and gold pens are available inexpensively today, particularly in Europe and China, where there are "disposable" fountain pens. such as the Pilot Varsity. In France, in particular, the use of fountain pens is well spread.

Fountain pens ink

Because fountain pens operate on the principle of capillary action, ink for them is almost exclusively dye-based. Pigment-based inks (which contain solid pigment particles in a liquid suspension) tend to clog the narrow passages of the pens. Some pigmented inks do exist for fountain pens, but these are uncommon. India ink, a carbon pigment-based ink, also contains a binder (such as shellac), which can quickly clog such pens. The ideal fountain pen ink is free-flowing, free of sediment, and non-corrosive. These qualities may be compromised in the interests of permanence, manufacturability, and in order to use some widely available dyes.

A form of ink that pre–dates fountain pens by centuries is Iron gall ink. This blue–black ink is made from iron salts and tannic acids from vegetable sources. It was used in fountain pens when they were invented, but has the disadvantage of causing corrosion to metal parts. Modern formulations of Iron gall ink are somewhat less corrosive and are still occasionally used in applications that require permanence.

Red inks usually contain the dye, Eosin. Blue inks often contain Triarylmethane dye. In addition to water, the non-dye components (collectively referred to as the vehicle) might include, polymeric resins, humectants to retard premature drying, pH modifiers, anti-foaming agents and biocides, to prevent fungal and bacterial growth, and wetting agents (surfactants). Surfactants reduce the surface tension of the ink – distilled water has a surface tension of 72 dyn/cm (72 × 10−3 N/m) but the desirable value for ink is between 38 and 45 dyn/cm (38 to 45 × 10−3 N/m). If the ink's surface tension was too high, then it would not flow through the pen; if it was too low, then the ink would run out of the pen with less control.

Filipino: part of fountain pen’s ink development

But do you know that a Filipino was a part of the fountain pens development? Francisco Quisumbing is a Filipino chemist known for being the inventor of Quink ink used by The Parker Pen Company. He graduated from the University of Chicago under the American pensionado program. He went back to the Philippines after World War II but was unable to organize the Philippine Ink Corporation under the Japanese Reparations Program because of too much government intervention. Quink stands for Quisumbing Ink. However, Parker states that the name is an amalgam of "quick and ink".

The Quink

Quink was first marketed in 1931. The resulting product was strongly alkaline and contained isopropyl alcohol, a solvent not previously used in inks. At that time, most pen barrels and caps were manufactured using pyralin, which was often damaged by the alcohol contained in Quink. This problem eventually led to the development of the successful fountain pen, the Parker 51. A common misconception about Quink is that it was intended to be the ideal ink for the Parker 51, which generated over 400 million dollars in sales during its thirty-year history. The Parker 51 pen was the only pen of the time capable of using Quink effectively. However, the Parker 51 was only made available in 1941, ten years after Quink's development. Quink features the following useful characteristics that made it a successful ink for fountain pens:

• it resisted water
• it did not clog
• it had the desired quality of ink flow
• it resisted moulding
• it was non-corrosive
• it did not leave deposits
• it did not fade
• it was quick-drying

Parker's Quink ink bottle

Quink was manufactured in four colors: India Black, Pan American Green, China Red and the famous Tunis Blue. It was sold in bottles made by the Armstrong Cork Company, Lancaster, PA. The bottles were designed with a low centre of gravity to prevent tipping. The ink was to have several improvements over the years; an even quicker-drying product appeared in 1939 called "Double Quink." It included a further refinement in the addition of the chemical SOLV-X which dissolved sediment and cleaned the pen when writing.

In 1941, when the Parker 51 was launched, Double Quink was renamed and repackaged as "Parker 51 ink" for marketing purposes. Parker's ink sales became the key to maintaining the company's profitability. Further enhancements were made to Parker inks and the company subsequently introduced "Superchrome" ink, proclaimed as revolutionary by the manufacturer. "Superchrome" ink was marketed in 1947 after a seventeen-year research period that cost over USD$200,000. Parker marketed the product as the "first basic ink improvement in over 250 years" that offered near-instant drying, greater "brilliance" (or brightness) and availability in a wider selection of colors. Regular Quink is not waterproof, unlike India ink. If paper that has been written on becomes wet, black ink will run and separate into blue and yellow components.

The Quink today

Quink remains a popular ink product and was described as a "great all around ink" in an online fountain pen ink review. According to fountain pen enthusiasts, Parker Quink is generally considered to be "safe fountain pen ink"; this means that it should not stain or clog fountain pens very easily.

The use of fountain pens gradually decreased during the second half of the twentieth century. Consequently, Parker 51 ink was phased out in the United Kingdom (UK) in 1972 and the US in 1978. However, a large worldwide network of collectors and enthusiasts continue to use the Parker 51 pen in the twenty-first century, with a limited edition of the model (available in two colors, "Vista Blue" and black) released by Parker in 2002. As part of the 2002 product revival, Parker promoted its quick-drying ink as the ideal accompaniment for the Parker 51.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quink
            http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Writing
            http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parker_51
            http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fountain_pen
            http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fountain_pen_ink
            http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francisco_Quisumbing
Photo credit: http://www.fountainpennetwork.com
                    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Parker_Quink_Bottle.jpg