Dr. Julian
Banzon
The work of
famous Filipino chemist Dr. Julian Banzon is centered on agricultural pursuits.
This includes the search and exploration of native Filipino raw materials, and
how they can be used as possible renewable sources of fuels and chemicals in
society. One of the agricultural products that he has turned his eye onto and
studied extensively is the native coconut. Dr. Banzon managed to come up with a
scientific process in which coconut oil can be extracted through chemical
means, instead of the regular physical ways that are more costly and
time-consuming. This was a huge improvement within the industry.
Another field of
focus for Dr. Julian Banzon has been the use of natural plants or animal waste
products as fuel for machinery or other purposes, as well as how sugarcane can
be a natural source of ethyl esters. These can be isolated from the main
sugarcane plant, and then be used as a natural substitute for other synthetic
types of fuel, or in pharmaceuticals. Through his laboratory work, Dr. Banzon
has been able to devise a variety of ways in which this can potentially be
useful to society as a form of energy. He has also published reports on the
varieties of Philippine vinegars and their uses, extensive studies of coconut
oils, and how to use cassava root for fermentation purposes.
Beginning his
studies at the University of the Philippines, Dr. Julian Banzon graduated with
a BS in Chemistry in 1930. He then went on to receive a PhD in Biophysical
Chemistry from Iowa State University in 1940, making the source for renewable
energy one of his main objectives. This is a topic that is still highly
relevant today, and he was one of the first scientists to stress that need. The
work that he carried out within the Philippines focused on local resources,
which has been an approach that modern day scientists are just starting to
emulate.
For the work that was carried out
throughout his career, Dr. Julian Banzon has been awarded with a high number of
various awards. These include the PHILSUGIN Award for research from the Crop
Society of the Philippines, awarded in 1976, the Chemist of the Year Award in
1978 from the Professional Regulation Commission, and the Distinguished Service
Award in 1980 from the Integrated Chemist of the Philippines, Inc. Dr. Banzon
was recognized officially by the government in 1986 when he was made a National
Scientist.
Dr. Alfredo
Santos
Starting off his
illustrious career as a professor of industrial pharmacy within the University
of the Philippines, Dr. Alfredo Santos is most known for his research isolating
alkaloids from various medicinal plants that are native to the Philippines. The
ultimate goal of his research was to help lower the prices of pharmaceuticals,
by finding natural alternatives that could perform as substitutes to the
sometimes overly pricy imported materials that were so popular at the time.
Many people in the countryside couldn't afford those imported drugs, and so
there was a high need for these lower-priced alternatives that he helped
champion.
The specific
type of study that Dr. Alfredo Santos was able to contribute a great deal to
was through isolating and elucidating the alkaloid known as phaentharine. He
also served as Dean at the College of Pharmacy in the University of the
Philippines. Prior to this, he received his own undergraduate degree from this
same university in Pharmaceutical Chemistry, and Doctorate degrees both from
the University of Santo Thomas as well as Westfalische Wilhelms Universitat in
Munster, in 1929. These extensive credentials helped him to approach the issues
that he was interested in from several different sides. He went on to study at
the UST Research Center and the National Institute of Science and Technology,
for further research opportunities in his field of choice.
The
pharmaceutical industry within the Philippines benefited from this effort of
Dr. Alfredo Santos , as he brought attention to the need for society to work on
a higher level to try and find solutions to the rising and prohibitive cost of
pharmaceuticals in the country. This has spawned other groups that have been
dedicated to finding new solutions, and take a look at the richness of the
botanicals that are abundant in the Philippines. Native alkaloids and other
materials have been isolated and reworked into a number of different varieties,
to simulate the effects of more costly drug options.
As a result of
his work and contributions to society, Dr. Alfredo Santos became the recipient
of a number of different awards. This includes his receipt of President
Magsaysay's Distinguished Service Star in 1954. In addition to this, he also
received the Outstanding Pharmacist Researcher of the Philippine Pharmaceutical
Association award, and the PhilAAS Outstanding Scientist award. The final honor
that every Filipino scientist aspires to was his being awarded the recognition
as a National Scientist, in 1978 under the president Ferdinand Marcos.
Dr. Lourdes
Cruz
As one of the
current leaders in the study of peptides extracted from marine snails and their
applications in neurology, Dr. Lourdes Cruz has had a fruitful career both in
the Philippines and abroad. She graduated from the University of the
Philippines with a BS in Chemistry, and then continued her studies to pursue a
Master's and PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Iowa in the United
States. After this, Dr. Cruz returned to the Philippines, where she began her
postgraduate career as a research aid in 1962 at the International Rice
Research Institute. Shortly after, she taught students as an assistant
professor at the University of the Philippines Biochemistry Department, and
advanced to full time professor in 1977.
After a stint as
a research associate and professor at the University of Utah, Dr. Cruz went
back to the Philippines where she is currently based, at the University of the
Philippines Marine Science Institute. Throughout her career, she has focused
primarily on the chemical breakdown of the conus snail and how it can be
applied to those patients who have chronic pain or suffer from disorders that
affect the central nervous system in the body. This is a primary focus of the
Marine Science Institute where Dr. Lourdes Cruz is currently stationed. Dr.
Cruz has published over 120 papers, many of which are dedicated to this
particular topic.
The biochemistry
of toxic peptides from the venomous marine snails has been of great interest to
many scientists on an international level, but because they are so common in
the Philippines and surrounding Pacific Islands, there is perhaps no better
place to study their effects and biology. Dr. Cruz has contributed research
that has helped identify over 50 peptides that are present in this venom, which
are now used as biochemical probes inside the human brain. Because they are
neurotoxins, they simulate the types of toxins that could also be present in
such diseases as schizophrenia, for example.
In addition to
her research work, Dr. Lourdes Cruz is also well known for founding the Rural
Livelihood Incubator, which is a social program dedicated to alleviating
poverty in rural areas. This is accomplished by helping the local people find
job stability or other ways to make a living. Dr. Cruz is also the recipient of
a number of awards, including the Outstanding Young Scientist Award from the
National Academy of Science and Technology, and the National Research Council
of the Philippines Achievement Award in Chemistry. In 2008, she was appointed
to the rank of National Scientist.
Dr. Luz
Oliveros-Belardo
Native to the
Philippines, Dr. Luz Oliveros-Belardo is well known for her work studying the
chemical compounds of various botanicals. That includes 33 different essential
oils extracted from native Filipino plants, and extensive research into the
medicinal uses of papaya enzymes. This included a landmark study on the green
papaya fruit, and its tenderizing effect on beef, as well as work preparing
soaps from native coconut oils and lye. One unique aspect to her work was that
she took these enzymes and chemical compounds and distilled them into essential
oils, which were then studied in terms of purity for their effects.
In addition to
the main focus that Dr. Luz Oliveros-Belardo had on native herbs, plants, and
fruits from the Philippines, she was also known for her work looking into the
current state of the pharmaceutical industry, and was an advocate of the
natural sciences in this realm. This included an international focus to
pharmaceuticals that extended well beyond her home country. Dr.
Oliveros-Belardo penned a number of studies examining the current state of the
pharmacy industry and ways to make it better. Papers were published that
included a look at education opportunities in Spain, Germany, and Switzerland.
Due to her
dedication to the natural sciences, Dr. Luz Oliveros-Belardo was rewarded with
dozens of awards and honors. That includes a Fulbright Travel Grant, a
Scholarship to the University of the Philippines, an Award in Science by the
Philippines Women's University, and the Philippine Pharmaceutical Association
Outstanding Pharmacist Award by the Pharmaceutical Professional Philippines.
She was responsible for advancing the position of women in the healthcare
industry, and as a result received continuous awards and other recognition
through such organizations as the Philippines Women's University.
Although she is
the recipient of over 32 different awards and titles of recognition, what Dr.
Luz Oliveros-Belardo will be most remembered for is the work she did in the
natural sciences. By isolating so many different extracts and essential oils
from nature, she changed the way that people looked at basic fruits that grow
in the wild. That laid the groundwork for the pharmaceutical industry's current
method of embracing botanical extracts and their very real effects on human
health. The Philippines is home to some of the most potent natural resources in
the world, and with the emphasis that Dr. Oliveros-Belardo put on studying
their effects, the world of medicine has come to realize this and make further
forays into their study.
Dr. Bienvenido
O. Juliano
The study of
rice grain quality has been the primary focus of the work that Dr. Bienvenido
O. Juliano has worked on throughout his career. That includes extensive
research into the properties of protein, starch, and other particles that make
up a grain of rice. Through Dr. Juliano's efforts, scientists are able to
measure potential grain quality as a genetic quality, and thus save time and
effort in rice production. That has changed breeding strategies adopted on an
international level, and has made rice not only more economically viable for
breeders and farmers, but also richer in nutrients. By stripping each variety
of rice grain down to its essential components, he has been able to pinpoint
what the value is of each variety and combine them to create a more fully
enriched and valuable end source of food for human consumption.
Dr. Bienvenido
O. Juliano graduated from the University of the Philippines with a Bachelor's
degree in 1955, and went on to receive his Master's and PhD degree from the
University of Ohio in the United States in Organic Chemistry, to which he has
since been completely dedicated in his career. Put in charge of grain quality
research at the International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines after
his studies were completed, Dr. Juliano was mainly responsible for pinpointing
the specific differences in between varieties of rice grains. He retired from
the IRRI in 1993, and since then has been working as a senior consultant at the
Philippine Rice Research Institute.
During this
professional period of working in the Rice Institutes, Dr. Bienvenido O.
Juliano has written over 370 scientific papers dedicated to rice chemistry.
That includes several chapters of the American Association of Cereal Chemists
paper, "Rice in Human Nutrition," and reports on world rice
qualities. Dr. Juliano has also served as an academic advisor to many visiting
research assistants, post doctoral fellows, and visiting scientists that have
arrived at his laboratory from around the world.
As a result of
his many contributions to the field of rice grain quality, Dr. Bienvenido O.
Juliano has received a number of professional awards and qualifications. These
include the Ten Outstanding Young Men Award in Science in 1964, as well as the
Japanese Society of Starch Science Medal of Merit in 1982. Dr. Juliano has also
been awarded the National Research Council of the Philippines National
Researcher Award in Physical Sciences in 1993, and the ASEAN Outstanding
Scientist and Technologists Award in 1998. Finally, in 2000 he was appointed to
the highest rank of National Scientist in the Philippines.
Clara Y.
Lim-Sylianco
A pioneer in the field of organic
chemistry, Clara Y. Lim-Sylianco was responsible for contributing greatly to
the world of knowledge about mutagens, anti-mutagens, and other reactions that
are related to bioorganic issues. This research that was conducted primarily at
the University of the Philippines helped earn her laboratory the distinction of
becoming an international training center. This was bestowed upon it by the
Research Planning in Biological Sciences, in Washington DC, in 1986. The
laboratory was authorized to detect chemical mutagens, and to help aid in the
training of others to detect these same mutagens out in the field.
In 1989, Clara Y. Lim-Sylianco
was also appointed as a member of the International Advisory Committee on
Anti-mutagens. During her illustrious career, she has managed to publish seven
books and five monographs that cover a variety of topics that she has researched.
That includes publications that address genetic toxicology, molecular
nutrition, biochemistry, and organic chemistry, among other topics of interest.
She is considered to be one of the leaders in this field, and is looked upon by
the international community as an important source of knowledge and worthwhile
researcher. Her publications are used as textbooks in universities throughout
the Philippines and further abroad.
For her work, Clara Y.
Lim-Sylianco was awarded a number of different awards and positions of
significance. These include but are not limited to her appointment as an
Elected Academician by the NAST in 1980, the Outstanding Faculty award by the
University of the Philippines in 1985, and the CASAA Award of Distinction in
Biochemistry in 1985. She also was a Fellow at the Royal Society of Chemistry
in London, and the New York Academy of Sciences. This international experience
has helped shape her work into organic chemistry and mutagens.
Within the Philippines, Clara Y.
Lim-Sylianco contributed a great deal of knowledge to the research of native
plants and their chemical makeup. She worked on a paper regarding the
determination of oxalates and calcium in plants native to the Philippines,
riboflavin levels, tryptophan, and the antimutagenic effects of vitamins on
different parts of the body. These research results were published and compiled
in many cases into organic chemistry textbooks for the public or students to
take note of. To make notice of all this work, she was confirmed as a National
Scientist of the Philippines in 1994, which is the highest honor that can be
bestowed upon a working scientist by the President.
Dr. Baldomero
M. Olivera
As one of the
leaders of Neuro-Pharmacology, Dr. Baldomero M. Olivera has a distinguished
reputation not only in the Philippines, but in the worldwide scientific
community. His research has encompassed a variety of different subjects,
including the different chemical reactions that might take place within the
nervous system, and how these can be manipulated. This has led to the
development of a pharmaceutical that works against chronic pain, perhaps even
more so than morphine in some patients. That drug has been crafted using the
research that he conducted on venomous marine snails, and the base ingredient,
a specific type of peptide, may prove to be useful for further medication.
These peptide
toxins, using marine snails as the source, were studied by Dr. Baldomero M.
Olivera in a laboratory setting to examine how they operate in terms of
targeting ion channels in the nervous system. This may also be related to the
mechanism of neurological conditions including epilepsy or schizophrenia, which
are caused by dysfunction in the receptors of the nervous system. Current
research is still being undertaken to determine how these peptide toxins
interact with the receptors and ions in the nervous system, and how this can be
manipulated to find relief from neurological disorders.
This research
has thus far been the life's work of Dr. Baldomero M. Olivera. He was born in
the Philippines, and received a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from
the University of the Philippines. Dr. Olivera then went on to receive a PhD in
Biophysical Chemistry from Caltech in the USA, and completed postdoctoral
research work at Stanford after this. Other important contributions that this
period of research has uncovered is the discovery of E. Coli DNA structure,
which he has also conducted extensive research into to help control this deadly
disease.
Currently
working as a professor of biology and neuroscientist at the University of Utah
in Salt Lake City, Dr. Baldomero M. Olivera continues his research into the
effects of snail peptides into pain relief and neurological activities. He has
also become instrumental in emphasizing a more interdisciplinary approach at
the Neuroscience Program at the university he teaches at, believing that the
natural sciences benefit more from applying different intellectual viewpoints
to the field. Dr. Olivera also teaches school children in the Philippines and
surrounding islands about the biology of the cone snail, to help continue
interest in the potential behind this small marine animal.
Dr. Ramon C.
Barba
Born on August
31, 1939, Dr. Ramon C. Barba is one of the recipients of the 1974 TOYM Awardees
for Agriculture, and has also received a number of other honors throughout his
long and illustrious career. Dr. Barba is most known for his work in the
horticulture field, and has applied those scientific studies to chemistry in an
effort to improve the local and international knowledge of crops that are
native to the Philippines. He received an undergraduate degree in agronomy at
the University of the Philippines in 1958, and then followed this up with a
Master's of Science in Horticulture at the University of Georgia in 1962, and a
PhD in Horticulture from the University of Hawaii.
One of the most
successfully breakthroughs that Dr. Ramon C. Barba managed to help pioneer was
the discovery of a flower induction process to be used in local mango trees.
This was achieved with the use of Potassium Nitrate KNO3, which stimulates
flowering in a safe and natural way. This has led to the use of other chemical
compounds in agriculture, for more prolific fruiting and flowering in the
native trees and other plants. This was a huge stimulus to the native mango
industry, which is now one of the most successful industries in the
Philippines.
Other studies that Dr. Ramon C.
Barba was successful in include taking tissue cultures from other plants such
as bananas, cassava, and sugarcane. These were then studied to find the most
ideal locations and methods for plant breeding. One way in which he differs
from many other modern scientists is that he did not enforce his patents when
he received them for his work, so that anyone can freely use the agricultural
techniques and technology. That has helped improve the economy in the
Philippines, which he has also helped enforce by giving lectures, publishing
guides to production, and giving seminars to farmers and students who wish to
improve their profits.
In 1970, Dr.
Ramon C. Barba led a research group and started up a sugarcane tissue
laboratory that dealt with tissue cultures in Hawaii. This was located at the
Department of Agronomy, in the College of Agriculture, and funded by the
Philippine Sugar Institute. The research that came out of these studies helped
later to improve efficiency and reduce disease in the propagation of sugarcane plants,
which is a major industry to this day in both Hawaii and the Philippines as a
result. For all of these advances in agriculture, Dr. Barba has remained a big
name in the agriculture field and will remain so while his practices are
followed.
Dr. Solita
Camara-Besa
Managing to
distinguish herself in the field of biochemistry, Dr. Solita Camara- Besa was
the first Filipina to receive distinction in this field that was previously
only accessible to men. She received a medical degree from the University of
the Philippines in 1938, and then went on to pursue a Master's degree in
Biological Chemistry at the University of Michigan in 1940. In Dr.
Camara-Besa's work throughout the years, there has been a heavy emphasis on
nutrition in the Philippines. By looking at nutritional elements on an
individual level, she has been able to establish new standards in diets for
local people.
One of the
specific areas of nutrition that Dr. Solita Camara-Besa studied extensively was
the cholesterol levels of different foods in the Filipino diet. She published
eight papers that discussed this issue, encouraging the idea that fats and
cholesterol in the diet could lead to atherosclerosis in Filipinos. This was
then also combined with further knowledge and research into the sodium and
potassium content of other foods that are typical to the Filipino diet. To help
collect this information, Dr. Camara-Besa conducted a nationwide serum
cholesterol survey of the population. This helped lead to the results that were
then published in her papers.
In 2004, Dr.
Solita Camara-Besa published a memoir entitled "Up Close with Me,"
which was published by the University of the Philippines Press. This detailed
her work as a woman and a Filipina and all that she had accomplished throughout
her busy lifetime in helping boost the nutrition levels of the people around
her. She has worked as a medical educator for women doctors as well, and was
the chair of the University of the Philippines College of Medicine Curriculum
Committee for over three decades, helping shape what is taught to aspiring
doctors and nutritionists.
Some of the
published studies that Dr. Solita Camara-Besa has taken part in include various
studies on vitamin C, including its content in regular Filipino blood, compared
to maternal blood or those individuals with leprosy. In 1953 she released a
bibliography of nutrition and its related topics, with a heavy emphasis on
experimental research topics in nutrition. In the 1950's she also began her
work on the sodium and potassium content that is present in various Philippine
foods, and compared the dry ashing and wet ashing techniques of the extraction
process for electrolytes, along with a potassium analysis of human hearts.
Dr. Quirino O.
Navarro
With significant
contributions to nuclear science, Dr. Quirino O. Navarro is a leading chemist
in the Philippines. He was born in 1936 and graduated from the University of
the Philippines with an undergraduate degree in Chemistry in 1956. After this
he went on to receive a PhD in Nuclear Chemistry at the University of
California in 1962, during which time he worked on a variety of research
opportunities as part of his studies. These are all based around the physical
sciences in chemistry, including a heavy emphasis on nuclear chemistry and its
applications.
Some of the
major discoveries or other contributions that Dr. Quirino O. Navarro has made
in the scientific arena include his determination of different nuclear
properties in the isotopes of such substances as dysproposium, einsteinium, and
californium. These were achieved using innovative cryogenic techniques. The
findings of these studies were published in two separate books, and three
nuclear science journals, making them well known to the nuclear science
community. To back up his claims and prove the results of this research, the
findings were later confirmed using more advanced experimentation and
instrumentation at the University of California at Berkeley.
Other areas of
study that Dr. Quirino O. Navarro has distinguished his work in include neutron
spectrometry and crystallography, along with instrumentation process and their
applied techniques. Some of the specific topics that are covered in his
documented experiments include a table of isotopes, perturbed angular
correlations, alpha decay, and thermal equilibrium in nuclear orientation. He
has studied the static and dynamic structure of various solids, for example,
using instrumentation including neutron spectrometry.
A great deal of
this foundation work completed by Dr. Quirino O. Navarro was carried out in the
two decades that he began his studies in, the 1950's and 1960's, a time when
nuclear chemistry was still undergoing a great deal of changes. This is why he
is considered to be an extremely important international contributor to this
particular field of science, which has since come forward in leaps and bounds.
In his later work, Dr. Navarro made strides with the computerization of
instruments used to analyze nuclear chemistry in all its facets, and has helped
bring the science into the present day. He continues to give lectures and
conduct research, isolating further components of nuclear and organic
chemistry, and works with visiting researchers and other scientists from his
laboratory, in California and the Philippines alike.
Evelyn Mae T.
Mendoza
The work of
Evelyn Mae T. Mendoza is well known, as she was recognized for her research in
the field of plant biochemistry. That includes the chemicals and biology of the
coconut plants, and various factors that affect the mung bean. Her work with
mung beans was meant to help analyze the nutritional factors and worth of the
plant, for a higher level of nutrition for the public. This also helped with
breeding, planting techniques, and a wide variety of other factors that
affected the agricultural world, to help make plants grow better and improve
their economical worth in the long run.
Other areas that
Evelyn Mae T. Mendoza helped pioneer include various biochemical sources of
resistance to pests or illness, without having to resort to chemical
protection. She also studied how cassava and sweet potato could be grown and
bred to be resistant to these pests. The main area of focus for Mendoza was how
these plants that are native to the Philippines would be able to meet their
full potential, and how local farmers could manage to achieve their goals with
these plants.
Some of the
topics that Evelyn Mae T. Mendoza covered in her extensive writings and
experiments that she undertook include the determination and removal of
alkaloids that were derived from vegetables native to the Philippines. Another
topic was how to make avocado roots resistant to root rot disease, and how to
make tomatoes resistant against bacteria wilt. Corn was another plant that she
turned her attention to, finding biochemical methods to protect corn crops
against pests and the downy mildew that has affected so many crops in the
Philippines. Isolating these pests and venoms was a good way that she found to
find resistant methods to help protect the fragile plants lying underneath.
These findings
from the research studies of Evelyn Mae T. Mendoza have been published and have
led to a series of seminars and lectures for those in the agriculture industry.
The need for natural forms of protection against pests that flourish in the
Philippines has created the urgent need for further study of all these various
mechanisms, but these studies were a very important first step in the right
direction. That is particularly true for those plants such as the sweet potato
that hadn't received as much attention as they should have in the past. With
the foundation put in place, all of the native plants have been studied in
further depth after Mendoza's initial studies.
Anacleto Del
Rosario
Known as the
Father of Laboratory Science in the Philippines, Anacleto Del Rosario worked as
a chemist during the Spanish period of the Philippines history. The owner of
several different drug stores in the Philippines where he worked as a
professional chemist. Rosario managed Botica de Javega, which was located in
Escolta. This was co-owned with other chemists, but he also went on to
establish his own Botica San Fernando in the town of Binondo after his initial
period of success. During this time he also worked on many different scientific
experiments in his own laboratories that he had built for the purpose, to help
advance the field of Philippine science.
What Anacleto
Del Rosario is perhaps best known for in the rest of the world is winning first
prize at the World's Fair in Paris in 1881. This was due to his discovery of
alcohol production from native Filipino Nipa palm trees that managed to be
completely odorless. This formula was then sold to Ayala and Company, who
helped exhibit it in Paris at the World's Fair that year. Rosario was a
champion of the native botanical properties and possibilities of the botanicals
that were native to the Philippines, and conducted a series of experiments into
their use for pharmaceuticals and other mutable properties.
In addition to
the accolades that Anacleto Del Rosario received for his work on producing the
odorless alcohol from Nipa palm trees, he also received a number of other
important distinctions from the professional sector of the era. In 1882, he was
appointed a pharmacist-member of the Sanitary Commission, located in the 8th
district of the capital city of Manila. This allowed him to complete work into
making society better through hygiene and sanitation, which at that time was a
big problem in the urban areas of the country.
Also in 1882,
Anacleto Del Rosario received a doctor of pharmacy degree from the University
of Santo Thomas. He was then appointed a professor of chemistry and pharmacy at
this same academic institution. Publishing several important documents
detailing the features and uses of native botanicals and minerals in the next
few years, he was then named as the municipal pharmacist in the northern
district of Binondo, Philippines, where his first pharmacy was also located. In
later life, he was distinguished as the director of the Municipal Laboratory of
Manila and the cofounder of the College of Pharmacists in 1891.
Rolando De La
Cruz
Although he has
dabbled in a wide array of subject matter, Rolando De La Cruz is most
well-known for his medical advances into the non-surgical removal of skin
growths. These include warts, moles, and any other type of blemishes that
previously could only be cut out or removed with laser surgery. This has been a
huge step for those with birthmarks or mole problems that wouldn't have been
able to afford their removal in the past. To achieve this, he has completed
extensive research into various nuts and herbs that grow naturally within the
Philippines.
One of these
formulas invented by Rolando De La Cruz is called DeBCC, which is an
anti-cancer skin cream. This is formed from compounds found naturally in cashew
nuts, along with a variety of other botanicals that are found in the
Philippines. This can be used to treat Basal Cell Carcinoma, which is a quite
common form of skin cancer. The causes of skin cancer include sunlight and its
radiation from UV rays, which the compounds within cashew nuts are able to block
and restore the skin to its former vitality. In 1997, De La Cruz founded the
RCC Amazing Touch International Inc., which is a company that runs experimental
clinics throughout the world that help push forward this research into ever
more complex precision.
For his work in
the battle against skin cancer and the use of indigenous botanicals in his
research, Rolando De La Cruz has received a number of accolades. These include
the Tuklas Award for Most Outstanding Invention in 1998, awarded by the
Department of Science and Technology at the University of the Philippines. The
formula created from cashew nuts has also won a gold medal in 2000 from the
International Invention, Innovation, Industrial Design and Technology
Exhibition in Kuala Lumpur. In 2005, he was awarded the International gold
medal from the IENA International Inventor's Forum in Germany.
Another unique
component of the formulas that have been perfected by Rolando De La Cruz is
that they are not known to have any side effects in a normal, healthy user who
is not allergic to any of the ingredients. That is in sharp contrast to the
potential side effects of other skin cancer remedies, such as laser surgery or
other surgical options. To this day, De La Cruz continues to pursue further
research efforts into the fight against skin cancer, and a quest for healthier
skin overall.
Pio Andrade
Jr.
There are a
number of different scientific fields that Pio Andrade Jr. has managed to excel
at, including his studies into the world of radiation chemistry, food product
development, ethno-botany, and the energy levels of biomass. He has also delved
into the world of textile chemistry. With such a wide array of different
interests, Andrade has managed to distinguish himself professionally and
contributed to the economy of the Philippines with his findings, which have a
direct impact in many cases on the different industries that he has discussed
in his publications.
One of the more
controversial sides of the work that Pio Andrade Jr. has completed is his publication
of a book about the food industry, called "The Fooling of America."
This was written after he completed extensive studies into food technology and
handling practices, which he has a high interest in. He graduated from the
Mapua Institute of Technology with a Bachelors of Science degree, and then went
on to pursue his graduate studies at the University of Florida in 1974,
studying food technology at this time.
In his academic
and professional life, he has also received a number of honors for his work
around the world. Pio Andrade Jr. was named an associate member of Sigma XI, at
the Scientific Research Society of America, for his work that was completed
about the subject of pesticide biodegradation. Andrade has also published a
number of journalistic pieces about his research, and has shown an interest in
writing a history column for the Philippines Daily Inquirer, that discusses the
history of agriculture and how this all relates to technology and chemistry.
In addition to
his research work in the world of chemistry, Pio Andrade Jr. has also received
professional experience as a freelance technical consultant. This includes
working closely with organizations, non-profits, government offices, and
religious groups throughout the world. His expertise in food growth,
technology, and rural industrialization have helped those who are interested in
more sustainable food sources for impoverished areas or as a safe guard against
the future. Agriculture and its applications are the primary focus however of
Andrade, despite his many professional pursuits. He still researches not only
the history of agriculture, but what the best practices are to keep it alive
and relevant in different communities throughout the world. This has led to him
being a lecturer in many different venues, as well as a published author.
Francisco
Santos
There have been
many chemists over the years that have been primarily concerned with diet and
nutrition, and one of the most important in the Philippines was Francisco
Santos. He worked not only on the scientific side to try and break down the
chemical composition of foods that are indigenous to the area, but also on a
humanitarian side to improve the diet of those locals living in impoverished
areas of the country. This was accomplished throughout his career in a
methodical manner, with research being used to create data that was then
presented to government agencies and the public in the spirit of ongoing
education.
Another area in
which Francisco Santos was able to make positive strides for was in
establishing the Anti-Beriberi content of sweet potatoes. Although home
gardening is now considered to be a valuable component of a healthy lifestyle,
as part of a backlash against the fast food industry, at the time this is
exactly what Dr. Santos advocated in deprived Filipino communities. He believed
with the use of nutritious local foods, that growing problems of diet and
nutrition could be solved. He placed a high emphasis on the importance of fresh
fruits and vegetables in the diet, which has lasted until this day thanks to
the chemical and vitamin analysis that he was able to perform on these foods.
Before becoming
a nutritionist, chemist, and social advocate, Francisco Santos began his career
by attending the University of the Philippines for his undergraduate degree as
well as his MS degree. He then attended Yale University and received his PhD in
Agricultural Chemistry in 1922. This was used as a jumping off point for his
further studies and research programs that feature a very heavy agricultural
component.
As a result of
his extensive work in the humanitarian industry, as well as his dedication to
nutrition research, Doctor Francisco Santos was awarded a Distinguished Service
Medal in 1955, which recognized his contributions in the nutrition field of the
Philippines. He also was awarded the University of the Philippines Alumni Award
in 1979, and the Andres Soriano award for excellence in the field of chemistry,
in 1956. These were but a few of the professional recognitions and awards that
were awarded to Dr. Santos, but his legacy as one of the first proponents of a
nutritious diet in the Philippines has been revered by many advocates in the
past century.
Francisco
Quisumbing
The invention of
the Quink form of pen ink is credited to the Filipino chemist, Francisco
Quisumbing. This unique form of ink is quick drying, with a special cleaning
property that manages to keep the pen clean while it is writing. It also
remains in a liquid state within the tube, so that it doesn't manage to get
clogged with use. These pen inks are used by the Parker Pen Company, and date
back to 1923. At one point after World War II, he tried to create his own ink
company, using funds from the Japanese Reparations Program. However, this
proved to be unsuccessful due to political factors and post war confusion.
Although pen ink is the invention that Quisumbing is most famous for, he also
was an inventor throughout his lifetime.
To begin his
long and illustrious career, Francisco Quisumbing attended school at the
University of the Philippines, earning his BSA in 1918. He also received a
Master's degree at the University of the Philippines in 1921, and a PhD in
Plant Taxonomy, Systematics and Morphology at the University of Chicago in
1923. This chemical basis of his education allowed him to experiment with the
botanicals and other ingredients that would help make him so successful in the
pen ink business.
He then went on
to work at several different universities as well, including the College of
Agriculture in the Philippines. Francisco Quisumbing worked at the University
of California in 1926, and then went on to become the Acting Chief of the
Natural Museum Division of the Bureau of Science in Manila. During the war, he
was assigned to the US Navy in a remote location at the southern tip of Samar,
where he ascended with his research and attention to detail. This included restoring
facilities such as the Herbarium that were destroyed during the wars in this
region.
In addition to
these facets of his career and work in the ink industry, Francisco Quisumbing
also found the time to pen a number of morphological and taxonomic research
papers. This includes an extensive account of his work with orchids, including
his famous "Medicinal Plants in the Philippines," which was published
in 1951. Throughout his lifetime, he managed to focus on an astounding variety
of different botanical fields of research, while at the same time finding new
ways to apply them in a practical manner. However, it's the invention of the
Quink ink that has lasted to this day and will be his legacy.
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