Filipino Inventions
POSTED AT 12:53 PM

decomia

COPIED From http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/dav/2005/07/22/feat/made.in.the.philippines.html

note: Because the article is so inspiring, and because me, being a Filipino, I shall repost the article here [in my blog].

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Made in the Philippines
By Henrylito D. Tacio
Regarding Henry

OF COURSE, you know who Thomas Alva Edison is. He is an American scientist and inventor, with over 1,000 patents to his name (to name some: electric light bulb, telephone transmitter, phonograph, movie camera, mimeograph, and fluoroscope).

Here's one story you may not have known about this guy. He was talking one day with the governor of North Carolina, who complimented him on his inventive genius. "I am not a great inventor," Edison told him.

"But you have over a thousand patents to your credit, haven't you," the governor queried. Edison's reply surprised the government official: "Yes, but about the only invention I can really claim as absolutely original is phonograph. I guess I'm an awfully good sponge. I absorb ideas from every source I can, and put them to practical use. Then I improve them until they become of some value. The ideas which I use are mostly the ideas of other people who don't develop them themselves."

Unknowingly, Filipinos have made outstanding contribution in the field of science and technology. Alexander Graham Bell invented the mechanical telephone but it took a Filipino by the name of Camilo M. Tabalba to make the telephone electronic, leading to cheaper phones, lighter in weight, smaller, and adopted to a variety of needs.

A pontoon bridge is a floating bridge used as early as 400 B.C. by Persian engineers to transport the invading armies of Xerxes across the rivers. However, it took a Filipino engineer--Alejandro Melchor--to critically analyze the different factors affecting a pontoon bridge and thus compute ahead of time the requirements for building a bridge. This knowledge was widely used during World War II military operations.

Researchers cannot pin down the origin of yoyo and concluded that many people in many places probably independently invented it. The first picture evidence of a yoyo occurred on a Greek vase dated around 500 B.C. where a young Greek was depicted playing a yoyo.

However, it was not until a Filipino--Pedro Flores--introduced to the world a different type of stringing the yoyo. Flores, who emigrated to the US in 1920--is credited with developing the spinning-type yoyo string allowing the yoyo to "sleep," that is, rotate in place when the string has completely unrolled, before going back up. From then on, yoyo was never the same and became the world's most popular toy.

In the Philippines, a good source to counter the disease beri-beri was found in the rice bran. Tiki-tiki is how the extract is called. A Filipino pharmacist, Manuel Zamora, made tiki-tiki stable and readily available in small bottles as United American Tiki-tiki. The extract was purified by Robert R. Williams--the son of American missionary--and identified as vitamin B or thiamine, the first vitamin ever isolated in the world.

The patents for the synthesis of the anti-beri-beri substance were assigned to the Research Corporation of New York, a non-profit organization for the encouragement of research. The royalties have provided a fund known as the Williams-Waterman Fund for the Combat of Dietary Diseases.

Before the advent of ball pens, fountain pens were the standard writing implements. These needed ink that is permanent, easily dries and does not run out of the pen or on the paper when you write. Dr. Francisco Quisumbing, a Filipino chemist, formulated such ink known as Quink in 1923. This famous ink is still in use at present.

In the world of global competitiveness, quality of products is important. Many factors are involved in producing quality products even in a simple gadget like a flashlight. For more complicated products and operations like a car or satellite, a system of evaluating the numerous parts is needed. Dr. Jose B. Cruz, Jr., a Filipino engineer, developed a devise called "Comparison Sensitivity Matrix," which is used by many manufacturers all over the world in analyzing and maintaining the quality of their products.

Dr. Rafael D. Guerrero III is considered the "father of tilapia" in the Philippines. He observed that the initial problem of tilapia culture is overpopulation. Growing only one sex of tilapia can prevent this problem.

But selection is a Herculean task. He found that male tilapia grows faster and bigger and suggested that only male tilapia be grown.

With this idea, he developed a sex hormone--called SRT-95--which are fed to the fry and converts females to males. This method, known as sex reversal technology, is now widely used around the world and tilapia has provided the important protein for many countries.

Other acknowledged Filipino inventors include Diosdato Banatao for his single-chip graphical user interface accelerator; Marc Loinaz, one-chip video camera; Abelardo Aguilar, discovery of Erythromycin antibiotic; Josefino Comiso, study of the polar regions; Carlos Ibarra, design and analysis of algorithms; Leo Yau, development of microchip; and Dr. Ramon Gustilo, artificial bone replacement systems.

Let me end this piece with this amusing anecdote. In January, the Americans announce a new invention. In February, the Japanese claim they made the same discovery 20 years ago. In March, the Filipinos start exporting the invention to the United States.

Comment to Willie's Feelings on Tita Cory's Funeral Procession
POSTED AT 02:48 AM

decomia

i say, you read below Willie's dialogue below; I inserted a quote. And then, watch the show again (via youtube).

<quote>

"dale (sandali), meron akong ano, sa ating ano, hindi naman sa ano kasi, hindi naman sigurong magandang tignan pinapakita niyo 'yan, [nagsasaya] kami tapos pinapakita 'yung... (willie can't hardly speak) i don't think na dapat pakita 'yan ng management and mahihirapan akong magpasaya rito nakikita ko 'yung ano (ano daw?? hehe do not get disturbed in this statement) ng tita Cory. Sana patanggal naman muna 'yan (silence)... sa ating t-trapik. Kung ganyan, pakita na lang natin 'yan (see, he offered to replace his show with the procession). Nagsasaya kami dito 'tas masakit sa 'kin 'yan e. (this is the time when the 2 insets were removed). Nagsasalita ako dito please sana maintindihan niyo nagsasaya kami ipapakita niyo yong.. di'ba? Hindi tama e.. ok? 'Di 'ba? (ngongo na si Willie magsalita kasi umiiyak na e)"

Kung kayong mga tao ang nasa katauhan/kalagayan ni Willlie, kayo ang host kumbaga at ang tema ng show ninyo ay pagpapatawa, furthermore, kasiyahan, at kaibigan niyo rin naman ang kanyang anak na si Kris - bukod pa 'don malapit ka rin naman sa ina (Cory A.), ano ang mararamdaman niyo? Habang nakikita niyo sa monitor sa loob ng inyong studio ang eksenang ganon na paglilipat ng bangkay?

Ako mismo napanood ko. Kasi 'yang portion na 'yan na Willie of Fortune ay kasali ang anak ng driver ko kaya inabangan namin 'yan. At nakita ko at nasabi ko sa sarili, "bakit isinisingit 'yong funeral procession sa show ni Willlie?" Parang hindi nga maganda kasi nga tayong mga Pilipino alam natin kapag meron tayong kapitbahay na nakaburol, diba iniiwasan nating magpatugtog ng malakas at nang masasayang tugtog? At 'pag may dumaan na procession ng patay sa kalsada tumatahimik din tayo upang paggalang. Yung ginawa ni Willie, tama lang 'yan at 'yun ang nararamdaman niya - masakit rin sa kanya 'yon - nagdadalamhati din siya. Trabaho niya naman ang ginagawa niya naka-live show pa. Edi sana hindi nalang nagpalabas ng Wowowee. Hindi lang naabot ng isip ng management ng ABS-CBN na huwag dapat isingit o pagsabayin sa monitor 'yung nangyayari sa funaral procession. Pwede naman sa commercial break o bigyan ng oras talaga para sa news break. Pinalaki lang ng media ang nangyaring 'yan at mga taong naiinggit kay Willie. ~RVC.

 

<video>

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxhnMQZEAgs&feature=related

Watching: Wiilie's statement on Youtube
Feeling: amused