Hands-free disinfectant dispensers made of bamboo as connected to a foot bath made of bamboo, were among products recently approved as project by the Department of Science and Technology-Forest Products Research and Development Institute (DOST-FPRDI).
According to DOST Secretary Fortunato dela Peña, this is an offshoot of an earlier DOST-FPRDI hit, the bamboo-framed face shield.
(TOTO LOZANO / Presidential Photo / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
"Nag-click po kasi ang kanilang bamboo face shields...ang kagandahan po nito, ay bamboo and abaca-based products are more sustainable and ecological because they are biodegradable," he said.
"Moreover, utilizing and promoting these raw materials for the manufacture of different products for the 'new normal' will benefit our local bamboo and abaca growers, processors and small and medium entrepreneurs," he added.
Recently, Zamboanga Sibugay 2nd District Representative Ann K. Hofer was seen wearing a bamboo face shield by the DOST-FPRDI.
The Chairperson of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, used the bamboo-framed face shield during the Working Group Caucus of the 11th ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA).
She was joined in the video conference by international delegates from Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam, thus enabling her to showcase the innovation and DOST-FPRDI Director Romulo T. Aggangan could only be thankful.
According to Aggangan, a number of representatives have either commended or signified interest in adopting the bamboo-framed face shield including Ilocos Sur 1st District Rep. Deogracias Victor B. Savellano, Marikina 2nd District Rep. Stella Luz A. Quimbo, and Manila 4th District Rep. Edward V. Maceda.
“With the support of our partners in the Congress, we believe that more Filipinos will be able to use and benefit from DOST-FPRDI technologies. We will continue to find ways to help combat the global pandemic through R&D,”Aggangan said.
Since April, the Institute has been giving away the face shields for free to various public and private frontline agencies around the country.
DOST-FPRDI has also provided training and technical assistance to the local government of Cabuyao, Laguna in its mass production of the said face shields.