The P20-million reward offered by President Duterte in July last year for any Filipino who can design and develop a durable respirator to help coronavirus disease patients now has a recipient, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) announced on Monday night, April 19.
DOST Secretary Fortunato “Boy” T. de la Peña disclosed that of the four groups that pursued the development of the life-saving machine, it was a team from the Technological Institute of the Philippines or TIP that first developed the ventilator and got third party certification from the third company Medical Equipment Healthcare Group, Inc. (MedEquip).
“Meron po kaming magandang balita, mahal na Pangulo natatandaan nyo nung dati sabi nyo bibigyan nyo ng reward ang local ventilators. Kami ay nagsuporta ng apat na grupo , tatlo yung fully supported namin at ngayon po ang isa actually babanggitin, yung grupo ng technological Institute of the Philippines (TIP) ay nakabuo na po ng local ventilator at nakapasa na rin sa third party certification (We have a good news our beloved President, do you still remember, you said you will give a reward to local ventilators. We supported four groups, we fully supported three and now the one, and I will mention it, the group of Technological Institute of the Philippines has developed local ventilator and has passed the third party certification) ,” he said in a meeting with President Duterte.
De la Peña said the quality of the TIP’s respirators will be tested in hospitals.
“Syempre kailangang magproduce kami nang mas marami para masubukan na yung local ventilator (Of course, we have to produce more to try the local ventilator),” de la Peña said.
He cited that a team from Don Bosco Technical College also developed a ventilator, but it was the TIP team who first developed the machine.
De la Peña said a prototype mechanical ventilator for adults was also developed.