The Technological Institute of the Philippines (T.I.P.) has signed a collaborative research agreement with Subic Water and Sewerage Co., Inc. for the project titled "Constructed Wetland for Wastewater Treatment of Effluent from a Water Provider."
The partnership was formalized by T.I.P. and SUBICWATER through a virtual conference led by T.I.P. President Dr. Elizabeth Quirino-Lahoz, SUBICWATER Chief Executive Officer Benjamin Antonio III, and Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Undersecretary for Research and Development Dr. Rowena Cristina Guevara.
The joint project comes as T.I.P. positions itself as a practical partner and pushes for more grounded academe-industry-government linkages. The undertaking fundamentally—which intends to reduce the grouping of wastewater toxins through a coordinated wetland framework—is funded by the DOST through through its Collaborative Research and Development to Leverage Philippine Economy (CRADLE) program, with the Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and Development (PCIEERD) as the monitoring agency.
"Collaborative projects such as this provide the platform for students, faculty members, and researchers to work with industry partners and government agencies, thus making learning more relevant, meaningful and impactful. Learning by doing," said Dr. Quirino-Lahoz.
For SUBICWATER, the partnership "could not have come at a more perfect time." Citing the 2018 Boracay wastewater crisis and the stricter standards set by DAO 2021-19 for water effluent, Antonio said this collaborative effort is an opportunity to create “one of the most practical and cost-efficient options that we can use to address growing issues in sewerage management in the Philippines.”
Dr. Guevara, meanwhile, noted that with increased economic activity comes the need to protect and rehabilitate the island.
"Tourism opportunities provide economic vibrance enjoyed by local industries, most notable are businesses lined up in waterways that take advantage of spectacular views.
Through research and development, we'll be able to strike a healthy balance between preserving the environment and providing much needed support to private industries," she added.
T.I.P.'s venture with SUBICWATER is the latest addition to the list of DOST CRADLE-sponsored projects of the institution, spearheaded by T.I.P. Manila's Chemical Engineering Department Chair Engr. Lorraine Carrillo and TechnoCoRe Catalyst Industry Relations and Senior Project Manager Dr. Therese May Alejandrino.
TechnoCoRe is T.I.P.'s thrust towards technopreneurship and collaborative applied research. It empowers students, faculty members, and researchers to work on innovative solutions to the problems of stakeholders, including government, industry, civic organizations, and society at large.
For more information on T.I.P., please visit tip.edu.ph or T.I.P.’s official social media accounts through @TIP1962official for Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.