Anything Under the Sun
Scientists of West Visayas (3)
Mariano Griño of Leganes, Iloilo – Invented the rice husk boat resistant to barnacle and teredo worm attacks, and resistant to capsizing and sinking if designed with foam-filled flotation chambers. He also manufactured blocks, walls and ceiling panels – all made of rice husks. These materials were used in the construction of Pototan church.
Aurora Alerta-Lim – Outstanding Professional of the Year 2003 in Chemical Engineering awarded by the Professional Regulation Commission for the protection of environment.
John Horatio Loot of Lambunao, Iloilo – 17-year old boy scientist from Lambunao, Iloilo who was second place among 650 contestants world-wide in the 37th International Science and Engineering Fair at Fort Worth, Texas, USA. His winning work was his study of the effect of fertilizer on the growth of Ipil-ipil.
Mylvyn Carlo Barroa of Roxas City – A 16-year old student of the Capiz National High School who participated in the 58th International Science and Engineering Fair in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Unites States on May 2007 where he won an individual award for his work: Fish Mucus – its potential anti-microbacterial effects on human pathology and possible role in innate immunity. The fair was so far the largest pre-college science world competition with 1,500 contestant from 51 countries.
Luiji Suarez of Don Hortencia Salas Benedicto National High School at La Carlota City is another awardee in the 58th ISEF in New Mexico for his research on the potential of marine bioluminiscent bacterias to fight two major rice diseases.
Gregory Joseph Ryan A. Ardena of Oton, Iloilo – A young physician at Philippine General Hospital, was awarded the $30,000 research grant by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), a global advocacy organization based in Belgium for his study "Effectiveness of a Community-based Diabetes Self-Management Education (DSME) Program: A Pilot Study in San Juan, Batangas.
This study was chosen from among the more than 100 proposals submitted from all over the world, under the BRIDGES (Bringing Research in Diabetes to Global Environments and Systems) program of the IDF.
No wonder, with these achievements, Iloilo was recognized as a science center in the country by the government erecting the Philippine Science High School, Visayas in Jaro, Iloilo City in 1993.