Pilipinas, a nation of more than 7,000 islands and over 170 languages. Additionally, you have always been home to inventions from resilient and brilliant Filipino minds. You are the source of inspiration for so many young, innovative minds to stand up to the rigors of changes in the modern world. Our reason for pushing through boundaries and putting our name in the history books of nations that shaped the world we now live in.
On the other hand, we always talk about Filipino hospitality and how we love to sing everywhere, anywhere. So for this week’s #TIL, we are listing down some Filipino inventions that help pave the way to new technological advancements in various fields.
#TIL: Erythromycin
When penicillin and other antibiotics started doing wonders, many people could not take advantage of their efficacy due to allergic reactions. Many companies researched developing new antibiotics that could address the common concerns with penicillin and other antibiotics.
So in 1952, Dr. Abelardo Aguilar has sampled a strain of bacteria that led to the development of Erythromycin. It is an antibiotic primarily for various illnesses like pneumonia, bronchitis, sexually transmitted infections, acne, and many more.
#TIL: Bamboo Incubator
Technology undoubtedly makes our lives easier. Sometimes, it spells the difference between life and death. But in many developing countries, some technologies are inaccessible. One of which is the medical incubator for premature babies.
Luckily, a Filipina pioneer-thinker named Dr. Fe del Mundo invented the bamboo incubator, which serves the same function as the medical incubators. Her invention reached rural areas that do not have access to medical advancements and even electricity.
Dr. Fe del Mundo is also the country’s first Filipina National Scientist. She was behind our first pediatric hospital and is the first woman pediatrician and Asian to be a part to the Harvard Medical School.
#TIL: Two-way video telephone
A timely and relevant invention in this list is the development of the two-way video telephone. If it weren’t for Gregorio Y. Zara, a Filipino physicist and engineer who patented the technology, we would not be able to work in this pandemic.
These are just some of the inventions by our country’s remarkable scientists. We have witnessed more innovations by Filipinos that are still being used globally to this day and age. Equally important, hey are some of the most important inventions we have offered to the world.
Moreover, we Filipinos are not only known for our positive outlook in life, boxers, and beauty queens. We, too, can go head-to-head with the world’s best and brightest innovators. Dr. Aguilar, Dr. del Mundo, and Gregorio Zara are just some of the names we can truly be proud of. In the years to come, we can expect more contributions from our country’s scientists to make us say #PinoyPride!
