The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
By Rose de la Cruz
Licensed Aeronautical Engineer Mark Kennedy Bantugon acknowledged and thanked the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) in his adventures and triumphs in developing a billion dollar aviation sealant using pili as a base ingredient.
At the opening of the National Youth Science, Technology, and Innovation Festival (NYSTIF), at the PICC Forum Tent, Bantugon.
shared how the DOST-FPRDI greatly helped and encouraged him on his innovation.
The DOST agencies that greatly helped him were the Science Education Institute (SEI), Technology Application and Promotion Institute (TAPI), Industrial Technology Development Institute (ITDI), and Forest Products Research and Development Institute (FPRDI).
Among his milestones was his development of aviation sealant “Pili Seal” where the DOST-FPRDI contributed particularly in the early stage of development.
Bantugon’s Pili Seal is a sustainable sealant made from the waste of pili (Canarium ovatum) tree resin production.
It has gained global recognition for its industrial and material applications, and has won prestigious awards including the James Dyson Award in 2021, Swiss Innovation Prize Competition 2023, and the OCBC Global Sustainability Innovation Challenge 2023.
The pili seal also clinched a historic milestone by being the fastest granted patent in the Philippines, to date.
In 2019, the DOST-FPRDI assisted Bantugon in his undergraduate study that examined the various properties of pili tree resin as aircraft integral fuel tank sealant.
The Institute offered testing services, technical guidance, and access to advanced facilities, helping him develop the pili-based sealant.
Experts from DOST-FPRDI’s Physics and Mechanics Section, Chemistry and Biotechnology Section, and Bio-Energy and Equipment Design Section played key roles in the success of his research.
Their support contributed to Bantugon’s winning the Alfredo M. Yao Intellectual Property Awards in 2020.
Science Secretary Renato U. Solidum Jr. highlighted the significance of this cooperation.
“This collaboration between government research institutions and Filipino innovators underscores the role of DOST in empowering our inventors and researchers to transform their ideas into viable products,” Solidum said.
“By providing the technical support and resources they need, we can drive innovation and create solutions that benefit not only our local communities but the entire nation,” Solidum added.
DOST-FPRDI OIC Director Rico J. Cabangon, took pride in the agency’s involvement with pili-based research. “The Institute is committed to supporting inventors like Engineer Bantugon who pushes the boundaries of what local resources can achieve. Pili Seal is an example of how we can harness our natural resources to create sustainable, high-quality products. We look forward to collaborating with more Filipino innovators and inventors in the future.”
Before the Pili Seal’s success, Bantugon went through the eye of a needle to reach the product’s current state.
He faced challenges like the lack of related studies, human resources, and financial constraints.
Many companies rejected his product due to concerns about its potential to damage equipment, but DOST-FPRDI recognized its potential and provided the needed assistance.
Bantugon expressed his gratitude to DOST-FPRDI for providing technical knowledge on resin and product development, for conducting key processes, such as the hydrodistillation of raw pili resin, and for testing its standard strength and peel strength.
DOST-FPRDI has been studying saps or resins from trees. It has conducted countless R&D projects on various plants and trees in the Philippines.
Bantugon highlighted the importance of local research institutions in nurturing the country’s young innovators and developing science-based solutions that tap into the rich biodiversity of the Philippines.
“The Institute remains committed to supporting local inventors and entrepreneurs.
DOST-FPRDI’s collaboration with Engr. Bantugon highlights the positive impact of scientific and technological partnerships in driving innovation and creating value-added products from the Philippines’ natural resources. We are one with Engr. Bantugon and all aspiring youth scientists in pushing the message “PILIin ang PILIpinas,” said FPRDI OIC Director Cabangon.
DOST-FPRDI is DOST’s research and development arm on wood and non-wood forest products, pioneering initiatives that promote the responsible use of pili.