Screen grabbed from Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol’s Facebook post.
CEBU CITY, Philippines— Young scientist Denxybel Montinola’s bioplastic invention made out of mango peelings and seaweeds has caught the attention of Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel “Manny” Piñol.
In his Facebook post last July 30, Piñol shared CDN Digital’s story on Montinola and called the attention of Director Nicomedes “Nick” Eleazar of the Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR).
Piñol told Eleazar: “…please reach out to this kid and provide support.”
BAR is an attached agency under DA with the mandate “to ensure that all agricultural research is coordinated and undertaken for maximum utility to agriculture.”
The bureau is also mandated to “tap farmers, farmer organizations, and research institutions, especially the State Colleges and Universities, in the conduct of research for the use of the Ministry and its clientele, particularly the farmers/fishermen and other rural workers.”
Montinola, an Applied Physics graduate of the University of San Carlos and an awardee of the Ten Outstanding Students of the Philippines Central Visayas, said he is still very overwhelmed with the attention he is getting after his invention was featured in CDN Digital.
READ: Cebuano to showcase bioplastic made out of mango peelings and seaweed
He is shocked that the article reached Secretary Piñol.
“Yes, someone messaged me already from DA- Bureau of Agricultural Research. They will meet me on August 2 to talk about my invention and how can we moved forward in realizing and concretizing my invention”, said Montinola.
Montinola’s bioplastic is made out of mango peelings and seaweeds. / celr