SCI-TECH 11 UM JOINS HANDS WITH DOST, LAUNCHES MINDANAO’S FIRST NANOTECHNOLOGY FACILITY

By Jea Piencenaves

There are not enough facilities in the Philippines’ urban regions for the collection and disposal of waste. Due to inconsistent efforts at collection, segregation, and processing of solid wastes, the spread of epidemic diseases and the clogging of storm drains caused by open dumps can happen so easily. With the growing problem of different waste kinds produced as a result of overproduction and consumerism, Mindanao keeps finding ways to combat these environmental problems all these years.

In line with this, the University of Mindanao officially inaugurated the region’s first-ever nanotechnology center, The Center of Green Nanotechnology Innovations for Environmental Solutions (CGNIES). It was funded by the Department of Science and Technology - Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOSTPCIEERD) through the Infrastructure Development Program (IDP).

Since Mindanao is struggling with waste-related environmental prob - lems, this project was implemented to showcase environmentally friendly methods of creating nanomaterials from local resources and incorporating them into small- and largescale structures to create technical solutions to environmental issues.

According to Dr. Ruby Raterta, the chief of the DOST-Human PCIEERD’s Resources and Institution Development Division, who spoke on behalf of the Council’s executive director Enrico Paringit, the organization has allocated over Php 200 million to equip institutions