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Filipino Inventors and Their Inventions
Filipino Inventors and Their Inventions
Karaoke Inventor
Roberto del Rosario, a Filipino is claiming the right for the invention of the Sing-Along-
System (SAS) that eventually led to the development of Karaoke, a Japanese term for
"singing without accompaniment". Among del Rosario's other inventions were the Trebel
Voice Color Code (VCC), the piano tuner's guide, the piano keyboard stressing device, the
voice color tape, and the one-man-band (OMB). The OMB was later developed as the Sing-
Along-System (SAS).
2. Inventor of Incubator
Fe del Mundo, the first Asian to have entered the prestigious Harvard University's School
of Medicine, is also credited for her studies that led to the invention of incubator and
jaundice relieving device. Del Mundo, an International Pediatric Association (IPA) awardee,
is an alumna of the University of the Philippines (UP) College of Medicine. Since 1941, she
has contributed more than 100 articles to medical journals in the U.S., Philippines and India.
In 1966, she received the Elizabeth Blackwell Award, for her "outstanding service to
mankind". In 1977, she was bestowed the Ramon Magsaysay Award for outstanding public
service.
3. Water-Powered Car
For more than three decades now, Daniel Dingel has been claiming that his car can run with
water as fuel. An article from the Philippine Daily Inquirer said that Dingle built his engine
as early as 1969. Dingel built a car reactor that uses electricity from a 12-volt car battery
to split the ordinary tap water into hydrogen and oxygen components. The hydrogen can
then be used to power the car engine. Dingel said that a number of foreign car companies
have expressed interest in his invention. The officials of the Department of Science and
Technology (DOST) have dismissed Dingel's water-powered car as a hoax. In return, Dingel
accused them of conspiring with oil producing countries. Dingel, however, was the not the
only man on earth who is testing water as an alternative fuel. American inventors Rudolf
Gunnerman and Stanley Meyer and the researchers of the U.S. Department of Energy's
National Renewable Energy Laboratory have been pursuing similar experiments.
5. San Juan, however, was not listed as the inventor of the Moon Buggy in American scientific
journals. It said the vehicle was designed and constructed by a group of space engineers. In
Poland, the Moon Buggy is attributed to a Polish inventor. Worse, the National Academy of
Science and Technology (NAST) does not recognize Flores in its roster of outstanding
Filipino scientists.
6. Space Engineer
On June 25, 2002, the provincial government of Cavite awarded Edward Caro a plaque of
recognition for his 42 years of service at the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA) in the United States where he helped launch the Shuttle Radar
Topography Mission or the Explorer. Caro, 70 and a native of Cavite retired from NASA in
2001. In return, NASA during the same year conferred Caro the Distinguished Science
medal, reportedly the highest honor it gives to its employees. (Source: Philippine Star)
8. Videophone Inventor
Gregorio Zara of Lipa City and a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
invented the videophone and developed the Zara Effect or Electrical Kinetic Resistance.
9. He Discovered Erythromycin
A Filipino scientist reportedly discovered erythromycin in 1949. He was Dr. Abelardo
Aguilar who died in 1993 without being recognized and rewarded for his discovery. Reports
said Aguilar discovered the antibiotic from the Aspergillus species of fungi in 1949 and sent
samples to Indiana-based pharmaceutical firm Eli Lilly Co. The drug firm allegedly
registered the propriety name Iloson for the antibiotic in honor of Iloilo province where
Aguilar discovered it. In 1952, Eli Lilly Co. began the commercial distribution of Iloson,
which was sold as an alternative to penicillin. Erythromycin, the generic name of Iloson, was
reportedly the first successful macrolide antibiotic introduced in the US.
10. Computer Guru
Diosdado Banatao, a native of Iguig, Cagayan and an electrical engineering graduate from
Mapua Institute of Technology in Manila is credited for eight major contributions to the
Information Technology. Banatao is most known for introducing the first single-chip
graphical user interface accelerator that made computers work a lot faster and for helping
develop the Ethernet controller chip that made Internet possible. In 1989, he pioneered
the local bus concept for personal computers and in the following year developed the First
Windows accelerator chip. Intel is now using the chips and technologies developed by
Banatao. He now runs his own semiconductor company, Mostron and Chips & Technology,
which is based in California's Silicon Valley. (Source: Filipinas Magazine)