Philippine Scene # 21 - Amazing Filipinos in the Fields of Arts, Science and Technology

I was watching Rated K, a weekly magazine television show hosted by Ms, Korina Sanchez of ABS-CBN Channel 2 last Sunday (February 22nd) when I decided to share with you these amazing Filipinos who are becoming famous due to their expertise in their chosen fields.

Before they reaped the fruits of their successes, they were once struggling individuals and tasted the bitter stages of their lives.

Through their untiring dedication in their works, they were able to accomplish their goals with flying colors.

So, without much further ado, let me unravel to you the identities of these individuals.

They're Filipinos. They're the 'cream of their craft'.

1. JORDAN MANG-OSAN (47 years old) is a solar artist/painter who utilize the hot ray of the sun in order to fill his plywood canvass with his masterpieces.With an aid of a magnifying lens, he said that he tried using an ordinary paper for his artwork but due to the extreme heat, all of it were burnt and turned into ashes. So, he decided to experiement on wood panel, especially plywood, as his medium of canvass. The rest is history. He is the only solar artist who became a legendary figure at Cordillera region (in Benguet). He was able to sell his works for a hundred grand per piece and more!
2. JOHN ANGELO ORTIZ ,27, a person with disability (PWD). He was born with cerebral palsy, so he endured the difficulty of moving his muscles but he was able to accomplish a feat that even an ordinary person will be difficult to do: by cross-stitching with the use of his feet! This wonder of Albay (province of my father) was able to help his family through this hobby. With the persuasion by his aunt, he was able to finish a religious subject 'Madonna Dolorosa' as gift for Pope Francis when the latter visited the country last January. Believe it or not, John Angelo worked on the cross-stitch for about three months using his feet instead of using his hands which normal people usually do. With the use of his feet, he is able to eat, write and do what he loves most, cross-stitch.
3. NESHELL DACALOS, 33-year-old barber has his own barber's tale to boast with us. It's a no-joke to design the face of Michael Jackson way back 2012, as requested by his customer. Then, through word-of-mouth, his 'hair portrait' became his passport to success. His latest hair masterpiece is the face of none other boxing legend Manny Pacquiao. Truly, he is able to execute whatever his customer wants. Their hairs are his living canvasses.
   
4. ATOY LLAVE, a famous car designer or car customization expert (A-Toy Bodykits & H2O Technologies) decided to created (along with Lamberto Armada) the first amphibious tricycle called Salamander. Approved by the National Disaster Rescue and Rehabilitation Management Council (NDRRMC), the demo unit can hold six passenger on land and four on water. The prototype cost them a whooping Php8 million pesos to perfect and took 18 months for the final test. . Mr. Llave aims to make Salamander affordable to the masses at Php100 thousand pesos per unit.
5. Prof. BENJAMIN MANGUBAT, a history professor at UP (University of the Philippines)-Manila is proud to introduce his bamboo-made (the casing only) car or bangkarwayan to the public. The solar green car utilizes both the sun and wind powers. When the solar cells run out of power, the wind can sustain its mobility as well, until he reaches his destination. The prototype is said to be a crowd-drawer!
6. TOMAS LEONOR, an Air Juan volunteer, uses just cardboard in aluminum foil in order to cook rice, fish soup and more! He emphasizes that by using the power of the sun, he demonstrated how this clean renewable energy can help us use free fuel in nature. And that is the heat (rays) of the sun. Although, solar cooker is already used in Europe or western world, this innovation is unique and can be adopted in any parts of the world with a very cheap price for its materials.

When I was a college student in 1991, there was a Filipino mechanical engineer who invented a special car with water as its main fuel.

No one believed him and even some of our national leaders ridiculed him.

And there he was, his invention saw its future at a certain European country for massive use.

Our local Einsteins and Edisons can be traced from the era of our national hero Jose Rizal who invented a water system for Dapitan in Mindanao while he was in exile during the Spanish regime. Also worth-mentioning was his discovery of unnamed species of lizard, beetle and frog.

How about the yoyo, fluorescent lamp, mole remover, super stove and the karaoke machine or videophone for hearing impaired? (I've written a separate hub about it.)

Just recently, a 15-year old Angelo Casimiro, a high school student invented the in-sole shoe power generator which can charge cellphones, and other small machines, like flashlights and transistor radios while doing your morning jog. If given time up to eight hours, it can charge a lithium battery for lap-top computer.

In medical field, the name Fe Del Mundo will always ring a bell because she led the discovery and invention of incubator for premature babies.

As for nationwide campaign, Filipino Inventors Society secretary general Teodorico Castañeda says "we have an RA 7459 (Inventors and Inventions Incentives Acts of the Philippines) that was approved in 1992 after a series of legislative processes."

Unfortunately, Filipino geniuses and scientists don't have much support and funding from the government. Instead, they seek greener pastures in other countries. Those who remain in our country endure the fact of having a bleak future. Still, the reality, aspiring inventors apply at the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Technology Application and Promotion Institute (TAPI) for patents.

I personally commend such courageous acts of these group of Filipinos due to the fact that they lead, inspire and celebrate the talents God has given and gifted them in order to help people.

Jordan Mang-Osan, a pyrography artist who now teaches interested youth with his kind of art is a silent achiever who reaped success and awards amid the difficulties he encountered while perfecting his craft.

John Angelo Ortiz inspires other PWDs (Person with Disabilities) and encourages others to be role models of others.

Neshell Dacalos found a new outlet of his gift in portrait-making through his chosen field as a barber-hair designer.

Atoy Llave never rests on his laurels as he dedicated himself and his group to customize a tricycle which can travel by land and water and help during rescue in times of storms and floods.

Professor Benjamin Mangubat, despite his ripe age, still amazes us because of his ingenuity to use indigenous materials (bamboo and rattan) for his bangkarwayan (solar green car).

Tomas Leonor never stops to amaze me as his craftsmanship is shown by simply modifying an expensive solar cooker into simple cardboard-aluminum foil prototype and make the cooking happens!

Thanks for proving vast information as I shared this hub.

• Rated K, ABS-CBN Channel 2 hosted by Ms. Korina Sanchez (Personal note: Her staff also get facts from my hubs for their Sunday magazine show, like my hub on Cyber Bullying.)
• fineartamerica.com for providing the personal information and artworks of Jordan Mang-Osan.
  
• Manila Bulletin for Tomas Leonor through the article "Made in the Philippines".
  
• For fellow bloggers,hubbers, YouTube uploaders for photos and videos included in this hub.

Lots of thanks for inspiring me to accomplish this on HubPages.