BACOLOD CITY (PIA) — The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and the University of St. La Salle (USLS) inaugurated the first-ever research and development (R&D) hub for aerogel technology in Negros Occidental, Nov. 21.
The hub, officially called the Center for Aerogel Technology for Energy and Environment (CATEE), focuses on synthesizing and developing advanced materials like aerogels for various practical applications, particularly in environmental sustainability, resource recovery, and energy storage.
“Exploring the potential of advanced materials is a promising development for the scientific community. DOST is proud to support initiatives like this, as we are committed to positioning the Philippines as a competitive player in the global advanced materials sector,” said DOST Secretary Dr. Renato U. Solidum, Jr. in a press release.
With distinct physical and chemical properties, the aerogel can be designed to perform specific functions such as wastewater treatment, desalination, air filtration, and metals recovery, among others.
The P4.9 million R&D hub intends to utilize aerogels and nanomaterials in promoting sustainability, boosting R&D activities, enabling technological advancement across sectors, and ultimately improving the people’s quality of life.
Located at the USLS, the first-of-its-kind facility in Negros Occidental was funded through the Institutional Development Program (IDP) of DOST-Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and Development (PCIEERD).
“Ang rationale ng Institutional Development Program (IDP) grant is to enable researchers to take that initial step, to establish your home for the research that you would be doing,” DOST-PCIEERD Executive Director Dr. Enrico Paringit said during the inauguration ceremony at Santuario de La Salle.
(The rationale of the Institutional Development Program (IDP) is to enable researchers to take that initial step, to establish your home for the research that you would be doing.)
For her part, USLS professor and CATEE project leader Dr. Mary Ann Torres Pandan underscored the potential of advanced materials like aerogel in developing innovations that address environmental challenges and maximize productivity in industries.
In particular, she said aerogel could benefit Negros Occidental’s famed sugar industry through its efficiency in particulates filtration and resource recovery.
“[Aerogels] demonstrate how the tiniest structures can create extraordinary impacts, and they are a reminder that small things have the power to shape our future. With all your support, CATEE will achieve this,” said Pandan.
Including Negros Occidental’s aerogel hub, DOST-PCIEERD has invested P278 million for 55 IDP projects throughout the country, seven of which are in Western Visayas. (AGP/BPS/PIA Negros Occidental)
