Mindanaoans shine with inventions at James Dyson Award

MANILA -- Four young inventors from Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT) are gaining recognition with their sustainable inventions, earning them a spot in the prestigious James Dyson Award 2024.

The James Dyson Award is a competition that seeks innovative designs that solve real-world problems.

GeopolyCement: Greener Alternative to Traditional Cement 

Handout/James Dyson Award

What started as a college thesis for 22-year-old environmental engineers Ynna Nichole Ilogon and her teammate Rodel Remolana Jr. has now become a finalist in the 2024 James Dyson Award.

Their invention, GeopolyCement, is a sustainable alternative to traditional cement. It uses agricultural and industrial waste, such as rice hulls and fly ash from coal power plants, to create an eco-friendly cement.

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"Instead po of the cement that we are currently see in the market like the traditional cement, it does not undergo high thermal processing. It relies on chemical processes that turns those agro-industrial waste...which we use in making our cement to a hard cement-like substance," Remolana said.

(Unlike traditional cement, which undergoes high thermal processing, our cement relies on chemical processes. It transforms agro-industrial waste, which we use in making our cement, into a hard, cement-like substance.)

GeopolyCement can also be used to build flood-resistant homes, designed to float during floods.

According to the team, they added a foaming agent that releases air evenly into the cement, making it lighter and giving it a lower density, which allows it to float.

"Since Philippines po ay palaging nadadaanan ng mga bagyo, parang naisip naming gawin siyang flood-ready homes...Mas lower po 'yung density niya or mas lighter po siya sa ordinary...cement. Mas mataas po 'yung thermal insulation niya, meaning po mas hindi po nakakapenetrate 'yung heat sa loob kaya po ganun," Ilogon said. 

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(Since the Philippines is frequently hit by typhoons, we thought of creating flood-ready homes. Our cement is lighter and has a lower density compared to ordinary cement. It also has better thermal insulation, meaning it blocks more heat from penetrating inside.)

The invention reduces carbon emissions by requiring less heat during production. The team aimed to address both disaster resilience and climate change, recognizing that the two issues are closely connected. 

"Yung primary reason po talaga is 'yung greenhouse gases and 'yung climate change. Nakita po kasi namin, hindi talaga mapaghihiwalay 'yung issue ng disaster tska 'yung climate change, so we ought to find other ways to address those things, while simultaneously addresssing climate change," Remolana said.

(The primary reason is to address greenhouse gases and climate change. We saw that disaster issues and climate change are interconnected, so we need to find ways to address both simultaneously.)

Fire GeoPrimer: Protecting Wooden Homes from Fire 

Handout/James Dyson AwardAnother invention from MSU-IIT environmental engineers, which also began as a thesis project, is Fire GeoPrimer. Developed by King Zhytt Driz and Alonzo Gabriel Limocon. This product, also a finalist in the competition, focuses on fire safety. It is a special coating for wood that expands when exposed to heat, creating a barrier that prevents oxygen from fueling the fire and helps slow down the spread of fire. 

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"It has three main jobs: First, it provides surface for the paint to hold on to. Second, it provides extra potential for the surface against any extrenuous factors, and lastly, it provides fire protection for the wood," Driz said.

(It has three main functions: First, it provides a surface for the paint to adhere to. Second, it offers extra protection against external factors. Lastly, it provides fire protection for the wood.)

"'Yung primer namin could provide a whole minute for you to survive the fire so imagine what you can do in that extra crucial minute," he added.

(Our primer can give you an extra minute to survive a fire. Just imagine what you could do with that crucial additional minute.)

Driz was inspired by a near-fire incident when he was a child.

"When I was a kid, I almost got our house burned... In college, I thought may mga cases talaga na may mga bata na mahilig maglaro ng fire... Maaaring magcause ng fire incidents. I thought na, what if we make something if not prevent, mitigate the loss of life or the loss of property sa fire?" he said. 

(When I was a kid, I nearly caused a fire at our house. In college, I noticed that children sometimes play with fire, which can lead to fire incidents. I thought, what if we could create something to not just prevent, but also reduce the loss of life or property in case of a fire?) 

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He added that his teammate Limocon grew up in an area with a lot of agro-industrial waste. They wondered if they could repurpose this waste—such as corn husks, rice hulls, and sugarcane residue—to create something useful for fire safety, rather than letting it go to waste. 

"We're not just making solution sa fire incidents, but we are offering a sustainable solution," he said. 

Mindanao Researchers Shine on the Global Stage

Student inventors from the Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology. Handout/James Dyson AwardGeopolyCement and Fire GeoPrimer are advancing to the international round of the James Dyson Award 2024. Additionally, RAMUN by Joseph Aristotle de Leon from De La Salle University-Manila has been named the National Winner and will also advance to the international round. 

The Top 20 shortlist will be announced on October 16, and the international winners, including the sustainability winner, will be revealed on November 13. 

Both teams are proud to represent Mindanao and hope their innovations inspire other young inventors. 

"It really means a lot for us, especially for researchers na galing sa Mindanao..In a way, 'yung pagkapanalo namin, may realization na it's becoming a beacon for young researchers who's also in our institution...It sends a message that we can do things that has impact to the communities and the world is already recognizing it," Remolana said. 

"It's humbling and very rewarding that our efforts paid off...From the start, ang nasa heart po namin is representing the Philippines po talaga," Driz said.