Philippines is a breeding ground for undiscovered and, more often than not, unappreciated geniuses of many sorts.

I
know a lot of you know who Jose Rizal is, and who doesn’t? Aside from being the greatest Filipino patriot of all time,
we have been awed as well by his ingenuity and uniqueness as a foremost Filipino inventor. But since his demise,
how many Filipino inventors have been hailed and praised with the same intensity as what we do to Rizal? Can you
think of at least five Filipino inventors that you know who can be in parallel with America’s Thomas Edison
and Alexander Graham Bell?

Sadly, the truth that the Philippine government still lacks stern support and financial assistance for our
creative Filipino inventors still haunts us up to this day. Blame it on what they call as “colonial mentality”, our very own
inventors still have a long way to go. And since we are talking about Pinoy-made products and inventions, I’ve
searched for 20 Filipino inventions that most people haven’t heard before. For the record, famous inventions
like Armalite, Moon Buggy, and Fluorescent Lamp failed to enter my list for the simple reason that these alleged Filipino
discoveries have faced controversies and disputes regarding their authenticity. May this simple list serve as a simple
reminder that we will never have our own Thomas Edison until we realize that our country is actually rich in untapped
and undiscovered geniuses. My respect and high appreciation goes to all Filipino inventors all over the country who
are still struggling to make their own mark in our twisted and chaotic history. Here now is my top 12 list:

Photo credit: blogs.citypages.com

1. Yoyo

We all know “yoyo” as that rounded and stringed toy that kids play nowadays. But unbeknownst to many, the original
“yoyo” was far from what it is today, in terms of both appearance and purpose. Used by the natives 400 years ago as
a combat weapon against Spaniards and intruders, the first “yoyo” was large and had sharp edges and studs. It was
also attached to thick 20-feet long ropes for flinging at enemies or prey. The modern toy that we know today was the
brainchild of law undergraduate Pedro Flores, whose idea was later brought to reality. Thanks to America, the toy
was mass produced and became one of the most distinct toys the world has ever known.

Photo credit: pinoygigs.com

2. E-Jeepney

After Americans left our country, Filipinos succeeded to make an authentic“jeepney” from scratch. Since then, the
popular Philippine vehicle has faced a lot of innovative transformations until the modern “E-Jeepney” was finally
introduced in Metro Manila and Bacolod City. Unlike the standard jeepney we have been accustomed to, this modern
means of transportation offers three advantages: it is nature-friendly because E-Jeepneys are noiseless and
smokeless, it uses electricity so use of expensive diesel will gradually decrease, and jeepney drivers will take home
more profits as the electricity is significantly cheaper than the ordinary diesel.
 Photo credit: pinoyimbentor.atspace.com

3. Medical 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. According to wikipilipinas.org, the
improvised incubator was made up of two native laundry baskets of different sizes placed one inside the other. Hot
water bottles were placed all around between them to provide warmth. There was also a makeshift hood over the
overlapping baskets to allow oxygen to circulate within. It was created to address the needs of rural areas with no
electricity that is needed to regulate newborn babies’ body temperature.

Photo credit: everydayhealth.com

4. Erythromycin

This well-known medicine is an antibiotic derived from the bacterium Streptomyces erythreus. Not known by many, the
Ilonggo doctor/scientist Abelardo Aguilar is the one who discovered the said strain in 1949 using the soil in his home
province. Unfortunately, when he sent it to his U.S employer in Eli Lilli Co. to separate the strain, the Indiana-based
company owned the drug and didn’t give Aguilar any credit for his outstanding discovery.

Photo credit: marketmanila.com

5. Patis

You’re wrong if you assumed that patis or fish sauce has been here in the Philippines since the Spanish era. As a
matter of fact, this popular salty partner of many popular Filipino dishes was only discovered after the Japanese
occupation in the 1940’s. Ruperta David, also known in history as Aling Tentay was responsible for its accidental
discovery. According to Philippine Daily Inquirer, the family of Aling Tentay started a dried fish business after the war.
One day, Aling Tentay stored in jars some salted fish that turned into fragments even before they dried. While in jars,
the fish fragments turned into a liquid substance that tasted like our Patis today. Thus the beginning of the thriving
Patis business of Aling Tentay, which was officially registered in 1949 and is known today as Tentay Food and
Sauces Inc.
 Photo credit: panlasangpinoy.com

6. Banana Catsup

Filipinos just love using banana catsup as a condiment for almost every known dish in the Philippines. This is not
surprising at all because the popular variation of tomato catsup was another brainchild of a great Filipino food
technologist, Maria Orosa y Ylagan (1893–1945). According to historical accounts, she created the first ever recipe
for banana catsup and also experimented with foods native to the Philippines and formulated food products like
calamansi nip, a desiccated and powdered form of calamansi that could be used to make calamansi juice, and a
powdered preparation of soya-beans called Soyalac, a “magic food” preparation which helped save the lives of
thousands of Filipinos, Americans, and other nationals who were held prisoner in different Japanese
concentration camps during World War II.

Cashew nuts (Photo credit: http://www.debcc.com/)

7. Anticancer Cream

Filipino inventor Rolando dela Cruz won the gold medal for his “DeBCC” anti-cancer cream at the prestigious
International Inventor’s Forum in November of 2005. The “DeBCC” cream, developed from cashew nuts and other
local herbs, was chosen over 1,500 entries as the “most significant invention” of the year. It is a treatment intended
specifically for basal skin carcinoma (BSC), which is the most prevalent type of skin cancer worlwide.

Photo credit: directindustry.com

8. 16-Bit Microchip

According to Wikipilipinas.org, Diosdado Banatao developed the first single-chip graphical user interface accelerator
that made computers work a lot faster. This invention has allowed computer users to use graphics for commands and
not the usual typed commands in older computers. It has allowed data processing to be a little faster using very little
space (small chips instead of large boards).
 Photo credit: pendemonium.com

9. Quink Ink

The Quink quick drying ink was invented by Francisco Quisumbing, a chemist. It was an innovative ink at that time
and was further developed to work with Parker Pens. Aside from being quick drying, it was also water-resistant, did
not clog the pen opening, does not blot and will not fade. It is considered as one if the best selling ink for fountain
pens of the millennium.

Photo credit: ph.all.biz

10. Mole Remover

Rolando dela Cruz developed in the year 2000 an ingenuous formula that could easily remove deeply grown moles or
warts from the skin without leaving marks or hurting the patient. His formula was extracted from cashew nut
(Annacardium occidentale), which is common in the Philippines. The formula won for dela Cruz a gold medal in
International Invention, Innovation, Industrial Design and Technology Exhibition in Kuala Lumpur in September 2000.

Photo-credit: http://www.choosephils.com

11. Filipino-made Train

According to Atty. Antonio Oposa Jr., the founder of Law of Nature Foundation, a Filipino-made train that was
launched in Cebu will not only solve traffic congestion but will also lessen the carbon emission since this mass
transport system will be run using renewable energy. Invented by electronics engineer Bryan Yuson, the train was
designed with three charging systems; the solar panel, wind mill, and the pedals. Yuson said that the energy from the
three systems will be charged to the six batteries attached to the train and will power up the two 24 volts motor to run
the train. The train is also flexible, if the Cebu government cannot have railways for trains, it can still run in the
highways using the usual vehicle tires. According to ABS-CBN News-Central Visayas, Yuson firmly said that he will
not sell his invention to foreigners. He said that the train will solely be made by Filipino hands and it will be the
Filipinos who will benefit from it.
 Photo credit: alibaba.com

12. 3-in-1 fire truck

Angelo B. Palmones, president of AGHAM or Alyansa ng mga Grupong Haligi ng Agham at Teknolohiya para sa
Mamamayan, said two years ago that the Anos fire truck, named “Patriot,” may yet be the most reliable partner in fire-
fighting because it is a three in-one package: a fire truck, a rescue vehicle, and ambulance. The “Patriot” was
invented by Inventor Alfredo M. Anos, Sr., known as the godfather of Filipino inventors.“Its triple capability allows
firefighters and emergency workers to simultaneously put out fire, rescue people and animals, and provide first aid
treatment to the injured. The ambulance and rescue fire truck uses compressed air foam system that is five to seven
times more efficient than plain water in putting out fire,” Palmones said during an interview with Manila Bulletin.

* Other Filipino inventions with their inventors that you might want to know:

1. Karaoke ( a compact audio device that had a microphone, an amplifier speaker, cassette tape mechanisms, a
microphone mixer that had features that enhanced voice, and an optional radio tuner) – Roberto del Rosario

2. Videophone (a device for the hearing impaired) – Gregorio Zara

3. Modular Housing System( a system capable of building within weeks a house with prefabricated materials that can
withstand typhoons and earthquakes) – Edgardo Vazquez

4. Super Bunker Formula-L (a revolutionary fuel half-composed of water) – Rudy Lantano Sr.

5. “Tubig Talino” ( an iodine-rich drinking water that treats micronutrient deficiencies responsible for goiter, mental
and physical retardation, and birth defects) – Department of Science and Technology

7. SMS Reader for the Blind (a device that allows the blind to read and send text messages) – group of four
engineering students from the De La Salle University

8. Solar Powered Balut maker (an incubator that can process duck eggs into embryonated eggs or balut for 15 to 17
days) – College of Engineering and Agro-Industrial Technology at the University of the Philippines-Los Banos

9. Super Kalan ( a novelty stove that can be fired with anything that burns—wood, paper, dried dung and leaves, corn
cobs, and coco shells) – Narciso Mosuela

10. Drug Detection (method for detecting drug use by pregnant females by detecting traces in the baby’s stools) – Dr.
Enrique Ostrea

List of Filipino inventions and discoveries

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This article discuses Filipino inventions and discoveries.

Fashion

 The barong Tagalog (or simply baro, but commonly incorrectly called barong), an embroidered formal garment of
the Philippines. It is very lightweight and worn untucked (similar to a coat/dress shirt), over an undershirt. It is
usually worn by men during weddings, banquets, and other such formal events. Women wearing the barong
Tagalog is uncommon, but not unheard of. The term "barong Tagalog" literally means "a Tagalog dress" in
the Tagalog language. The baro was popularized as formal wear by Philippine President Ramon Magsaysay,
who wore it to most official and personal affairs, including his inauguration as president.
 The Baro’t saya (also known as Filipiniana) is an embroidered dress and is worn by women. The name is a
contraction of the Tagalog words barò at saya, meaning "dress (blouse) and skirt".

Science and medicine

 Jose Rodriguez, a scientist and researcher, invented methods of controlling leprosy.[1] Rodríguez's leprosy
control program was instituted in the Philippines and other Asian countries. His medical papers on leprosy
research are often referenced and have been published around the world.
 Josefino Comiso is a Filipino physicist working at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center studying global
warming in the Arctic. Josefino Comiso was the first person to discover a recurring polynya in the Cosmonaut
Sea, south of the Indian Ocean. A polynya is a semi-permanent area of open water in sea ice.[2]

Weapons
Swords and bladed weapons

Panabas is a curved-blade weapon.

 The panabas is a large, forward-curved sword, used by certain ethnic groups in the southern Philippines. Its
length varied from two to four feet, and was either wielded with one hand or with both. It was used as a combat
weapon, as an execution tool, and as a display of power. Occasional use as an agricultural and butchering tool
has also been noted. The sword's name is a shortening of the word "pang-tabas", which means "chopping tool".
As such, its etymological origins are the root word tabas ("to chop off").
 The Balisong (also known as a butterfly knife or fan knife) is a folding pocket knife with two handles counter-
rotating around the tang such that, when closed, the blade is concealed within grooves in the handles. It is
sometimes called a Batangas knife, after the Tagalog province of Batangas, where it is traditionally made. In the
hands of a trained user, the knife blade can be brought to bear quickly using one hand. Manipulations, called
"flipping" or "fanning", are performed for art or amusement. The knife is illegal in many countries such as the
Netherlands, Australia, the UK, Canada, New Zealand and Germany.
 The barong or barung, is a short sword with a leaf-shaped blade, widely used in the island of Mindanao.
 The gunong or punyál (also known as puñal de kris or kris knife) is a knife from Mindanao. It is essentially a
diminutive form of the larger kalis or kris. The gunong serves both as a utility knife and as a thrusting weapon
used for close quarter fighting - usually as a last defense. It is most often associated with the ethnic Maranao,
among whom the gunong was traditionally carried by both sexes. The weapon is generally tucked into the back
of a waist sash.

A kampilan hilt is sometimes wrapped with rattan to improve the grip. The two holes on the crossguard are where the metal

"staples" (C- or U-shaped) go, as additional protection for the wielder's hand.

 The Kampilan is a type of single-edged long sword, used in the islands of Mindanao, Visayas, and Luzon. The
kampilan has a distinct profile, with the tapered blade being much broader and thinner at the point than at its
base, sometimes with a protruding spikelet along the flat side of the tip and a bifurcated hilt which is believed to
represent a mythical creature's open mouth. A notable wielder of the kampilan was Lapu-Lapu (the king of
Mactan) and his warriors, who defeated the Spaniards and killed Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan at
the Battle of Mactan in 1521. The mention of the kampilan in ancient Filipino epics originating from other non-
Muslim areas such as the Hiligaynon Hinilawod and the Ilocano Biag ni Lam-Ang is possible evidence for the
sword's widespread usage throughout the archipelago during pre-Hispanic times

Transportation and mobility

Main article: Transportation in the Philippines
Jeepneys around Manila.

Amphibious

 The Salamander is an amphibious tricycle that can run both land and on water. [3][4]
The Salamander has two power-plant choices, powered by 5-kilowatt electric motor that runs on electricity and 250
cc. internal combustion type gasoline engine.[5]

Boats

 The balangay was the first wooden marine vessel ever excavated in Southeast Asia. It's also known as
the Butuan boat, as nine specimens of these boats, dating back to pre-Hispanic times (the earliest being in 320
CE), were discovered in 1976, Butuan, Mindanao. It is believed that the Austronesians migrated to the Philippine
archipelago, riding the balangay. When the first Spaniards arrived in the 16th century, they found the Filipinos
living in well-organized independent villages called "baranggáy". The name barangay originated from balangay,
the Austronesian word for "sailboat".
 The vinta (locally known as lepa-lepa or sakayan) is a traditional boat, made by ethnic Bajau and Tausūg, living
in Mindanao, the Sulu archipelago, North Kalimantan (Indonesia), and Sabah (Malaysia). These boats, sporting
a single, colorful sail, are used for inter-island transport of people and goods. Zamboanga City is known for these
vessels.
Land transport

 The Jeepney, a modified military jeep, is the most common form of transportation in the country today. After
independence from the United States was declared in 1946, there was a surplus of American military jeeps in
the country. Filipinos then modified these vehicles to serve as makeshift buses. Since then, this ubiquitous
vehicle has faced a lot of innovative transformations until the modern “E-Jeepney” was finally introduced in Metro
Manila and Bacolod.
 The Marine Multi-purpose Vehicle or MMPV uses independent suspensions and portal geared hubs similar to
portal axles to make for a full 16 inches of ground clearance. The vehicle also has disc brakes on all 4 wheels,
and 4-wheel double-wishbone suspension. The brake discs are not mounted at the wheels as on conventional
automobiles, but are inboard, attached to the outside of each differential. The front and rear differentials are
Torsen type, and the center differential is a regular, lockable type. Created by the Philippine Marine Corps to
replace M151 jeeps in service as they are hard to maintain with problems concerning availability of spare parts.

Food techniques
Main article: Philippine cuisine
Chicken adobo

 Adobo (meaning "marinade," "sauce" or "seasoning") is the name of a popular dish and cooking process in
Philippine cuisine that involves meat, seafood, or vegetables marinated in a sauce of vinegar and garlic,
browned in oil, and simmered in the marinade. Although it has a name taken from the Spanish, the cooking
method is indigenous to the Philippines. Dishes prepared in this manner eventually came to be known by this
name, with the original term for the dish now lost to history. [6][7]
Before the Spaniards came, early Filipinos cooked their food minimally by roasting, steaming or boiling. To keep it
fresh longer, food was often cooked by immersion in vinegar and salt. Thus, early Filipinos could have been cooking
its meat in vinegar, which is the basic process in making adobo. The process of adobo was an ancient method dating
back to the Classical Period of preserving the pork and chicken meats. since there was no refrigeration at the time.[8]

A Sinigang prepare to cook.

 Sinigang is a Filipino soup or stew characterized by its sour and savory flavor most often associated with
tamarind (sampalok). It is one of the popular dishes in Philippine cuisine.
 In 1966, Dr. Rodolfo Aquino isolated nine specific breeds of rice for the International Rice Research Institute. His
discoveries helped prevent famine in much of Asia.
 The recipe for banana catsup was created by Maria Orosa y Ylagan. Banana catsup is used as a substitute for
tomato catsup, widely popularized by Max's, one of the biggest fried chicken restaurant chains in the Philippines.
Orosa also experimented with foods native to the Philippines and formulated food products like calamansi nip, a
desiccated and powdered form of calamansi that could be used to make calamansi juice, and a powdered
preparation of soya-beans called Soyalac, a “magic food” preparation which helped save the lives of thousands
of Filipinos, Americans, and other nationals who were held prisoner in different Japanese concentration camps.

Modern technologies

 Diosdado Banatao developed the first single-chip graphical user interface accelerator that made computers work
a lot faster. This invention has allowed computer users to use graphics for commands and not the usual typed
commands in older computers. It has allowed data processing to be a little faster using very little space, with
small chips instead of large boards.
 Eco-G NanoTechnology developed the Eco-G3000, a low-cost and low-maintenance fuel-emission reduction
device. It is designed to reduce vehicular gas consumption and toxic emission. [9]
 Justino Arboleda devised the coconet, a sturdy but biodegradable net made from coconut husk.[10]
 Francisco Quisumbing is a Filipino chemist known for being the inventor of Quink ink[11][12] used by The Parker
Pen Company. He graduated from the University of Chicago under the American pensionado program. He went
back to the Philippines after World War II but was unable to organize the Philippine Ink Corporation under
the Japanese Reparations Program because of too much government intervention.[13] Quink stands for
Quisumbing Ink. However, Parker states that the name is an amalgam of "quick and ink". [14]

Games

The cover of the Games of the Generals.

 The Piko is the Philippine variation of the game hopscotch. The players stand behind the edge of a box, and
each should throw their cue ball. The first to play is determined depending on the players' agreement (e.g.
nearest to the moon, wings or chest). Whoever succeeds in throwing the cue ball nearest to the place that they
have agreed upon will play first. The next nearest is second, and so on.
 Game of the Generals, a military-themed board game invented by Sofronio H. Pasola, jr. The goal of this game
is to capture the opponent's flag, or maneuver one's own flag at the end of the board while evading the
opponent's soldiers and spies.

Martial arts

 The Eskrima, Arnis,[15] and Kali are umbrella terms for the traditional martial arts of the Philippines ("Filipino
Martial Arts," or FMA) that emphasize weapon-based fighting with sticks, knives and other bladed weapons, and
various improvised weapons. It is also known as Estoque (Spanish for rapier), Estocada (Spanish for thrust or
stab) and Garrote(Spanish for club). In Luzon they may go by the name of Arnis de Mano, Pananandata (use
of weapons), Sinawali(Pampanga, "to weave"), Sitbatan (Pangasinan), Didya and Kabaroan (Ilocos region). In
the Visayas and Mindanao, these martial arts have been referred to
as Eskrima, Kali, Kaliradman, Pagaradman and Kalirongan. Kuntaw and Silatare separate martial arts that
have been practiced in the islands.
It also includes hand-to-hand combat, joint locks, grappling, and weapon disarming techniques. Although in general,
emphasis is put on weapons for these arts, some systems put empty hands as the primary focus and some old
school systems do not teach weapons at all.[16] For the purpose of convenience, this article will use the term Eskrima
throughout.

Eskrima masters along with students in Cebu City, Philippines

For all intents and purposes, Eskrima, Arnis and Kali all refer to the same family of Filipino weapon-based martial arts
and fighting systems.