Melo Villareal
DOST Launches Tryk Ni Juan
Tricycles, one of the country’s popular public transportation, will be treated with a new treatment by having abaca fibers as one of its parts.
Placing these special features means that the popular transportation mode can be compared with some luxury car brands’ models like those of Chrysler and Mercedes Benz.
Abaca fiber is now being used as a new alternative to tricycle roofing. Known for being woven into fine fabric and handcrafts, abaca will be the lightweight replacement for traditional tricycle roofing. On top of being lightweight, tricycles will also have eco-friendly parts installed as part of the expanding world of global technology focusing on this material.
The Department of Science and Technology-Industrial Technology Development Institute (DOST-ITDI) worked with Korean Institute of Materials Science to come up with the project dubbed “Tryk ni Juan.” This is not the first time the two institutions joined forces for this type of project. Back in 2010, the two also collaborated in coming up with composite projects that used the same material.
KIMS handed a yearly grant worth P800 thousand to the DOST after signing a memorandum last year with General Santos Street Lower/Upper Bicutan Taguig Tricycle Operators – Drivers Association, Inc, serving as the beneficiary of the new project, reports Inquirer.
The project built 15 “Tryk ni Juan” prototypes to be used in the field testing in a bid to promote eco-friendlier tricycles.
Blesie Basilia of ITDI commented that abaca is natural, yet one of the strongest fiber materials in the country. The Philippines is also said to be a top abaca producer in the world. While the material is known for its lightweight feature, abaca also has numerous benefits that will be more useful to tricycle drivers and operators. It has natural fiber composites that have low density qualities and can be manufactured at cheap cost. It’s resistant to rusting while being biodegradable, making it a wonderful alternative for the typical galvanized iron and stainless steel roofing.
Fortunato de la Peña, the new DOST Secretary, praised ITDI’s effort in promoting science and technology’s benefits to the people.
On the other hand, Maria Patricia Azanza, the director of ITDI, reported the availability of transfer of technologies to interested parties and industries. She further clarified that ITDI is responsible in technological development needed to make this product possible. However, the future technology adopters will come up with the pricing once it will be sold in the market.
While the Tryk Ni Juan prototypes are now available, they will still undergo multiple improvements and impact tests.
