ITDI’s Biodiesel Antifreeze to Ensure Foreign Sale

 

With the DOE 2017-2040 Philippine Energy Plan targeting to maintain a B2 biodiesel blending, as shown in its long term (2020-2040) Biofuels Roadmap, local processors are having difficulty finding an antifreeze that would ensure their biodiesel gets a slice of the foreign market.

Cleotilde A. Bulan, head of the Industrial Chemical Section at the Industrial Technology Development Institute  (DOST-ITDI), stressed the need for local processors for a locally-produced antifreeze agent that would complement the Philippine biodiesel from coconut. The biodiesel industry sector needs “this” to ensure that the coconut methyl ester (CME) or coco biodiesel can compete in the world market.

GlobeNewsWire has reported that the global biodiesel market is currently standing at the size of USD23,290 million and is expected to reach USD25,880 million by the end of 2026 (CAGR of 1.5% during 2021-2026).

Bulan explains further what antifreeze does. Also known as a coolant, it lowers a liquid’s freezing point, which is why it is added to vehicles’ radiators. In foreign localities, antifreeze allows cars to operate in a variety of temperatures, from frigidly cold to scorchingly hot.

By adding a mixture of chemicals and water, antifreeze helps ensure that the liquid in radiators does not freeze over during winter or boil up during summer, thus overheating the engine.

But, how does an antifreeze exactly work? How does it protect engines?

Bulan said that the key lies in coolants’ boiling and freezing points. Pure water has a boiling point of 212°F (100°C) and a freezing point of 32°F (0°C). However, by using a 50/50 mixture of water and ethylene glycol, the M boiling point rises to 223°F (106°C), and the freezing point lowers to -35°F (-37°C).

By taking it a step further, using a 30/70 mixture of water and ethylene glycol, the boiling point rises to 235°F (113°C), and the freezing point lowers to -67°F (-55°C).

However, Bulan’s team is working on a different antifreeze agent — the synthesis of glycerol (a naturally occurring alcohol) acetals. Here, glycerol acts to prevent freezing damage, such as ice crystal formation.

Foreign research studies show that at lower glycerol concentrations like 10-20%, the frozen stock will be fairly solid at -80°C, while at higher concentrations (30-50%), it may remain partially liquid.

Bulan’s team has since applied for a patent for the glycerol acetal and biodiesel samples. 

(amguevarra\\ ITDI S&T Media Service)

DOST REVITALIZES STI BILATERAL RELATION WITH AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTIONS

The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) is revitalizing its bilateral relations with Australian research institutions and universities through a Scientific Visit of DOST officials to the country held from 17 to 23 April 2022.

Led by Undersecretary for Research and Development Dr. Rowena Cristina L. Guevara, the delegation aims to strengthen existing ties of DOST with research institutions including the Australian Center for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), the Commonwealth Scientific Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). These include identifying areas for common interest where resources and expertise of DOST and partners can advance more research and capacity building programs. Several concrete collaborations, including a scholarship program with ACIAR, were discussed during the meetings and will be formalized through an agreement to be signed by DOST with these research institutions.

Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization

Australian Center for International Agricultural Research

During the Mission, DOST also reinvigorate the implementation of the existing Memorandum of Understanding with Swinburne University of Technology (SUT), which include, among others, scholarships and sandwich programs in the field of biomedical engineering where the University has distinct advantage.

Swinburne University of Technology

As well, the scientific visit saw DOST forging new partnership with the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding for Scientific Cooperation. Specific areas and modes of cooperation identified in scholarship programs and joint research activities in the fields of Food Technologies and Innovation and Digital Health.

ROYAL MELBOURNE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

The DOST delegation also discussed opportunities to operationalize its existing MOU with James Cook University. During the meeting, the delegation agreed to work in the following areas, namely: emerging diseases and tropical diseases, Internet of Things (IoT), agriculture and food security, and marine science. The possible collaboration also included scholarship programs for clinicians.

JAMES COOK UNIVERSITY

The visit also gave opportunity to the delegation to learn about the important work and innovation on coral reef restoration of the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), the country’s tropical marine research agency.

Other universities which the delegation visited include the Queensland University of Technology, the Southern Cross University; Griffith University, and University of Queensland, all of which agreed to formalize the Department’s institutional partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding that will outline the parties’ areas of common interest as well as its mode of cooperation.

SOUTHERN CROSS UNIVERSITY

QUEENSLAND UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY

GRIFFITH UNIVERSITY

UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND

Also joining the delegation were Dr. Leah J. Buendia, DOST Assistant Secretary for International Cooperation; Dr. Reynaldo V. Ebora, Executive Director of the DOST - Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Research and Development; Dr. Jaime C. Montoya, Executive Director of the DOST Philippine Council for Health Research and Development; Engr.

Ninaliza H. Escorial, Deputy Director at the DOST Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technologies Research and Development; and Dr. Josette T. Biyo, Director of the DOST Science Education Institute (SEI).

MEMBERS OF THE PHILIPPINE DELEGATION

The delegation began their mission in Canberra where they paid courtesy to Her Excellency Hellen De la Vega, Philippine Ambassador to Australia. The delegation’s visit also served as an opportunity for the Department to promote among Filipino scientists and researchers in Australia DOST’s Balik Scientist Program that encourages Filipinos to come back to the Philippines and contribute to the advancement of STI in the country. Organized by the Philippine Embassy in Australia, the webinar gathered over 25 Filipino scientists and researchers who have distinguished themselves in their specific areas of work.

COURTESY VISIT AND BALIK SCIENTIST WEBINAR

In addition, the visit delegation, in coordination with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, met with State Level Officials from Australia’s Northern Territory, Victoria, and Queensland to apprise each other of their work and possible alignment with DOST’s STI initiatives.

KAINGIN: An Earth Month Art Installation by Jinggoy Buensuceso

 

Curated by Junyee as a continuation of Angud from April 30, 2022 to May 30, 2022

For Earth Month 2022, visual artist Jinggoy Buensuceso transforms the CCP Front Lawn into a burnt forest with over a thousand contemporary bululs made of molded fibreglass infused with burnt debris, soil, and dust, collected from areas in the Philippines that encounter the most serious environmental struggles. These new sculptures, and their state at every phase of the exhibit, represent the forests that are synonymous with humanity, as their fates are intertwined. If forests die, we die. 

KAINGIN, a devastated forest of bululs frontlines the exhibit as a symbol of nature’s destruction by the fire of people’s desires - logging, mining, and misinformed, self-serving acts. As one proceeds inside the CCP Main Theater Building into the 4th floor Atrium, they will come across Huling Hapunan, the final hours of bululs helplessly trapped and wallowing in their slow death by fire, with its red flames serving as their last supper. Entierro presents a proper burial for the forest, an observance of the necessary rest, responsible action, and respect, for nature to recover and return to the cycle of life. And lastly, there is Ritwal, a prayer for forgiveness and redemption through the baptism of fire. The 4th floor installations also include pre-recorded performances by the artist, asking for life and the spirit of nature to be showered upon the bululs as they embark on their journey of renewal. KAINGIN is a dramatic assembly of humans and nature, a wake-up call to make a stand for our land, to challenge the current ways, and to push for solutions that will sustain humanity without collateral damage.

Jinggoy Buensuceso (b. 1982, Samal, Bataan) is a visual artist and sculptor working at the new frontier of art and design to create a synesthetic creative language that fuses the natural and artificial worlds. Buensuceso's art is informed by a deep knowledge of materials and processes, both ancient and modern. The artist feels his way through the connective tissues between humanity and nature, envisioning lines that create the contours of the physical and metaphysical. Each installation and sculpture is influenced by these linear movements. The dichotomy of existence, with its eternal and opposing forces of chaos and order, nurtures his iconoclastic convictions of the divine pairings that feature in his work. True to his anarchic style, he has embraced the color black as an ambiguous muse: black is everything and nothing; it is sensuous and solemn; it is the color of the void that births manifold universes. Buensuceso is a graduate of Visual Communications from the College of Fine Arts of the University of the Philippines-Diliman. He has been recognized and featured in Maison & Objet Paris, Wallpaper Magazine, The Artling, Design Anthology, and Manila FAME, and has presented solo exhibitions in Galleria Duemila, Galerie Astra, Manifesto Gallery, and Galerie Joaquin, in Manila, and in John Erdos Art in Singapore and in the Philippine Center in New York.

Join us tomorrow in launching the Earth Day installation at the CCP Front Lawn at 5:00 PM. 

This event is FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. For safety concerns, the public is reminded to wear their face masks, bring their vaccination cards, and observe the CCP New Normal Health Guidelines (http://bit.ly/CCPNewNormal) upon visiting from April 30, 2022 to May 30, 2022.

World Travel & Tourism Council Reveals Massive Increase in Global International Inbound Travel

Flight bookings suggest a hot summer ahead for key destinations across Asia-Pacific, Europe and the America

Manila, Philippines: The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and its knowledge partner ForwardKeys, forecast a major increase in global international flights bookings as international travel takes off.

The booking bounce back was revealed at WTTC’s prestigious 21^st Global Summit, taking place this year in Manila, as the world continues to reopen from the pandemic.

News of the strong recovery highlights a promising prospect ahead for summer holiday travel, with sun and sea destinations, such as the Caribbean and Latin America, leading the international inbound bookings.

According to ForwardKeys, leading travel and analytics company, the country’s leading the ranking of top 20 best performing destinations for the summer are Costa Rica, Aruba, Dominican Republic, and Jamaica, all of which rely heavily upon international travel.

These destinations lead the pack with bookings already surpassing pre-pandemic levels.

Last year, the industry’s gradual recovery was significantly slowed by the surge in Omicron cases. However, the future is looking brighter for 2022 with positive booking data worldwide.

Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO said: “WTTC 2022 booking data from ForwardKeys is a firm signal of the strong recovery of the global Travel & Tourism sector.

“Travel to the Asia-Pacific region shows impressive signs of improvement as destinations gradually reopen their borders to visitors, in line with customer demand.”

Olivier Ponti, ForwardKeys Vice President Insights, said: “It is very encouraging that Asia has finally begun re-opening, which is driving the return of both travel to Asia and within the region, both of which are clearly going to be instrumental in driving the global economic recovery.”

According to the data, Q1 and Q2 figures for this year are showing triple-digit growth for inbound flight bookings around the world, compared to last year, including the Americas, Europe, and Asia.

Travellers are eager to spend more on travel following the loosening of restrictions, with heightened demand for premium cabin classes in 2022. Other trends seen include stronger last-minute bookings.

Further evidence of the resurgence in travel is shown in arrivals in Europe, with a massive 350% surge in international arrivals for Q1 in 2022 compared to last year.

Asia-Pacific countries also saw an increase in arrivals for Q1 of this year compared to 2021, with bookings for the region up 275%.

In Q2 we see further acceleration of the continuing recovery with a significant rise in international bookings, which have soared by 264% on the year before.

This acceleration is particularly notable in Asia where travel restrictions are being removed. Host to the WTTC Global Summit, the Philippines is the fastest growing single destination in South East Asia, 29% up in Q2 this year compared to Q1.

The summer travel outlook is led by the resurgence of travel to the Caribbean and Latin America, which includes seven out of the top 10 travel destinations.

India and Pakistan are also highly popular, thanks to travel mainly for visits to family and friends.

Meanwhile in Europe, destinations such as Iceland, Greece, Portugal, Spain and France are showing a strong resurgence with travel bookings just slightly behind pre-pandemic levels.

Africa and the Middle East also feature in the top 20 list with Tanzania, Qatar and Egypt also reaching close to pre-pandemic levels of travel.

The continued recovery of the Travel & Tourism sector in the Asia-Pacific region looks set to accelerate as destinations gradually reopen throughout 2022

WTTC Launches New Cyber Resilience Report for the Global Travel & Tourism Sector

 

Report outlines pillars to strengthen cyber security for businesses around the world

London, UK: The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) launched a major new report at its Global Summit in Manila today, to help the sector’s stakeholders understand how cyber resilience is shaping the Travel & Tourism sector and plan for a safer and more robust future.

The report, ‘Codes to resilience’, in joint efforts with Microsoft, draws on comprehensive research and in-depth interviews with cyber security experts in leading Travel & Tourism organisations such as Mastercard, JTB, and Carnival Corporation, among others.

The report shows that whilst the COVID-19 pandemic has propelled the world and the sector into a more digital future, with the opportunities provided by digitalisation, new challenges have emerged, especially in cybercrime.

The inaugural report focuses on three key areas considered critical for the sector: cyber resilience, key issues and six best practices based on the lessons learnt prior to and during the pandemic.

The report goes on to show how digitalisation has become a strong enabler of business within Travel & Tourism, and given the international nature of the sector, it looks at the role of legislation around individual data protection.

According to the report, more than seven out of 10 (72%)SMEs in the UK, the U.S., and Europe, have fallen victim to at least one cyberattack, and with SMEs representing 80% of all Travel & Tourism businesses, mitigating cyber risk must remain a priority for the sector.

Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, said: “Technology and digitalisation play a key role in making the whole travel experience more seamless, from booking a holiday, to checking in for a flight or embarking on a cruise.

“But the impact of cyberattacks carries enormous financial, reputational and regulatory risk.”

This critical report reveals four key issues to address in order to improve cyber protection and enhance resilience: securing identity data, securing business operations, understanding the impact of COVID-19 and managing global legislation.

According to the report, certain actions can help businesses better prepare to repel an attack, while laying the foundation to support long-term cyber resilience. Educating and training all staff, expanding risk security beyond the physical workplace, employing a zero-trust approach to cyber security, and transparency, among others, have been recommended by industry experts as good practices.

Cyber resilience is a crucial element to the future of Travel & Tourism, as cyber systems continue to facilitate and enhance activities between the sector’s stakeholders.

During a panel session at the tourism body’s Global Summit event being held in Manila today, industry leaders heard that cybercrime has cost the global economy U.S.$1 trillion and could reach a staggering U.S. $90 trillion by 2030.

According to the WTTC Economic Impact Report, in 2019, before the pandemic stopped travel in its tracks, the Travel & Tourism sector generated more than U.S. $9.6 trillion to the global economy.

However, in 2020, the pandemic brought the sector to an almost complete standstill, causing a massive 50% drop, representing a severe loss of nearly U.S. $4.5 trillion.

Digitisation has played and will continue to play a pivotal role in Travel & Tourism’s growth and recovery from COVID-19. It is therefore essential for the sector to integrate cyber security and cyber resilience to continue its recovery from the pandemic while supporting its growth in the future.

To read the report in full, please click h

WTTC Global Summit closes in Manila and Announces Saudi Arabia As Next Gost Destination in November this Year

 

Manila, Philippines: At the closing session of its Global Summit in Manila today, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) announced that its 22^nd event will take place in Riyadh, capital of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, from 29^th November to 2^nd December this year.

In Manila, more than a thousand delegates, including the world’s foremost business leaders, government ministers and key decision-makers from across the global Travel & Tourism sector gathered together, to discuss how to build upon the continuing recovery.

In her farewell address Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, said: “It has been a privilege to bring together so many leaders from across the global Travel & Tourism sector to the beautiful city of Manila.

“This Summit is living proof that nothing beats getting together, sharing ideas, debating the challenges, and finding consensus.

“We still have a lot of work to do to bring down post-pandemic barriers, open economies and harmonise health data for seamless travel. But the future looks bright, and the next decade is there for the taking.

“We look forward to our 22^nd Global Summit later this year in Riyadh, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to mark the next chapter in the sector’s ongoing recovery.”

Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO and Board Member of the Saudi Tourism Authority, said "We are excited to welcome the world to experience the excitement and the energy of Saudi. We promise you that the next summit will be fresh, inspiring, and rewarding."

Under the theme of ‘Rediscovering Travel’, tourism ministers and Travel & Tourism leaders from around the world reinforced their determination towards greater cooperation and alignment between the public and private sectors.

At WTTC’s Global Leaders Dialogue session they explored how the sector will continue to adapt to COVID-19 and emerge resiliently from the pandemic.

WTTC’s latest Economic Impact Report also revealed the Travel & Tourism sector was expected to create nearly 126 million new jobs within the next decade and Travel & Tourism’s contribution to GDP could reach pre-pandemic levels by 2023.

WTTC’s major ‘Hotel Sustainability Basics’ sustainability initiative was launched at its Global Summit, providing a starting point to drive sustainability throughout the hospitality sector to power the momentum toward responsible Travel & Tourism.

The global body also launched its new cyber resilience report, ‘Codes to resilience’, with Microsoft, for the global Travel & Tourism sector, which outlined pillars to strengthen cyber security for businesses around the world.

British adventurer Bear Grylls was the conference keynote, alongside other major speakers, including American film producer Lawrence Bender, Singapore-born American novelist and writer of satirical novels Kevin Kwan and Indonesian/Dutch environmental activist Melati Wijse

Julia Simpson’s Opening Speech at WTTC Global Summit 2022

 

Ma-bu-hi.

It’s incredible to think of what we have been through since we gathered for WTTC’s last Summit. But we are here in Manila to Rediscover Travel… together.

Dear Members, Excellencies, WTTC Friends. I am honoured to address you at our 21st Global Summit and my first as President & CEO.

In times of crisis we have seen the true grit and resilience of the Travel & Tourism sector. During the COVID pandemic our airlines transported vaccines and PPE; our airports became vaccination centres; and our cruise liners used their connections to help repatriate people. Hotels opened their doors to the homeless and today are giving shelter to 1000s of refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine. 

The pandemic rewrote the rule book on how we live and how we travel. It showed how totally inter-reliant we are. Businesses and governments need each other to make travel happen. And our whole sector relies on the communities who host us.

For over 30 years WTTC’s mission has been to highlight our sector’s economic and social value. But, it took a pandemic for leaders to really understand our worth.For almost a decade our sector’s growth outstripped that of the global economy. COVID changed all that.

Now, recovery is in our sights. It is not uniform, it is faltering, but it IS recovery. Here in Asia-Pacific the reopening is just beginning. I congratulate the Philippines, a nation that has shown determination and courage to reignite travel. But the great powerhouse that is China, is still closed.

So, I call on governments to look at the science and reopen their borders - open their economies and get travel and tourism and the millions of people who earn their livelihood from it - back to work.

Today, WTTC is announcing its latest Economic Impact Research which measures the value of Travel & Tourism to the global economy. This shows that over the next 10 years to 2032 Travel & Tourism is poised to have an average annual growth rate of 5.8%.

Our sector’s growth will again outstrip the global GDP. And with it comes employment - 126 million new jobs will be created over the decade. That is the prize. In 2019 our sector contributed $9.6 trillion dollars to the global economy. That’s over 10% of global GDP.

And everyone here knows, as Arnold said, how we were hit. A massive 50% loss in value in 2020 along with 62 million jobs. 2021 was a stuttering recovery, regaining 22% globally and getting back to A $5.8 trillion global business.

This year, we are regaining ground. Our data shows that by the end of 2022 we will have recovered to $8.35 trillion. We are getting there and our customers are Rediscovering Travel.

They say Necessity is the Mother of Invention. During the crisis we have seen e-commerce cement its position as the DNA of businesses. In travel, digital technology has leapfrogged some of the old analogue and manual systems.

But the problem's been, digital solutions to COVID have been uncoordinated as nations made up their own rules to tackle the pandemic. And despite global leaders like the Saudis calling for harmonisation, we have a patchwork of systems that hit customer confidence with costly tests and changing rules.

If we are to survive another pandemic we need to fully integrate a traveller’s health status into their digital travel documents. A good example is the EU green travel pass that has now been adopted by 62 countries. Let us find a single system for the world.

It's not just a human virus that threatens us. As we accelerate our digital transformation the threat from cybercrime has accelerated too. It's estimated that Cybercrime will grow by 15% a year to cost the world US$10.5 trillion annually by 2025. Our new report on cyber resilience is a must read and a great tool that we have created with the support of Microsoft.

These strange times have given us cause to pause and reevaluate. There will be opportunities for those with capital who can act agilely. But the future has to be sustainable. Which is why I want to thank JLL who have created a template for sustainable tourism in cities. 

We are facing a triple planetary crisis of climate, nature and pollution. Our carbon challenges are all different -whether you are a hotel, a cruise line or an airline.So, for the first time ever, our sector has a single, clear roadmap to deliver net zero by 2050. And today we want to show our support for small and medium-sized hotels. We want to help them achieve the first step on the sustainability ladder.

With the help of Radisson, for the first time ever, we are launching a globally recognised set of sustainability indicators. Developed by the industry for the industry. Our HOTEL SUSTAINABILITY BASICS brings the best science down to the grassroots. 

Just think the tiniest phytoplankton is smaller than a human red blood cell. But together, phytoplankton produce more than half of the oxygen we breathe on Earth and most of the carbon ocean animals need to survive. Like the phytoplankton, if we all work together, we can support all life on this planet.

As we Rediscover Travel through this Summit, we will take you on a journey. We will hear from global leaders in Travel & Tourism; film producer Lawrence Bender of Pulp Fiction fame, Crazy Rich Asians author, Kevin Kwan; and we have the great honour to hear from former United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon.

We will also hear from the inspiring environmental activist Melati Wijsen who, at age 12, set out to change the world one plastic bottle at a time.

Thank you to President Duterte for hosting us.

And thank you ALL for being here to help us shape the narrative as we rediscover travel and re-open the world.

Thank you!