2. The Father of Filipino Inventors
✯ Benjamin Almeda is known for inventing and devising
various food processing machines such as the rice
grinder, coconut grater, and the meat grinder, earning
him the title of the Father of Filipino Inventors.
✯ He is also known as one of the greatest Filipino inventors
because of his important inventions.
3. His Inventions
✯ Benjamin Almeda invented the coconut grater, which
is used to grate coconut meat, to produce niyog, which is
dried coconut meat used to garnish delicacies or coconut
milk, which is used in many viands like laing.
✯ He also invented the meat grinder, which is used to
grind meat to produce finely minced meat which is also
used in variety of dishes.
4. ✯ He also invented the rice grinder, which is a machine
that grinds grains of rice into fine powder, also used in
many Filipino delicacies.
5. Significance of His Inventions
✯ Benjamin Almeda’s inventions helped further and better
the food industry, by making the food processing
machines which helped many in the food industry to have
an easier method of processing food, being fast and
easy. Food processes that before took a long time, now
was made easier and faster.
8. Benjamin Almeda soon went on to found the Almeda
Cottage Industry, now known as the Almeda Food
Machineries Corporation, in 1954, which produced his
basic food processing machines.
His youngest son, Carlos Almeda now heads the
company, which still continues to produce more food
processing machines.
9.
10. Arturo Alcaraz
Arturo’s Birth Date and Birth Place:
Arturo Alvarez was born in Manila, Philippines on March 21,
1916
His Educational Background:
He completed elementary at Lucena, Quezon Province in
1929 and studied high school in Baguio City High School.
He graduated at the top of his class in 1933 and sought to
study mining as a career in college.
Arturo entered the College of Engineering University of the
Philippines in Manila
Later on, the Mapua Institute of Technology, also in Manila
offered Alcaraz a degree in mining engineering. Arturo
tranferred there, receiving a Bachelor of Science in Mining
Engineering from Mapua in 1937
11. Occupations:
He entered the Bureau of Mines as an aide in geology.
A year later, Arturo decided he needed further training and
took and came first in the government scholarship examination
which qualified him to study in the U.S. He chose the
University of Wisconsin for its academic strength in geology.
On a ship returning from the U.S., he met Maximo Lachica
who offered him to become the Chief Geophysicist. Alcaraz
accepted the position in May and had the responsibility of
studying earthquakes. He was also in charge of the
cooperative store and doing out potatoes and salted fish.
* Arturo Alcaraz got married to Lilia Salas and later had 3
daughters: Marilyn(1946), Cynthia(1948), and Lillian(1950)
12. In 1945, Alcaraz volunteered for a few months as a civilian
engineer for the U.S. Army, surveying the port area for
cleaning and rebuilding.
In the Weather Bureau, Arturo was responsible for monitoring
Earth movement and volcanic activity.
In 1952, Alcaraz was assigned as Chief Volcanologist in the
Commission on Volcanology and began to pursue more fully
the study of volcanos in order to improve eruption warning and
assess posibilities for use of stored heat beneath them.
Arturo Alcaraz observed that the places where there are
volcanoes, there are other thermal manifestations on the
Earth’s surface such as hot springs, mud cauldrons, and
geysers-which are clues to underlying pools of hot water and
steam that can be harnessed and realized, these can produce
geothermal energy.
13. HIS INVENTION
The first electric bulb in the Philippines lit by
earth-heat energy was in Tiwi, Albay, on April
12, 1967. A few years later, President Marcos
transferred Arturo in 1974 as Chief of the
Geothermal Division.
The first geothermal power generating
plant with a three megawatt capacity was
opened in Leyte in 1977. By 1980 Tiwi and
Mac-Ban were each capable of producing 220
megawatts, and in the first half of 1982, when
another 110 megawatts were added at Tiwi.
The Philippines attained the second highest
geothermal generating capacity in the world.
14. At present not all of the power generated at Tiwi
and Mac-Ban can be used because the
transmission lines have not kept pace with the
increase in power.
Although Alcaraz’s years in government service
have been demanding, he found time and
personal energy to write extensively in his three
fields of expertise—volcanology, seismology and
geothermy—and has acted as Contributing
Editor in Geology for the Philippine Journal of
Science since 1972.
Arturo Alcarz retired in March 1981 at age but
continued a consultant to the Philippine National
Oil Company, seeing to the training in tapping
earth energy of a new generation of Filipino
technicians—in New Zealand, Japan, the United
States and Iceland.
15. ARTURO PINEDA ALCARAZ was elected to receive
the 1982 Ramon Magsaysay Award for Government
Service and the Board of Trustees recognized his
scientific perspicacity and selfless perseverance in
guiding Filipinos to understand and use one of their
greatest natural resources.
The Philippine government, the scientific
community, and his alma mater have all recognized
Alcaraz’s contribution over the years.
He died on the year 2001 and is known as “Father of
Philippine Geothermal Development”.
18. BIOGRAPHY
Ramon Barba was born on August 31, 1939, in Ilocos Norte.
He studied elementary in Sta. Rosa Academy and finished in
1951.
He then studied in the University of the Philippines for his
high school.
He continued his studies in U.P. Los Banos in Laguna and
finished his course in Bachelor of Science in Agriculture major
in Agronomy or fruit production in 1958.
19. BIOGRAPHY
Ramon received a scholarship in the University of
Georgia where he was able to do a lot of experiment
about how plants could grow flowers by using
gibberellic acid and potassium nitrate. In the year 1962
Ramon finished the Master of Science in Horticulture in
the University of Georgia.
In the East West center in Hawaii he finished his
Doctorate in Plant Physiology, specializing in tropical
fruits and tissue culture in 1967.
Ramon Barba went through a lot of trials about his
proposal so that the mango tree can bear more
flowers.
20. BIOGRAPHY
Ramon Barba’s occupation is a horticulturalist.
Elected to the National Academy of Science and technology
of the Philippines in 2004 (one of his honors).
21. Invention
Ramon Barba discovered a very practical flower induction
treatment which is considered as the most significant
breakthrough in mango research in the country. His
technology of using potassium nitrate to stimulate flowering is
a milestone in the study of tropical tree physiology and is the
main stimulus to the growth of the local mango industry.
22. Significance of invention
Using potassium nitrate to induce flowering has revolutionized
the mango industry in the Philippines.
During harvest, you could double or triple the number
of fruits harvested. And make the tree bear fruit at
different times of the year.
After 8 yrs. of induction they are 15% smaller than those that
are not treated. But there was no bad effect, no damage to the
mango. Trees that have been sprayed with potassium nitrate for
more than 30 yrs. are still producing.
27. BIO DATA
❄ Name: Julian A. Banzon
❄ Birthday: March 25, 1908
❄ Birthplace: Balanga, Bataan
❄ Parents: Manuel S. Banzon & Arcadia Arca
❄ Wife: Vicencia Fernandez
❄ Has 10 children
❄ Death: September 13, 1988
28. Educational Background
❄He studied in the University of the
Philippines and enrolled in the degree
of B.S. Chemistry
❄He graduated in 1930 and after that
he went to the USA to study in Iowa
State College taking up a degree in
Ph. D Chemistry and graduated in
1940
29. Inventions
❄Alternative Fuel
❄Julian Banzon used sugarcane and
coconut to ethyl esters fuels
❄He also invented a chemical process to
extract residual coconut oil.
30. Importance of his inventions
Alternative fuels are important since global warming is getting
very bad, there is a need to use toxic fossil fuels. Many of the
new fuels are eco-friendly, available and can be changed in
the coming years. These fuels can help keep the Earth a
healthier place.
The fuel is nonpetroleum, it yields energy security benefits,
and the fuel gives environmental benefits.
31. Awards
❄1980: Distinguished Service Award -
Integrated Chemist of the Philippines,
Inc.
❄1978: Chemist of the Year Award -
Professional Regulation Commission
❄1976: Philsugin Award - Crop Society
of the Philippines
