A jeepney driver from Silang, Cavite, who found a solution to leaking brake fluid got a back-to-back award from the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) this year.
After bagging the Outstanding Invention (Tuklas) award for 2016 in July, Melchor R. Heñosa received another award in the form of financial assistance from the DOST-Technology Application and Promotion Institute (Tapi) for the commercialization of his invention named “Leak Sealing Valve [LSV] for Brake System of Motorized Vehicles.”
Through a memorandum of agreement (MOA) signed between the DOST-Tapi, represented by Director Edgar Garcia, and Heñosa, DOST-Tapi will grant Heñosa P726,000 to cover the cost of raw materials and die-cast mold for the production and commercialization of 40 sets, or 160 units, of his invention-product.
The project falls under the Invention-based Enterprise Development (IBED) and Industry-based Invention Development (IBID) Assistance programs. The MOA orientation was led by lawyer Marion Ivy Decena, division manager of Tapi’s Invention Development Division, with Mechelle Balboa, IBED program manager, and Redentor Noche, who witnessed the recent signing ceremony held at the Tapi Conference Room.
Meanwhile, as the beneficiary, Heñosa is responsible for the care and security of the production facilities, raw materials and finished goods; provide the site and other facilities needed to implement the project; and allow designated staff of Tapi to access his workshop and other relevant information to assess the development and progress of the project.
Earlier, Heñosa bagged the Tuklas Award for Outstanding Invention during the DOST’s 2016 National Invention Contest and Exhibit and brought home P150,000 cash, certificate and plaque, as well as the World Intellectual Property Organization gold medal.
This IBED project is Heñosa’s third from the DOST. Previously, Tapi and the DOST’s Metals Industry Research and Development Center provided him assistance for 70 pieces of LSV prototypes for testing purposes. Currently, the project is on its Component 2 for commercialization.
The idea began when Heñosa, who was a driver for almost 15 years, experienced and observed brake-fluid leakage while driving. Knowing the danger posed by such condition, he developed an anti-loose brake device to be attached along the fluid pipes of each wheel assembly, particularly for public-utility vehicle.
When a leak occurs, he said the device will automatically lock the damaged assembly and cut off the supply of brake fluid to it. Meanwhile, the remaining undamaged wheel-brake assemblies continue to function.
“We are really promoting safety on the road. Because personally, as a driver for several years, I already know what the problem is, so I looked for a way to solve it,” Heñosa said in Filipino in an interview. The inventor also intends to upscale the project with the DOST-Technology Innovation for Commercialization Program for possible funding assistance. The planned upscaling would test and develop the LSV to be used for other types of vehicles besides jeepneys and automobiles, which are the current target market of the product.
Along with the MOA orientation, a Certificate of Completion was also awarded to Heñosa for completing the project “Pilot Production-cum-Market Testing of Leak Sealing Valve.”
Tapi is the DOST’s lead agency in providing technical consultancy and financial assistance to technology-based projects based on the institute’s mandate on technology transfer and commercialization. One of the policies recently instituted by Tapi for newly approved projects is to hold the signing of the MOA to orient proponents regarding their critical role in ensuring the successful implementation of the project as stipulated in the agreement.
Alexandria Dennise S. San Juan/S&T Media Service