Review of Related Local Studies (Life Science)

1.The coconut palm, Cocosnucifera, a tree of the palm family Arecaceae, is one of the most important
crops of the tropics.1 It is dubbed the tree of life not only for the variety of products that can be made
from it but also for the variety of livelihoods that it can support. Many seemingly ordinary items have
by-products of coconut in them such as soap. The health benefits of the coconut are also highly
regarded by health experts and practitioners around the world. Coconut water and coconut sugar have
been highly touted for being good alternatives for people with diabetes.

The coconut, being an important crop for Filipinos, is one of the priority crops in the Peace and Equity
Foundation’s (PEF) focus on social enterprises. This primer seeks to give the PEF and its partners a
wider understanding of the environment surrounding the coconut industry.
WHAT IS THE POSITION OF THE COCONUT INDUSTRY IN THE WORLD ECONOMY?

Coconut is a source of various types of raw materials such as coconut oil (CNO), desiccated coconut
(DCN), and copra meal aside from traditional food products such as coconut meat and coco water.
Given the more traditional culinary uses of coconut, coconut raw materials are also used in various
products such as soaps and textiles. Coconut products are hailed for their health benefits, thus gaining
popularity among health consumers throughout the world. The coconut is also being utilized for
biodiesel because it makes engines more efficient in combustion, thereby reducing emissions.

Philippine coconut faces tight competition with soybean, corn, and other crops used for vegetable oil in
the world market. In fact, the American Soybean Association in the United States made a smear
campaign against coconut oil in the past to bar it from the U.S. market. A number of scientific studies
have since refuted this marketing ploy.2

Indonesia is the top producer of coconut products in the world, with the Philippines coming in second.
In terms of exports, the Philippines is the top exporter of coconut products worldwide, especially in
terms of CNO and DCN. This is due to Indonesia’s preference for local consumption rather than
export.3 The top exporters of CNO can be found below.4 The Netherlands is a re-exporter of CNO for
most of Europe.

1Encyclopedia Britannica."Coconut palm." February 11, 2014. 2Faustino, J. "Facing the

Challenges of the Philippine Coconut Industry: The Lifeblood of 4.4 Million Coconut Farmers
2.The Philippines is a low middle-income, tropical country in Southeast Asia. Infectious diseases remain
the main causes of morbidity, including tuberculosis. AIDS/HIV prevalence is still low at <1%, but is
rapidly increasing. Fungal disease surveillance has not been done, and its burden has never been
estimated. This becomes more important as the population of immunocompromised patients increases,
drawn from patients with AIDS, TB, malignancies, and autoimmune diseases requiring chronic steroid
use. Using the methodology of the LIFE program (www.LIFE-worldwide.org), estimates were derived
from data gathered from WHO, UNAIDS, Philippine Health Statistics 2011, Philippine Dermatological
Society Health Information System database, HIV/AIDS and ART registry of the Philippines,
epidemiological studies such as The TREAT Asia HIV Observational Database 2005, and personal
communication. Aspergillosis and candidiasis were the top causes of fungal infections in the
Philippines. Chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA), drawn from the number of tuberculosis patients,
affects 77,172 people. Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) and severe asthma with fungal
sensitization (SAFS) frequencies, which were derived from the number of asthmatic patients, affect
121,113 and 159,869 respectively. Recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis (RVVC) affects 1,481,899
women. Other estimates were cryptococcal meningitis 84, Pneumocystis pneumonia 391, oral
candidiasis 3,467, esophageal candidiasis 1,522 (all in HIV-infected people), invasive aspergillosis (IA)
3,085, candidemia 1,968, candida peritonitis 246, mucormycosis 20, fungal keratitis 358, tinea capitis
846 and mycetoma 97 annually. A total of 1,852,137 (1.9% of population) are afflicted with a serious
fungal infection. Epidemiological studies are needed to validate these estimates, facilitating appropriate
medical care of patients and proper prioritization of limited resources.
In the Philippines, most of the initial epidemiological studies on mycoses focused on superficial fungal
infections [1–3]. Since the 1950s, superficial mycoses have been in the top five most common
diagnoses in outpatient dermatology clinics [2]. For several decades, fungal diagnostic procedures in
the Philippines were not routinely done and were limited to the isolation, culture, and identification of
fungi involved in skin, hair, and nail infections. Two university-based microbiology departments conduct
short courses in Diagnostic Mycology on a regular basis. In the past, these used to cater solely for
dermatologists, because the course was a requirement in their residency training. However, with the
advent of AIDS and the compromised patient, more infectious disease fellows and medical laboratory
personnel have enrolled in these courses.
The advent of AIDS, first described in the Philippines in 1984, led to a greater recognition of fatal fungal
diseases [4]. Out of 470 HIV/AIDS patients seen in a tertiary general hospital in the Philippines, 32.5%
presented with opportunistic infections [5]. Among the opportunistic infections, 32% were due
to Pneumocystis pneumonia, 4% to cryptococcal meningitis, and 3% to oral thrush [5]. HIV cases are
climbing steeply in the Philippines (20–30% annual increase in the years 2013–2016), especially
among men [4]. Patients who are on immunosuppressive agents, or are immunocompromised due to
medical conditions and/or are critically ill, are also at an increased risk of acquiring serious fungal
infections, and such patients are common in the urban centres of the Philippines. There is no active
surveillance done for serious fungal infections in the country, and epidemiological studies even for
benign superficial mycoses have been sparse. Although nationally based surveillance programs are
the gold-standard in estimating disease prevalence, they are usually costly and difficult to implement
[6]. Therefore, the actuarial method used by previous researchers was used in this study to estimate
the incidence and prevalence of serious fungal diseases, in which results from previous epidemiological
studies, populations at risk, and epidemiological databases were used [6].
Batac, Denning 2017 "Serious fungal infections in the Philippines "Retrieve
from:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5442224/
3. The warm tropical climate of the Philippines and its interaction with cultural practices, occupation
and immune responsiveness contribute to the increased susceptibility of Filipinos to fungal infections.
An investigation to determine the prevalence of fungal infections in dermatology training institutions
over a 4-year period was conducted. The results showed that fungal infections rank as the second
leading cause of consultation with a prevalence of 12.98%. Pityriasis versicolor 25.34%, tinea corporis
22.63%, tinea cruris 16.7% and tinea pedis 16.38% were the most frequently encountered cases.
Fungal culture yield is low and Candida sp. is the most common isolate, obtained predominantly from
specimens taken from the oral mucosa and nails. Candidiasis is still the most common opportunistic
infection followed by coccidioidomycosis, cryptococcosis and aspergillosis. Imidazoles are the most
commonly prescribed systemic and topical treatment by Filipino dermatologists. Initial data collected
would serve as reference for future research and may be used to compare with epidemiologic data
obtained from other Asian countries.
The Philippines has a tropical marine climate divided into a rainy and a dry season. Having an average
temperature of C and a relative humidity of 77-83% makes the weather almost always hot and humid.
These environmental factors and their interplay with age, occupation, genetic susceptibilities and
immune responsiveness contribute to the high prevalence of fungal infections among Filipinos. This
study aimed to determine the prevalence of fungal infections in dermatology training institutions. Data
which pertains to diagnosis and treatment were also collected. METHODS Data on the cases of
superficial and deep fungal infections were retrieved from the medical record database of the
Department of Health- Research Institute for Tropical Medicine DOH- Corresponding author:
Evangeline B. Handog, MD Filinvest Corporate City, Alabang, Muntinlupa City, 1708, Metro Manila, the
Philippines Consultant dermatologist, Section of Dermatology, Department of Health-Research Institute
for Tropical Medicine RITM. Questionnaires were distributed in five accredited government institutions,
1 private institution and private clinics to determine incidence of superficial and deep mycoses from
year 2000 to 2003 to compare with data gathered from the DOH-RITM. Most common diagnostic
procedures done and modes of treatment were likewise identified. Published studies on the prevalence
of skin infections in the Philippines were reviewed. Potassium hydroxide KOH smear and fungal culture
results were retrieved from the laboratory record database of the Microbiology section of the DOH-
RITM from years 1998 to Data collected were analyzed using indicators such as frequency distributions,
rates and ratios. After assessing the data, significant interpretation was provided. RESULTS Fungal
infections rank second as the leading cause of consultation at the DOH-RITM Section of Dermatology
outpatient clinic with a prevalence of 12.98% Table 1. Fig. 1 shows the relative distribution of cases
seen where pityriasis versicolor 25.34% is the most common, followed by tinea corporis 22.63%, tinea
cruris 16.7%
Handog and Dayrit 2010 "Mycology in the Philippines, revisited”. Retrieve from
https://docplayer.net/30511080-Mycology-in-the-philippines-revisited.html
4. Coconut remains to be one of the most important crops and a major export of the Philippines.
However, despite the continued boom of coconut exports, there has been no significant improvement
in the coconut industry for the past years. A factor that has considerably affected the industry is the
controversies surrounding the coconut levy fund. In February 2019, Pres. Rodrigo Duterte vetoed the
consolidated bill creating the Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund and the bill strengthening the
Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA).
These bills are deemed to address the stagnant growth of the coconut industry especially that these
will provide funds for developmental programs, improvement of coconut farmer’s income, and
improvement of the farms’ productivity, among others. However, given the current state of the industry
and the veto of the coconut levy bills, other issues should be acted upon in relation to positioning of the
coconut industry. A strategic direction could be the continued development of coconut while also
encouraging the development of oil palm. Another is to focus investments in producing and/or
developing other coconut products such as coconut water, coconut sugar, virgin coconut oil, coconut
flour, and coco coir, among others."

Coconut, also known as the “tree of life”, is one of the most important crops in the Philippines. It is
considered a major export, contributing 3.6% of the country’s gross value-added (GVA) in agriculture,
next to banana, corn and rice. Indeed, the country remains to be a top producer and exporter of coconut
worldwide (PSA 2019, Lapina and Andal 2017).

Generally, the coconut production had been stagnant from 2000 to 2017 (Fig. 1). There had been no
significant increase in the production’s growth rate. The production has started to slow down in 2010
and 2013 mainly due to the infestation of the coconut scale insects and the occurrence of major
typhoons, which destroyed huge number of coconut trees. Evidently, the yield has declined significantly
since 2010. On the other hand, the area planted had generally increased from 2000 to 2017, which
also caused the production growth in the recent years. The area planted accounted for almost 26% of
the total agricultural land in 2015 that covers 68 provinces in the Philippines (Fig. 2) (PSA 2019, PCA
2019, Lapina and Andal 2017).

Despite the continued boom of exports, there has been no significant improvement in the coconut
industry. In fact, the industry is still considered an “orphan” in the country’s agriculture due to poor
investments. Also, high poverty incidence still prevails among millions of Filipino coconut farmers (Ani
and Aquino 2016).

Among the identified problems in the industry are the unorganized supply chain, vulnerability of coconut
to world price fluctuations, low farm productivity, which roots from infestations of cocolisap, the aging
of current crop of coconut trees and poor nutrition, inadequate infrastructure support and poor farm to
market roads, low allocation on research and development (R&D), and presence of corruption and
bureaucracy. Another is the controversies surrounding the coconut levy fund (Ani and Aquino 2016,
Lapina and Andal 2017).

This paper provides an overview of the status of the Philippine coconut industry, the policies that
governed the coco levy fund and some strategic directions for its development. The first section
provides the current situation of the coconut productivity. The second section provides a theoretical
construct on the economic implications of levies and taxes while the third section discusses the coco
levy policies and the current status of the coco levy proposed utilization policies. The last section
presents some key strategic areas for the development of the coconut industry.

Castillo and Ani 2019 "The Philippine Coconut Industry: Status, Policies and Strategic Directions for
Development" Retrieve from :http://ap.fftc.agnet.org/ap_db.php?id=969&print=1
5.

1. Mycologic laboratory studies consisting of KOH preparations for direct microscopic examination and
cultural procedures for the isolation and identification of the causative pathogenic fungi were performed
on 401 cases of suspected dermatophytosis in the Outpatient Skin Clinic of the Philippine General
Hospital during the period August, 1948 to May, 1950

2. Ninety-one cases suspected of tinea pedis were studied. Twenty or 22% showed a positive KOH
preparation for hyphal filaments. Eleven positive cultures were obtained, 10 of Trichophyton
mentagrophytes and 1 of Trichophyton rubrum. This low figure of demonstration of the fungus is
explained mainly by technical errors in the performance of the laboratory examination and the probable
non-mycotic nature of a certain percentage of the cases

3. Ninety-seven patients with involvement of the hands were seen and only one gave a positive KOH
mount. Not a single culture showed growth of a dermatophyte

4. Eighty-one cases with lesions on both feet and hands were examined. There were 15 cases with
positive KOH of the feet and negative KOH of the hands. One case gave positive findings from both
feet and hands. Only three positive cultures were obtained from the feet which proved to be
Trichophyton mentagrophytes. None was isolated from the hand lesions

5. There were 62 patients suspected of tinea corporis. Out of this total, 40 gave positive KOH mounts.
Nineteen cultures were isolated, 13 of Trichophyton rubrum, 4 of Trichophyton mentagrophytes and
one each of Trichophyton violaceum and Microsporum gypseum

6. Fifty-six cases were diagnosed clinically as tinea cruris. Of these, 47 had a positive KOH mount.
Twenty-two cultures were obtained with 19 of Trichophyton rubrum, 2 of Trichophyton mentagrophytes
and one of Trichophyton violaceum. This preponderance of Trichophyton rubrum as the causative
agent of tinea cruris in the series studied is in contrast to that recorded by most dermatologic textbooks
which is Epidermophyton flocosum. The greater tendency of this form of tinea cruris caused by
Trichophyton rubrum to spread to adjacent areas and to involve other sites was also observed

7. The paucity of cases of tinea capitis, tinea unguium and tinea barbae in the clinical material studied
is noted

8. The results as obtained are compared with statistics reported by authors from other lands.

P Gutierrez 2012, ”Dermatophytosis among Filipinos: its incidence and flora in the outpatient
dermatological clinic of the Philippine General Hospital”.Retrieve from:
http://www.herdin.ph/index.php/component/herdin/?view=research&cid=13612
Review of Related Local Studies (Applied Science)

1. Maize is second to rice as the most important crop in the Philippines, with one-third of Filipino
farmers, or 1.8 million, depending on maize as their major source of livelihood. White maize is the most
important substitute staple in periods of rice shortage, especially for people in rural areas. Yellow maize
is the primary source of feed for the Philippines’ animal industry, and is being increasingly used by the
manufacturing sector.

Maize production in the Philippines increased at an annual rate of 1.7% over a 20-year period (1980-
2000) (Table 8, Annex 1). After production peaked in 1990 at 4.9 million metric tons, a sharp decline
was posted in 1998 when the El Niño phenomenon affected the region. Total area planted to maize
was also highest in 1990, at 3.8 million hectares, but was observed to be on the decline at 1.9% per
year from 1985 to 2001 (Gonzales and Lapiña, 2003). These long-term figures reflect a sharper decline
in white maize area in contrast to that planted to yellow maize. Further, while average yields for white
maize are consistently low, yellow maize yields increased by an annual rate of 4.9% over a 17-year
period beginning in 1985 (Gonzales and Lapiña, 2003). The adoption of improved technology for yellow
maize production has resulted in significant yield increases. Yellow maize accounted for 23% of total
maize production in 1985, and for 58% by 2001. It should be noted, however, that the national average
yield of 1.82 tons per hectare for white and yellow maize (in 2001) is low when compared to maize
yields in other Asian countries (Gonzales and Lapiña, 2003).

Most common in upland areas, maize production peaks from July to September; the lean months are
from January to June. The upland regions of Mindanao have the most area planted to maize, and the
highest production in the Philippines. Maize is also grown in

the rainfed lowlands, where it is planted during the dry season after the rice crop has been harvested.
The production of maize after rice increases the productivity of irrigation systems during the dry season,
while supplying needed grain during an otherwise lean period. Integrating livestock into the system
provides high value products and increases the income of maize farmers with small landholdings
(FSSRI, 2000; Eusebio and Labios, 2001).

1.2 Objective

The three-year IFAD-CIMMYT Project was designed to promote the sustainable intensification of maize
production systems in the uplands of selected countries in Asia, to enhance maize supplies while
ensuring growth and improved food security for the poor households that subsist on maize. More
specifically, the study aimed to:

• Gather detailed information on the different maize production systems by agro-ecological zones;

• Identify maize production constraints in these zones;

• Prioritize these constraints and develop potential solutions; and• Make recommendations for research
and development and policy change to promote sustainable maize production.New data from this study
suggest that research and development agendas as well as funding priorities be changed to better
serve the needs of maize farmers and consumers. Results also indicate that socioeconomic and policy-
related constraints impact maize productivity more than technical constraints do.

Gerpacio,Jocelyn-Romeo Labios,Diangkinay "Maize in the Philippines: Production Systems,

Constraints,and Research Priorities" Retrieve
from:https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/7650/files/mp04ge01.pdf
2.Corn or maize, also known as Zea mays L., is an annual herbaceous tropical plant (Tela Botanica,
2011). This plant species originally comes from Mexico but is currently planted all around the world as
a forage and industrial crop (Paliwal, Granados, Lafitte, & Violic, 2002). It is one of the first cereal
cultivated in the world, before rice and wheat thanks to its very high productivity. Corn crops can be
classified in two main groups according to their latitude. Maize fields located between equator and 30°
of latitude are considered as tropical corn crop and those located at higher latitudes are designated as
tempered corn (OGTR, 2008). Tropical and tempered corn mean yield reach respectively 1 800 kg/ha
and 7 000 kg/ha. Higher tempered corn yield is due to its longer vegetative cycle.

Maize is a slender plant reaching up to 3 meters high with opposing and alternate leaves along
cylindrical stem (OGTR, 2008; Tela Botanica, 2011). This single erected stem is around 3 to 4 cm of
thickness and is divided with nodes and internodes (Sapkota, 2012). One leaf is attached to each node
and appears on the opposite side of the stem with respect to the previous one (Figure 2B). Leaves are
composed of 3 distinct sections: a sheath surrounding the stem, the limb separated from the stem and
the collar located between them (Figure 2A). Root system is composed of seminal roots, crown roots
and aerial roots (OGTR, 2008).

Corn is a monoecious plant, which does mean that both male and female flowers coexist on the same
individual (Bertin, 2015; OGTR, 2008). This plant is usually pollinated by wind or by gravity, given that
male flowers are located above female organs (Bertin, 2015). In order to favour cross-fertilization while
allowing also self-fertilization, anthesis occurs up to 15 days before the blooming of female flowers
(OGTR, 2008). Anthers are located on a terminal branched tassel at the top of the plant (Figure 3A).
Female flowers are located into a long axillary organ called ear on which grow silks and stylar canals
of ovaries (Figure 3B). Silk appearance on the ears corresponds to a high sensitivity to stresses and
diseases for the plant (Jamago, 2017; OGTR, 2008). In the Philippines, corn can grow up to two ears
on the same plant if the soil possesses good nutritional qualities (Jamago, 2017).

Julie Transon 2017 "CORN CROPS IN BUKIDNON, PHILIPPINES Synthesis from field survey and
literature"Retrievefrom:http://lucid.essc.org.ph/wp-
content/uploads/2017/11/Transon_Julie_Repport_corn_2017.pdf
3. Is the Philippine market ready for biodegradable substitute to synthetic plastics?

To test the country’s readiness to replace synthetic plastics with a biodegradable substitute,
the Department of Science and Technology-Industrial Technology Development Institute (DOST-
ITDI) developed a biodegradable polymer, a more environment-friendly alternative.

“Although most plastics are recyclable these days, their disposal becomes a problem due to the lack of
landfill area. A single-use packaging always ends up in a landfill, a situation which prompted the
government to formulate 13 House Bills and Senate Bills on the regulation and phasing out of plastic
bags and other plastic packaging materials,” said Dr. Marissa A. Paglicawan, supervising science
research specialist at the DOST-ITDI.

Synthetic plastics are petrochemical-based, which means that they are not easily degraded and would
take almost a decade to decompose. This prompted lawmakers and plastic makers worldwide to identify
and develop durable biodegradable bio-based alternatives.
The downside, though, is that not all plastics can be replaced with biodegradable polymer,like those
single use plastics in which recycling is not an option. Then there is the cost of biodegradable polymer
which is slightly higher than the synthetic plastic.

The small size of industry players in the area of biodegradable polymer signals an opportunity for those
who want to venture into the manufacturing of plastics. Plastic manufacturers can easily shift to this
type of technology because there are norequired investment for pre-processing equipment and skilled
workers. They can still use their existing equipment of extrusion and face pelletizer machine.

“To our knowledge, there are no producers of biodegradable thermoplastic polymer in the Philippines.
However, there is one local distributor of Polylactic Acid (PLA), a synthetic biodegradable polymer,” Dr.
Paglicawan said.

Currently, several plastic manufacturers have expressed interest in availing thisDOST-ITDI

technologydue to bans imposed on the use of plastic packaging materials and tonnage usage of
disposable plastic items in the fast food industry.

However, Dr. Paglicawan explained that they have yet to assess the marketability of the product, such
as customer acceptance and price competitiveness, and thequality of the materialbecause those
specifically made from starch are inferior in quality than synthetic plastics.

Geraldine Bulaon-Ducusin 2018 "DOST-DEVELOPED BIODEGRADABLE SUBSTITUTE TO SYNTHETIC

PLASTICS OFFERS OPPORTUNITY FOR PLASTIC MANUFACTURERS" Retrieve
from:http://www.stii.dost.gov.ph/808-dost-developed-biodegradable-substitute-to-synthetic-plastics-
offers-opportunity-for-plastic-manufacturers
4. There is an increasing demand for plastic, from the highly technological fields of electronics, fiber
optics, and pharmaceuticals to the basic necessities such as sandwich wrappers and garbage bags.
This high demand for plastics, however, has been a major contributor to the world’s present garbage
problems. The researches aimed at developing biodegradable plastics is one big step to lessen, if not
totally eliminate, this global concern.

The use of biodegradable plastics has already started in the United States. Some plastics use
cornstarch as an additive. This additive helps in the natural decomposition of the plastic materials.
Cassava is basically composed of starch. Cassava starch is composed of two components: amylose
and amylopectin. Amylose is a long straight chain of polymer of anhydroglucose units. Amylopectin is
a branch of chain compound, also of anyhydroglucose units. Because plastics are made of polymers,
starch is a very favorable raw material in plastic-making. The study was limited to one species of
cassava, Manihot esculenta. The plastic produced was treated with different amounts of starch,
polyvinyl alcohol (binder), epoxidized soya bean oil (stabilizer), and glycerol (plasticizer). The finished
product was expected to be comparable to commercial plastics in terms of clarity, reaction to acids and
bases, water absorption, tensile stress and tensile strain, electrical conductivity and flammability.

The word plastic came from the Greek word plastikos, whih means “capable of being molded.” Plastics
can be as hard as metal or as soft as silk. They can take any shape in almost any form due to the
versatility of the carbon, the most common backbone of polymer chains. Plastics can be conveniently
divided into two categories: semi-synthetic, in which the basic chain structure is derived from a natural
product, such as cellulose; and synthetic, which is built up chemically from small units or monomers.
Despite the various applications of plastics, drawbacks have been encountered in three major points.
Firstly, there are certain chemicals used in the manufacture of plastics that may cause allergic
reactions. There is a need to protect humankind from these threats. Secondly, since cellulose films are
biodegradable, they are readily attacked by

bacteria. Films and packaging materials from synthetic polymers are normally attacked at a very low
rate. New polymers such as nylon, polyvinyl chloride and polystyrene have replaced cellulose, the
pioneer plastic material. These plastic materials have become permanent wastes. There are various
methods in making biodegradable plastics. The simplest is the production of plastic from the extraction
of casein from milk. Casein is obtained in two ways: 1) by souring, with the use of lactic acid; and 2) by
boiling together with an additive, such as acetic acid. Starch is a natural organic polymer manufactured
by green plants through photosynthesis. It occurs in the form of grains in many parts of the plant,
principally in embryonic tissues such as seeds, fruits, roots and tubers. Polyvinyl alcohol is a colorless,
odorless, tasteless, thermoplastic synthetic resin. It is commonly used for greaseproofing paper, in
adhesives, in gas- and oil-impervious films and coatings. This substance, although soluble in water, is
insoluble in common organic solvents. Glycerol is the simplest trihydric alcohol. In commercial form, it
is called glycerin. It is a colorless, odorless and viscous liquid with a sweet taste. It is completely soluble
in water and alcohol but is only slightly soluble in many common solvents, such as ether, ethyl acetate
and dioxane. It is widely used in coatings and paints, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. Plastic production
is a relatively new technology. Experiments are being conducted to relieve the negative effects of
overproducing plastics. By changing its raw materials and additives, commercial plastic may be
improved so that it will become biodegradable while retaining its good quality.

Girao,Inciong,Jacinto,Magbuhat,Sayson "BIODEGRADABLE PLASTIC FROM CASSAVA (Manihot

esculenta)"Retrievefrom:http://scinet.dost.gov.ph/union/Downloads/Biodegradable%20plastic%20from
%20cassava_119701.pdf
5. Amid the bleak scenario of Metro Manila’s worsening garbage problem comes this bit of good news:
a new study finds that plastic, which to date has only been disposed of through recycling, is also
biodegradable.

The results of the study by Jose Mallari, which discovered that microorganisms in Philippine soil can
degrade or turn polybeta-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) or plastic into compost, was announced by the
Philippine Council for Health Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology
(PCHRD-DOST) in a recent public health forum held at the University of the Philippines-Manila.

The finding was actually an offshoot of Mallari’s thesis on "Antibiotic Production by Polybeta-
hydroxybutyrate (PHB)-degrading Microorganisms," which primarily aimed to show the potential of PHB
degraders for antibiotic production. In the process of conducting the study, the organisms isolated were
found to be useful in composting plastic.

Mallari’s thesis builds on previous studies on the biodegradability of natural and synthetic polymers.
Among the biodegradable plastics that attracted the most attention in industry and biomedicine are the
aliphatic polyesters such as polybeta-hydroxybutyrate (PHB).

These polymers are decomposed through the action of organisms, particularly bacteria and fungi.
Polybeta-hydroxybutyrate, a linear polymer of B-hydroxylate, is produced within the cells as energy
reserve by a range of prokaryotic cells.

These bacteria create hydroxybutyrate from glucose, which can be sourced from corn, molasses,
wheat, starch or alcohol. Since glucose source materials are readily available in our country, PHB offers
an inexpensive alternative to petrochemically derived plastic.

The results of Mallari’s study also provide a new perspective to composting. Prior to the study,
composting was only thought to be applicable to biodegradable wastes. That plastic is also
biodegradable should be welcome news to environmentalists.

The disposal of used plastic has long been a cause of concern. In the Philippines, approximately
120,000 tons of plastic are generated each year, 50 percent of which end up as litter. Like other solid
wastes, conventional plastic is resistant to microbial degradation. Plastic cannot also be disposed of
through burning since plastic fumes cause a wide range of ailments, including skin diseases, asthma
and some forms of cancer. Even recycling, widely endorsed to reduce solid wastes, does not effectively
reduce the volume of used plastic.

Like other bright ideas, however, Mallari’s study needs the support, not only of the public, but more so
of industry players and policy-makers.

Developed countries have legislations in place that mandate the use of degradable plastic. Philippine
lawmakers have also been recommending the phaseout of non-biodegradable materials. But unless
industry players provide their full support, this breakthrough finding in waste management would end
up like other innovations in the past – shelved and forgotten.

Jose Mallari 2010 " Plastic is biodegradable, new study shows"Retrieve from:
https://www.philstar.com/business/science-and-environment/2001/11/12/139846/plastic-
biodegradable-new-study-shows