05/04/2024
Celebrating women never ends! Join us in honoring Dr. Merlinda A. Palencia, a driving force in chemical engineering, academia, innovation, and entrepreneurship. Dive into her revolutionary contributions to wastewater treatment, leading the charge towards a greener, more sustainable future ๐๐
๐๐ป ๐๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ถ๐๐ต: ๐๐ฟ. ๐ ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฎ ๐. ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐น๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ ๐ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐๐ผ๐น๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฃ๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ช๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ป๐ป๐ผ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป
Oftentimes, heroes donโt come in capes, they show up in collared shirts and high heels.
Born and raised as a curious kid, the heroine of this story started early through experimenting at the table of their old home. She can even recount setting their table on fire as she conducts one of her experiments in her home laboratory. Her gift in research and science flourished through her works in the academe which led to the production of Vigormin, an alkaline, non-toxic, and odorless solution to neutralize odors and clean wastewater without the use of harmful chemicals. Through this, Dr. Merlinda A. Palencia, an outstanding researcher and professor at Adamson University, was able to solve wastewater problems in various places in the Philippines such as Boracay, Leyte, and Pasig River.
What started as a research idea, Dr. Palencia was just trying to find ways to resolve the odor issues near the Estero de Balete beside Adamson University. In this project, she and her team utilized biominerals to create a powder that can be used to remove odors, neutralize pH, remove heavy metals, and on a much larger scale, improve the quality of water that is locally produced in the country. It then blossomed into Vigormin, a solution that was utilized to cure the problems of Boracay and Pasig River, to name a few. Currently, Vigormin is available commercially in two variants: Vigormin 732, used for absorbing pollutants in wastewater, and Vigormin 550, for livestock and poultry industries.
When asked of one achievement sheโs particularly proud of, she recalls this product and recognizes it as Godโs timing in which she was able to create a solution to an existing problem. With the correct combination of the right material and the right processes, she utilized her chemical engineering knowledge to create solutions in the problem of clean water. Aside from this, she also ventured into treating septic tanks, admitting that wastewater is not the sole problem. One of her projects, the Modular Ecology-Friendly Domestic Wastewater Treatment, also known as MEDOWW, helps small businesses comply with the Clean Water Act by treating domestic waste with a cheap alternative.
To her, the engineering practice is a product of collaboration. Specifically, chemical engineering is a field that can be utilized to view problems on a micro and macro scale. โChemical engineering is a part of every manโs processes. It is a part of daily life, there is no activity in human life without a touch of chemical engineering. From womb to tomb, there is chemical engineering.โ She particularly views chemical engineering as a challenging field and one that has a lot of potential. Indisputably, she made use of all this potential through creating a solution to wastewater treatment problems, having won multiple awards such as the prestigious Dr. Gregorio Y. Zara Medal for Outstanding Technology Commercialization of the Department of Science and Technology.
Aside from gaining multiple awards in Intellectual Property and Technopreneurship, she is currently the dean of the College of Engineering at Adamson University. She says that she found teaching to be emotionally and professionally rewarding, being highly motivated by the achievements of her students. When she was still a student, she also valued her professors and mentors who taught her to be detail-oriented, critical of data, and the correct approach to solving problems. She appreciates her professors for shaping her as a human being and an engineer. She asserts, โIf you want to be critical of your professor, be critical on the good side.โ Additionally, welcoming varying personalities such as the staff, janitors, and guards could help you learn a thing or two on how to go with life if you open your ears.
Meanwhile, she also had her fair share of obstacles that challenged her as a chemical engineer. After all this, she learned the importance of following orders from people because the real world will not be how you want it to be. Strengthening your interpersonal skills, respecting authority, and having technical skills are all crucial. When asked to give advice to young female engineers and engineering students, she says, โBe yourself, know your strengths and weaknesses.โ Working with your strengths and improving your weaknesses could help one become a better engineer. She also highlighted the importance of collaborating with other people, as well as joining projects that support other women.
In the end, a hero is not born but rather it is made through struggles, work and the collaborative efforts of all the people around you. Just like Dr. Palencia, she is an embodiment of all the hardships that she has surpassed and people that inspired her to be who she is. Today, she is an empowered female chemical engineer who continues to improve other peopleโs lives with her gift of knowledge and innovation.
Written by: Christine Kyle Monternel
Layout by: Kristina Sy
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