13-year old girl inspires bio-fuel research
Nadya Patricia Sauza receives a Certificate of
Recognition from Agriculture Sec. Arthur Yap for
her outstanding contribution to the Bio-Fuel
Research and Development. Also in photo
(from left) are: Dr. Beny Palma ASU President,
Engr.Tomas Ortega of ASU, Ester E.Sauza,Nadya's
mother, and Dr. Mary Eden Teruel, Dean of School
of Arts and Sciences -- ASU.
JOE HARESH TANODRA PHOTO
Kalibo, Aklan -- A 13-year old student at the Philippine Science High School in Iloilo City inspired the research of the new bio-fuel taken from animal fats.
The researcher Nadya Patricia Sauza was recently personally recognized by Department of Agriculture secretary Arthur Yap for her research and development and contributions for the bio-fuel production.
According to Nadya's mother Ester Sauza, it all when her second child joined the annual Investigatory-Elementary Level fair early this year. Nadya's entry was "Bio-diesel waste from animal fats in a meat processing plants.”
The Sauza family maintains a meat processing plant in the province and sells chorizo and tocino on a nationwide scale.
"At first, we do not know what to do with the processed animal fats until we sought the help of the Aklan State University (ASU)-Banga on what to do with the said wastes," Ester said.
After a consultation with a team of experts at ASU, they've learned that processed animal fats could be used for bio-fuel.
The same conclusion also earned high approval from the Department of Science and Technology-Kalibo.
But the road to success for Nadya was not easy. After having chosen as a regional winner supposedly to represent Western Visayas in the National Science Quiz Fair organized by the Association of Science Educators of the Philippines (ASEP), Nadya was left out.
ASEP chose only one representative per region and since the regional organizers sent two, a draw lots was made between Nadya and another representative where the latter won.
Nadya's mother filed a formal complaint to the ASEP questioning why her daughter was barred from joining the contest. The controversy reached Yap's office where he immediately called the organizers of the said fair and met with Nadya.
"Nadya then presented her research to Yap which gained his approval. After some months of deliberation the DA decided to fully implement the project and gave a grant of P15 million to pursue the production of the bio-fuel from the processed animal fats," Ester said.
With the said grant, the ASU now also have the exclusive right to ask the management of food chains in the nationwide level to provide the university their wasted processed animal fats to be converted into bio-fuel.
"I remember her while she's still seven year's old. She loves to play as a manager of a certain business and one of her dreams was to have a gas named after her. We did not expect that her dream became a reality," Nadya's mother said.
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