Dengue Toolkit, Interactive Display Platform Win Gold Medals in Geneva 

Left photo: Ambassador Evan P. Garcia, Permanent Representative of the Philippines to the UN and Other International Organizations in Geneva, and DOST-TAPI Director Edgar Garcia receive the gold medals on 14 April 2018 each for a diagnostic toolkit for dengue and an interactive display platform invented by the University of the Philippines. Right photo: Dr. Rowena Cristina Guevara (center), DOST Undersecretary for Research and Development, visits the Philippine booth on 12 April with Ambassador Denis Lepatan (second from right), Philippine Ambassador to Switzerland, and Assistant Secretary Maria Teresa Lepatan (second from left) from the DFA Office of the Undersecretary for Administration.

GENEVA 26 April 2018 — Philippine inventions on a medical toolkit able to quickly diagnose dengue fever and an interactive display platform won gold medals during the 46th International Exhibition of Inventions in Geneva held on 11-15 April 2018, which showcased thousands of new products and technologies and provided a venue for linking inventors with potential investors.

The Exhibition gave the highest recognition to the Biotek-M Dengue Aqua Kit, a miniaturized toolkit that is able to make a reliable diagnosis of dengue fever within an hour of testing, and the Smart Surface, an electronic device that would allow interactive interface between flat surfaces and computers and revolutionize marketing, education, real estate, and consumer electronics.

The Philippine exhibition was set up by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) as part of the government’s program to promote innovation and harness the market potential of new products and technologies.

The DOST also exhibited BioGroe, a fertilizer that helps root growth through plant hormone production. All products were developed by the University of the Philippines.

Ambassador Evan P. Garcia, Permanent Representative of the Philippines to the UN and Other International Organizations in Geneva, and Mr. Edgar Garcia, Director of the DOST Technology Application and Promotion Institute, received the medals on 14 April.

“These internationally-recognized inventions not only bring honor to the Philippines but also highlight the innate creativity of our people. It is important for the government to support inventors and entrepreneurs as agents of growth and innovation of the fastest growing economy in Asia,” said Ambassador Garcia.

Considered as among the biggest marketplace for inventions in the world, the Exhibition drew more than 30,000 participants this year, including businessmen, universities, journalists, and private inventors and researchers. END

For more information, visit www.genevapm.dfa.gov.ph or https://www.facebook.com/PHinGenevaUN/