By Aljon P. Tugaoen

Inspiring students to pursue innovative research, Dr. Fiorello B. Abenes, who is back in MMSU as a DOST Balik-Scientist, cascaded the narratives of bioethanol research of the Mariano Marcos State University to faculty, students and researchers in a lecture forum held at the University Review Center today, October 11.

Dr. Abenes shared the experiences of his team, along with MMSU President Shirley C. Agripus and Dr. Roque Ulep, now the director of the National Bioenergy and Innovation Center, during the experimentation phase of the MMSU hBE-20, a hydrous bioethanol from fermentations of sweet sorghum and sugarcane juices.

“We started with nothing, no funding, so we had to be resourceful,” Dr. Abenes recollected that “äs guerilla scientists, we had to connect the dots and that accomplished the goals we had,” he added.

Emphasizing the importance of sustainability in any research or innovative endeavor, he further highlighted the place of nipa palms in bioethanol production. MMSU has now produced high-grade nipa sap-based bioethanol through its proprietary fermentation and distillation technologies.

He further encouraged the students to apply and work for NBERIC to strengthen the production of bioethanol. “The ultimate dream is to have a gas station selling our very own hBE-20,” he beamed.

Dr. Abenes, a professor emeritus of the California Polytechnic State University in Pomona beamed “I love MMSU and there’s no other university I would want to comeback to as a balik-scientist.”

PSCA also shared the humble beginnings of their team emphasizing on how the project metamorphosed to what it is now. “From zero partnership, now we have eight university and several industry partners,” she shared. 

Dr. Abenes will stay in the university for three months as balik-scientist, through the DOST - Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development.

More than two hundred students from the biology and environmental science programs attended the forum. (HLY/JVBT, StratCom)