A leader of Filipino inventors endorses the use of Probaton, or the police reconnaissance operation baton, as an alternative to firearms in village patrol and security.
Filipino Inventors Society Producers Cooperative president and chief executive Francisco ‘Popoy’ Pagayon, who recently celebrated his 72nd birthday, said that instead of using guns, barangay tanods should be equipped with Probatons to fight or prevent crimes.
He said barangay tanods or watchmen are the ones who do actual rounds in the community and are the first to respond to crimes in villages.
Pagayon said equipping them with truncheons would also avoid deadly confrontation and panic among residents.
“We should provide barangay tanods with weapons because they are the ones who are exposed to harm from criminals. They are the ones going around the communities and the first to respond to any call for assistance from residents,” he said.
Pagayon said that once armed with Probaton, barangay tanods would be better equipped to respond to crimes and enforce peace and order in the communities.
Pagayon first designed a police truncheon in 1978 and received a patent for it in 1994. Probaton is one of the eight inventions that Pagayon is credited for.
Aside from Probaton, Pagayon is also the inventor of Portasol, a multi-purpose solar thermal post-harvest speed dry tray, which saves space and ensures the high quality of products while drying grains or fish.
The Department of Science and Technology recently distributed 80 Portasol multi-purpose solar drying trays in Cagayan Valley region to reduce port-harvest losses among farmers and help fishers in dried fish production.
Engineer Sancho Mabborang, DOST Region 2 director, described Portasol as a cost-effective technology that can boost productivity of famers and fishermen in the region.
The regional office of DOST distributed the 80 Portasol portable, multi-purpose solar drying trays during the recent celebration of the Region 2 Science and Technology Week hosted by Gonzaga, Cagayan mayor Marilyn Pentecostes.
Of the 80 Portasol units, 50 were provided to the Cagayan provincial government, 20 to Gonzaga town and 10 to the Gonzaga Fisherfolks Association.
Pagayon hopes that more towns and provinces will utilize Portasol as a cost-efficient technology intervention in food processing.
DOST Secretary Fortunato dela Pena earlier endorsed Portasol as a solar drying option for the various crops and products that can also prevent unnecessary vehicular accidents caused by highway or roadside palay and corn drying.
Another popular invention of Pagayon is the Ambidex convertible school chair, which can be adjusted for left or right-handed use. He also invented Reverse Applied Retro Reflective Elements on Alphanumerics for vehicle license plates and Green-Grow gardening and reforestation tool kit. He also built products such as whistle for exclusive use of the police and flash light for traffic enforcers.
Recently, he developed new products such as solar-powered lighting systems with multi-purpose chargers, solar-powered street lamps and rescue boats with solar-powered lighting systems.