Inauguration of the First Laboratory-Scale Meltblown Line Facility in the Philippines

By: Reina Rose B. Realino
Technology Transfer, Information, and Promotion Staff

As part of the 2024 Philippine Tropical Fabrics Month celebration, the Department of Science and Technology - Philippine Textile Research Institute (DOST-PTRI) inaugurated the first laboratory-scale meltblown line facility in the Philippines, which will serve as a core facility for R&D opportunities toward spunlaid nonwoven textiles in a diverse array of applications in filtration and packaging, among others. The launching of the facility was made possible through the DOST-GIA funded, DOST-PCIEERD monitored Project “Sustainable Meltblown Nonwoven Textiles for Mask Filters and Packaging Application”.  

Photos 1-4. Ribbon Cutting Ceremony during the Inauguration of the Meltblown Nonwoven Line

The Inauguration and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony was led by DOST-PTRI Director Dr. Julius L. Leaño, Jr., Fivecent Global Corporation, CEO Engr. Stanley Siahetiong, JG Summit Olefins Corporation Market and Product Development OIC Engr. Rolando Marasigan Jr., USTP-Claveria Chancellor Dr. Renato O. Arazo, and Ms. Mary Grace D. Buenavides, Chief of the Industrial Technology Development Division of the Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST-PCIEERD). 

As a testament to our commitment to fostering inter-agency collaboration, DOST-PTRI signed a Memorandum of Agreement between the DOST-PTRI and the Department of Public Works and Highways - Bureau of Research and Standards (DPWH-BRS), through their Director, Engr. Reynaldo P. Faustino, duly represented by Engr. Renz Marion S. Ontimare and Ms. Mariz B. Mansibang. The collaboration, grounded on the implementation of the DOST-GIA-funded project, “Functional Spunbonded Nonwoven Textiles for Agro-Industrial and Geo-Textile Applications”, aims to develop relevant standards toward geotextiles and textiles for civil works.  

Photos 5. Signing of Memorandum of Agreement between DOST-PTRI and DPWH - Bureau of Research and Standards

The DOST-PTRI also signed a Joint Research Undertaking (JRU) with the University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines- Claveria Campus (USTP-Claveria) on research initiatives towards the use of spun-bonded nonwoven textiles as agro textiles for the growing of mulberry. The Joint Research Undertaking Program aims to foster student R&D projects in the field of textiles, with the student-researcher and DOST-PTRI collaborating to craft relevant textile-based solutions for various topics. 

DOST-PTRI also organized an Innovation Dialogue with Spunlaid Nonwoven Textile Stakeholders. The Dialogue aimed to broaden the scope of the Spunlaid Nonwoven Textile ecosystem, covering polymeric raw materials, fabric producers, and downstream applications in geotextiles, health products, agro textiles, among others, and to harmonize, mainstream, and standardize the use of spun-bonded and meltblown nonwoven technologies.