Tambayan ng Kaalaman Tungkol sa Pilipinas
COUGH CANDY USING LOCAL PLANT EXTRACTS
Researchers of ITDI have formulated a cough candy using oils of ginger (Zinigiber
officinale Rosc.) and “kalamansi” (Citrus microcarpa Bunge) and extracts from tamarind
(Tamarindus indica Linn.) and “kalamansi”. The use of local plant products to substitute
for the imported raw materials/ingredients in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals may
help contribute to the reduction of prices of drugs which have become prohibitive.
HARVEST MEDICINAL PLANTS PROPERLY
According to a plant researcher at the University of the Philippines at Los Baños,
Laguna, to be more effective and to protect their “healing powers,” medicinal plants
should be harvested at the right time, then dried and stored properly.
CARABAO/COW DUNG FLOORING
Carabao or cow dung flooring is an age-old technology applied in the rural areas. “Bastiya,” as it is locally known, took a back seat to cement during the peak of the latter’s popularity but is currently making a quiet comeback due to the prohibitive cost of cement. The procedure for making the dung mixture herein presented is the one followed in and around the environs of Antipolo (Rizal) where the ground leaves of “puso-puso” (litseaa glutinosa) are used as a binder. It is known that in Central Luzon, “dayami” or dried rice stalks are added as filler material. The distinct advantage of carabao or cow dung flooring over simple packed earth is that the former does not give the rise to dust.
FUEL FROM CARABAO DUNG AND RICE HULLS
Cattle dung and rice hulls can be used as fuel for cooking purposes, especially in rural
areas where firewood is getting scarce.
Procedure:
1. Mix in a pail or in any available basin or kerosene can one part rice hull to six parts fresh manure. Animal manure should be fresh and moist so it can bind the mixture when dry.
2. Mix the mixture thoroughly with the use of shovels.
3. Press the mixture to remove the excess moisture.
4. Pour the mixture into tall milk cans which serve as mold. Both ends of the can should be opened to facilitate removal of the briquets.
5. Remove the molds and dry the briquets to the sun for three to four days. At this stage, the briquets have a moisture content of around eight to 12 per cent.
Source: Phil. Farmer’s Journal September 1980
Descriptor: Fuel technology
Descriptor: Carabao dung
Descriptor: Rice hulls