12 September 2013

A Battery-Free Flashlight: Invention of a Fil-Canadian Teen

News Article from abs-cbnnews.com

MANILA – Fifteen-year old Ann Makosinski of Victoria, British Columbia has capitalized on the heat radiated by the body to create light.

The Filipino-Polish-Canadian teen is one of the finalists in this year's Google Science Fair for the age group, 15-16.

Her invention: The Hallow Flashlight.

"I power the flashlight solely from the heat of the human hand," she said in one of her presentations uploaded on video sharing website, YouTube.

She used peltier tiles set on an aluminum tube that transfers or take out the heat quickly. The electricity is created by placing a palm on the peltier ties and letting the other side cool with the ambient air.

Makosinski, the only daughter of Sandra and Arthur Makosinski, said she motivated to make the project following several trips to her mother's homeland, the Philippines.

"I've been to the Philippines quite a few times, and in some of these villages I know some of the boys and girls there personally and some of them in particular have failed their grades solely because they just didn't have any light to study in," she said in the video.

She added, "imagine what it would be like if they could just have free access to light, such as my flashlight to use".

Aside from her experience in the Philippines, Makosinski was also motivated to pursue the projects in the hopes of eliminating the use of batteries in the future.

The Google Science Fair will be held in Mountain View , California on September 23, 2013. The grand winner will enjoy a 10-day trip to the Galapagos Islands with the National Geographic Expeditions and US$50,000 in scholarship funding.

Source: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/global-filipino/09/11/13/fil-canadian-teens-invention-gets-googles-attention (Retrieved 12 September 2013)

09 August 2013

Sagot ng Anak sa Magulang

ni: Kuya Daniel Razon


Sa iyo aking Tatay
Nais ko po sanang hanggang sa iyong pagtanda
Mata ma’y lumabo’t pandinig man ay humina
Ibig ko’y sa tabi mo upang magalaga
Tulad ng ginawa mo noong ako ay bata

Kung lumalakas man ang aking boses
Gusto ko lamang pong ako’y iyong marinig
Hindi ibig sabihin ako’y nagagalit
Kapag mayroon kang sa akin ay pinauulit

Pasensya na Itay kapag ikaw minsa’y aking naiiwan
At kung hindi ako ang palaging sa iyo ay umaalalay
Kailangan ko lng po na ipagpatuloy ang aking hanapbuhay
Gaya rin ng laging sa akin ay inyong ipinangangaral
Na wag maging tamad at tuwinay maging masikhay

Patawad po itay kung hindi tayo madalas magkakwentuhan
Hindi po dahil yun sa ang kwento mo’y ayaw kong pakinggan
At kailanman po ay hindi kita pinagtatawanan
Kung may sandaling ikaw ay mayroong nakakalimutan
 alam ko kasing dala marahil iyon ng iyong katandaan
at hindi ko pa po nakakalimutan
na nang ako’y bata ako’y pingtiyagaan
at iyong tiniis ang lahat ng aking mga kakulitan

At sa paghina ng iyong katawan
Nais ko po sanang ika’y mapaglingkuran
Gaya ng ako’y isang paslit pa lang
Binibigay mo ang lahat ng aking kailangan

Sa iyong pagtanda asahan mo Itay
Sa panalangin ko’y lagi ka pong laman
Na sana ikaw ay lagi Niyang bantayan
At sanay humaba pa ang iyong buhay

Sana’y madama mo ang aking pagmamahal
At makasama ka sa walang hanggan
Alam ko po ako’y hindi makakabayad
Sa pagmamahal mo at iyong paglingap

Ngunit sa Maykapal ang hiling ko sana
At ang aking pangarap ako sayo’y laging maging
Isang mabuting anak
Batid kong ikaw ay magiging masaya kung masusundan ko
Landas mong tinahak at ang paglilingkod na ginagawa mo

At kung ako po’y madalas wala diyan sa tabi mo
Gusto ko po kasing magawa
Kahit kaunti lang lang ng mga ginawa mo
Sana Itay, ako’y patawarin
Kung minsa’y matagal na hindi kita kapiling
Hindi ito dahil di ka mahal sa akin
Mayroon lang po talagang kailangang gawin

Di  ko po nais magbingibingihan
Sa mga daing mo at pananambitan
Ang bawat luha moy aking ipinagdaramdam
Di ko po ibig na ikay masaktan

Hiling ko rin po ang iyong pangunawa
Kung nagkukulang ako sa aking paggawa
Ngunit sa Maykapal hiling ko ay awa
Sa bawat sandali maingatan ka nawa.


References:
Razon, Daniel S. Sagot ng Anak sa Magulang. (As Aired in Dear Kuya, UNTV Radio Laverdad 1350 khz, last July 23, 2013.)
Video Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fANZ0yhN4Q