We’ve all heard that Agapito Flores invented the fluorescent lamp — a claim that has been refuted by others, Google it! And no, we didn’t invent the moon buggy either–, but there are a number of other inventions that the world has known of and has enjoyed, that have been invented by ingenious and innovative Pinoys. #PinoyPride? Indeed so! Here are inventions made by Pinoys that the world knows of and loves today!
Pinoy Inventions That Changed The World
5. Sing Along System
Alright, Filipinos didn’t TECHNICALLY invent the karaoke no matter how Pinoy it feels– it’s actually a Japanese invention (hence the Japanese name), created by Daisuke Inoue. BUT, the Sing Along System (SAS), known to many as “minus one” was invented by Roberto del Rosario in 1974! The Sing Along System actually sounds like a cousin of the karaoke machine: it had a microphone, an amplifier, a cassette tape mechanism, and a mixer with cool effects to enhance a singer’s voice! Unlike the karaoke machine, it didn’t come with a visual screen for lyrics, but it was usually accompanied with a songbook anyway.
4. Yo yo
Ah, the classic yo yo– who hasn’t played with this classic toy? I myself spent a summer as a child trying to twirl my yo yo with acrobatic movements– to no avail, sadly. Pedro Flores, a Filipino immigrant to the United States is credited for inventing the modern yo yo in the 1920s as we know it today! He put up the Yo-yo Manufacturing Company in California, before selling it to Duncan, who continued to sell his inventions under the Duncan line.
3. Erythromycin
Modern antibiotics have Dr. Abelardo Aguilar to thank, a doctor hailing from Iloilo who observed the antibacterial actions of the Aspergillus species of fungi in his hometown. Erythromycin was meant to be an alternative to penicillin, for those who were allergic to the latter. He sent the samples to his employer, Eli Lilly Co., who quickly patented and marketed the medicine under the brand name Ilosone, in honor of the place where it was discovered. Abelardo, however, never received any royalties from his discovery up until his death.
2. Modular Housing System
What could probably be a solution to the country’s housing problem is the Modular Housing System, developed by Edgardo Vasquez. The modular housing system made use of pre-fabricated materials that can withstand typhoons and earthquakes. The modular housing system actually costs less than traditional building materials and is is versatile with various types of housing architectures. Vasquez later put up his own company, Vazbuilt, to bring his development to the public.
1. Video Phone
A video phone… in 1955?! Sounds impossible considering cell phones were only introduced in the late 90s to 2000s, but there was such a thing back then! Pinoy scientist and inventor Gregorio Y. Zara is credited for creating the first videophone in 1955, which he called the photo phone single separator network. Five years after his invention, AT&T started to work on a similar device, which they were able to develop and release to the public in 1970.
And there you have it, Pinoy inventions you should know that changed the world!
What do you think of this?? Any other inventions by Pinoys you know of?
