Wednesday, September 03, 2008 Cebuano creates ant-repelling device to protect food, sweets By Debra M. Estero Sun.Star Correspondent
THREE decades of waiting did not stop a Cebuano inventor from coming up with a gadget that prevents ants from raiding food cabinets.
In 1977, Gorgonio Aclao developed his first ant guard made from an old brass door knob. He attached a string coated with gas to it and used it to hang a basket containing food.
Aclao considered ants as his nemesis. His family ran a restaurant at Capitol Site, Cebu City and ants were a major problem—the insects infested the food they served to customers.
Aclao was thinking of manufacturing the first ant guard device for mass production. He presented his discovery to the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), or the then National Science Development Board.
He was advised to avail himself of an investor’s loan from the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP). But the numerous documentation required by the bank put him off. He thought he would never be able to pursue his dream of mass producing his invention.
This year, though, Aclao, who is turning 69 years old this month, felt he needed to go back to his dream. He found a cheaper way to manufacture his ant guard.
“Plastic is cheaper and easier to mold,” he told Sun.Star Cebu in an interview.
He put in P70,000 to purchase a molding equipment and contacted a plastic maker based in Cebu to manufacture an initial stock of 1,000 ant guard devices.
His investment was his retirement money, which he saved up from working as an insurance underwriter
The plastic version of the ant-guard is shaped like a tiny basin with a protrusion in the center where a hole is located, in case the device needs to be screwed to a surface. In the basin, one needs to put a few drops of edible oil, which prevents the ants from climbing all the way up to where food is stored.
He said he first used kerosene but oil is more cost-effective because it does not easily evaporate.
The ant guard can be installed on dining tables and food cabinets. It can also be used as a hook to hang food bins.
Each ant guard is sold at a retail price of P20. Aclao also came up with a table tray with ant guards, which is sold for P200.
Confident about the effectiveness of his invention, Aclao said he can give money-back guarantee to buyers.
Aclao is coordinating with DOST to secure a patent for his invention. He hopes to get the patent before the end of the year.
Although Aclao did not finish high school, he is fond of inventing devices that provide more convenience to people.
