CITY OF SAN FERNANDO --- The Aurora State College of Technology (ASCOT) has been granted P2.4 million for its research project
on Barringtonia Asiatica, locally known as Boton.
The mangrove species, which can be found in the coastal areas of Aurora province, are said to be a natural remedy for rheumatoid arthritis and stomach pain.
It is also a biopesticide for invasive pests in rice fields.
ASCOT will utilize the fund to buy processing equipment such as mechanical dehydrator, rotary vacuum evaporator, chipper, pulverizer, Soxhlet extraction equipment, and solar power system.
The funding is under DOST's Grants-In-Aid (GIA) Program, which supports different science and technology groups like ASCOT on the innovation and commercialization of organic products.
A total of 64 projects in Aurora have been funded under the GIA Program since 2010, and some 21 are still in the process of implementation while 43 have already been completed.