The following stories from the Philippines are extracts from the booklet 'Women in the Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Industry."
RAQUEL DUMAYAS
Why I enrolled in a RAC technology course
Before I started college, my parents considered sending me to the University of Southeastern Philippines (USeP), a State university in our region where the tuition fee is affordable for an average income family. My first choice was to enroll in the College of Education, but since there were no slots for me in any of its courses, I tried to enroll in the Philippine College of Technology (PCT). It so happened that the only course available was the Bachelor of Industrial Technology, with a major in RAC Technology. That is where my journey started.
What motivated me to pursue the course
During my first semester, I started to appreciate the beauty of the course and the opportunities it offered. Semester after semester, I fell in love with the course until I successfully finished it, excited about the opportunities that awaited me. Out of the 14 students enrolled in the course, only five of us graduated on time. I graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Technology-Technology Teacher Education major in Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Technology. During the Licensure Examination for Teachers, I was one of only two graduates in our class to pass. This simply shows that when you enjoy your learning, you will end up happy, successful, and fulfilled.
My Work Experience
As I was seeking career opportunities to practice what I had learned at school, I arrived in General Santos City, where I was hired as a trainer in RAC technology at the General Santos National School of Arts and Trades (GSNSAT). GSNSAT is a Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) administered school that offers training in trade skills. TESDA is a government agency tasked with managing and supervising technical education and skills development (TESD) in the Philippines. My experience as a trainer at GSNSAT enabled me to become a more productive worker in the field of RAC technology. I was sent to different enhancement courses in different companies such as DAIKIN and Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) to be exposed to new technology in the heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC R) sector. My exposure to those companies broadened my perspective in regard to the significance of this sector as we move forward to a highly industrialized country. Thus, I have more of an appreciation for advancements in green technology.
- “I believe that, like men, women can conquer any challenge, because women are innovative problem-solvers who are relevant in the world of industrial technology.”
Challenges in my career
The more I enhance my trade, the more I love my career in the field of RAC technology. I believe that I can give more to the community and lend a great deal of assistance to women on the same career path as mine and those who are considering being or aspiring to be one of us. This desire led me to further my studies by enrolling in a Master’s degree in vocational education at the University of Southeastern Philippines (USEP), Davao City. While I was considering the topic of my dissertation, as I was especially driven to inspire and motivate women wishing to work in this weld, I considered some of the difficulties women might encounter during this kind of career. As a trainer in RAC technology, I came up with a dissertation proposal to design and produce a “snap-on hand-type pinch-off tool.” This is a device used to help women working in the RAC servicing industry, a weld that is usually dominated by men. The device started as a prototype and was then developed to make pinching operations requiring tight seal pressure easier for women. Before I graduated from my Master’s studies, I was able to successfully invent the device. This success was driven by my deep desire to contribute to this kind of industry. The invention was already registered for a patent at the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines on 11 April 2014, under application number 1 2014 000119. This breakthrough promotes gender equality in the workplace, especially since the technology used in the industry is typically operated by men. I finished my Master’s degree with a deep sense of fulfillment, knowing that in one way or another, in pursuing a career in the RAC industry, I had been able to inspire women. I believe that there are many ways to inspire people in any career path they could take, and this is the kind of inspiration I could give them. I believe that, like men, women can conquer any challenge, because women are innovative problem-solvers who are relevant in the world of industrial technology.
MARIA YZABELL ANGEL PALMA
The welfare of those living on Earth is perilously endangered; the possibility of extinction is even becoming an everyday challenge for different lifeforms. I support the hypothesis that these threats come from the emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs), and primarily that of CO2, initially believed to be caused by the massive burning of fossil fuels by the world’s economies.
More alarming, a greater threat is now arising from the use of chemical refrigerants in the RAC sector. As the findings of scientists proved that the likes of the “Freon» refrigerant deplete our planet’s ozone layer, the United Nations’ Montreal Protocol subsequently and successfully banned the production of such chemical refrigerants. As the chemical refrigerants in question have been phased out, it has been discovered that one kilogramme of the now widely used hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) is roughly equivalent to as much as 20,000 kilogrammes of CO2 in terms of global warming potential (GWP). In monitoring the production of air conditioners, the Japan Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Industry Association (JRAIA) reported that in 2016, world demand amounted to more than 100 million units, and was increasing annually. In another study, world demand is estimated to reach 700 million units by 2020.
- “I consider myself a researcher and, now, inventor for our planet. I am seriously concerned about the dire state of our Earth with respect to climate change.”
The United Nations Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol requires the phase-out of HFCs. The International Federation of Inventors’ Associations (IFIA) published an article about my invention on 12 August 2018, entitled: “AirDisc: A Timely Response to Global Warming.” Likewise, I have received various awards, mostly gold medals, from different countries. I was personally invited to present my “AirDisc» invention in Geneva, Switzerland, by the President of IFIA on the occasion of the federation’s fiftieth anniversary, but I was not able to attend due to school requirements for my graduation. I was conferred high honours and the Philippine Science High School System’s Excellence in Leadership Award. In Naga City, Philippines, where I live, I was also awarded the most prestigious youth award, entitled “Jesse M. Robredo Youth Award” on 16 June 2018. Recently, I have been invited to attend BIXPO, an international conference and invention fair in South Korea organized by the Korea Electric Power Corporation. Presently, I am very busy accepting media interviews from different media outlets. I have applied for a provisional patent, which has been approved by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). I also plan to apply for an international patent with the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) within the prescribed timeframe. I have formed a team to help me confer with different air conditioning companies so that I can also have enough time for my school requirements as a freshman of De La Salle University under the College of Engineering– Mechanical Engineering programme.
As my invention, the AirDisc (air conditioning technology), which uses the air that we breathe as a cooling medium, is an effective substitute to chemical refrigerants, I have already encouraged many women to take interest in my invention and in the fields of science and technology. They are particularly interested because my AirDisc will use only 150 watts of electric power, as opposed to chemical refrigerant air conditioners, which need 1200-1500 watts. For the information of the public through the Philippine-based OzonAction and this very publication (Women in the Refrigeration and Air conditioning (RAC) Sector), a group of women has been encouraged to form an organization, which they have done, named STEMGirlsPH, to promote women’s empowerment, especially in the field of air conditioning, science and technology.
When I made my courtesy call to Ms Elsie Ferrer, Campus Director of PSHS-Bicol Region Campus, to thank her for all the support she had given me and her encouragement to join international contests with my invention, she told me that one direct result of media coverage was that students in my beloved alma mater had been so encouraged that they had started to approach her for information on how to join international contests in which I had participated. In fact, she has already received projects for international competitions from grade 9 students (freshman year for other countries). She is expecting more students to submit projects in the upcoming months. As for me, I always try to encourage women to save people from climate change through their own small or big ways and actively participate in endeavours or activities that will, hopefully, negate the negative effects of climate change.
