A Pinoy investor is inching closer to his dream of creating the first locally-made aviation sealant manufacturing company in the Philippines.
Mark Kennedy Bantugon, the brain behind the award-winning “Pili Seal,” recently revealed that he has found an angel investor from the United States who’s ready to help make his invention a reality on store shelves.
“They will be visiting here [for several] transactions…and to test the product in one of the popular aircraft manufacturers, the Boeing company,” he said in an interview with ABS-CBN News.
The “Pili Seal” snagged the prestigious James Dyson Award at the national level in 2021 for its uniqueness and sustainability. It is made from the waste of pili tree resin, commonly known as “spent resin” or “de-oiled resin.”
Mark credits his farm-kid roots in Batangas for the inspiration. As he grew up helping his farmer dad, he got up close and personal with plants, animals, and waste materials. Learning how to take care of and feed the animals, grow plants, and cut weeds gave him the creative spark for his game-changing invention.
The best part is that the 24-year-old inventor isn’t selling out his product for a quick buck despite the lucrative offers from companies.
He’s all about the long-term benefits, not just for the aviation industry but also for the farming communities in Bicol and Quezon, where pili trees thrive.
“This is one of the things I can give back to my community, especially to the local farming community,” he said.
“It will really help not only my father but the farming community in the provinces because not only will it provide new streams of income and job opportunities but they will play a vital role in the plantation of pili trees and the extraction of the resin itself,” he said.
The pili seal holds a lot of promise as it is 14 times cheaper than the competition, it’s green and clean, and it won’t harm the planet or the lungs of aviation technicians and mechanics because it’s non-toxic.
