Filipino inventor tops Moscow's "Archimedes 2004"

By MARY CHARLOTTE FRESCO
MediaCore, STII

Filipino inventor Rolando dela Cruz went up the stage three times to receive three major awards in the 7th Moscow International Salon of Industrial Property or "Archimedes 2004" held at the Exhibition Centre Sokolniki, Moscow, Russia held March 30 to April 2 April.

Dela Cruz clinched the grand prix award for his "topical herbal cream preparation for removing warts, moles and other skin growths using cashew extracts", a gold medal award for "effective and safe herbal cream preparation in the removal of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) using kakawati and cashew nut extract", and silver medal award for "effectiveness and safety of herbal cream preparation in the removal of external genital warts using Chelidonium majus or calandine".

In a report Dela Cruz submitted to the Department of Science and Technology, he said that among Asian countries, the Philippine booth always attracted huge crowds reaping praises from juries, science experts, and diplomats from different countries.

"As a representative of our country, I felt so very proud to be part of the unforgettable event," Dela Cruz said.  DOST sponsored the inventor's participation to the Moscow event.

Also billed as the "Battleground of the Minds", the competition showcased 375 inventions by 288 inventors from 42 countries.

Dela Cruz is recipient of numerous invention awards both domestic and international.  He initially gained fame for his 25-years-in-the-making herbal cream preparations bearing the trademarks "Dewart and Demole", as alternative treatment for cutaneous warts and moles.

A longtime herbalist, Dela Cruz found the oil of cashew nut (Anacardium occidentale) pericap as powerful and effective escharotic or scar/keloid removal agent.  He obtained a license to manufacture the herbal cream from the Bureau of Food and Drugs in December 1997.

The cashew-based product won him several prestigious international and local awards including the Tuklas Award's "Most Outstanding Invention" in 1998 from DOST's Technology Application and Promotion Institute.