Standards and Testing Division - ITDI

Researchers and technical staff from the Standards and Testing Division - ITDI attend the 73rd Annual Convention of PhilAAST

The Philippine Association for the Advancement of Science and Technology (PhilAAST) is currently holding the 73rd Annual Convention today, 09 September 2024 at The Manila Hotel, Rizal Park, Ermita, Manila with the theme "Ensuring Food Security through Science, Technology, and Innovation."

The 73rd Annual Convention is bringing together experts, industry leaders, and scientists to discuss Food Security anchored on Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) Solutions, Empowering Agricultural Cooperatives, and promoting Tech-based start-ups supporting Food Security. The convention is open to all PhilAAST members and non-members.

Researchers from the Division will be presenting original, unpublished research papers on topics related to the convention theme. The Division's delegation is head by the Division's Chief Science Research Specialist Ms. Ma. Rachel V. Parcon, RCh, MSc, and Quality Manager Mr. Admer Rey C. Dablio, RCh, CCPQM. Both Ms. Parcon and Mr. Dablio are the presenting authors of the research studies presented in the Convention.



DOST ITDI Updates

Researchers from the Standards and Testing Division - ITDI conducted Technical Visit at the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), the National Metrology Institute (NMI) of Germany

Chemists from the Standards and Testing Division - ITDI visited the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), the National Metrology Institute (NMI) of Germany, on 30 August 2024, as part of the activities of the concluded International Measurement Confederation (IMEKO) 2024 XXIV World Congress. The Congress was from 26th to the 29th of August 2024, with the theme "Think Metrology," held at the CCH - Congress Center Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.

Under the headline "Think Metrology," IMEKO sheds light on both well-established and new, highly current topics such as digitalization.

The Division's researchers visited and toured the facilities of PTB's Innovation Cluster for Quantum Technology. Specifically, they toured and benchmarked on the facilities of PTB for ion accelerators, for protons, neutrons, and electrons. These are being used for applications in the medical field, as well as in metrology.

From the Standards and Testing Division - ITDI, the following researchers conducted the visit:

Mr. Admer Rey C. Dablio, RCh, CCPQM
Senior Science Research Specialist

Ms. Aileen C. Bidol, RCh
Science Research Specialist II

Ms. Johanna Andrea C. Valdueza, RCh, MSc
Science Research Specialist II

In Braunschweig and Berlin, time comes from atomic clocks, lengths are measured far into the nano-world, scientists do research on fundamental questions concerning the physical units, and the employees in the laboratories calibrate measuring instruments, meeting the most demanding requirements. Therefore, the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt is among the top names in metrology worldwide. As Germany's national metrology institute, PTB is Germany's highest authority when it comes to correct and reliable measurements. It is the supreme technical authority of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) and employs a total of approx. 1900 staff members. PTB operates an integrated quality management system which covers the four interlinked field of business.

Participation of the DOST-ITDI researchers to the Congress and this technical visit is made possible through the funding support granted by the DOST Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (PCIEERD) - Human Resource Development Program (HRDP): Presentation of Scientific Outputs in Conferences, Seminars, Workshops and Fora.

Thank you PTB Germany for the warm welcome to the DOST-ITDI researchers

Researchers from the Standards and Testing Division - ITDI attended the Gala Night of the IMEKO 2024 XXIV World Congress at Hamburg, Germany

Chemists from the DOST Industrial Technology Development Institute (ITDI) attended the Gala Night of the International Measurement Confederation (IMEKO) 2024 XXIV World Congress at the CCH - Congress Center Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany on 28 August 2024. The Congress is from 26th to the 29th of August 2024, with the theme "Think Metrology."

Under the headline "Think Metrology," IMEKO sheds light on both well-established and new, highly current topics such as digitalization.

The Gala Night was organized as a chance for the Congress participants coming from various parts of the world to interact and conduct networking. A special program was organized by the IMEKO officers and organizers for all the international participants. The five (5) Filipino participants showcased the Filipino culture in the celebration through their worn Filipiniana. The Filipino researchers took the chance to connect with fellow international participants, with objective on opportunities for future collaborations.

From the Standards and Testing Division - ITDI are:

Mr. Admer Rey C. Dablio, RCh, CCPQM
Senior Science Research Specialist

Ms. Aileen C. Bidol, RCh
Science Research Specialist II

Ms. Johanna Andrea C. Valdueza, RCh, MSc
Science Research Specialist II

From the National Metrology Laboratory of the Philippines are:

Ms. Alleni T. Junsay, RCh, MSc
Supervising Science Research Specialist

Ms. Abigail H. Bion, RCh, MSc
Science Research Specialist I

IMEKO is a non-governmental federation of 42 Member Organizations individually concerned with the advancement of measurement technology. Its fundamental objectives are the promotion of
- international interchange of scientific and technical information
- in the field of measurement and instrumentation, and
- the enhancement of international cooperation among scientists and engineers from research and industry.

Founded in 1958, the Confederation has consultative status with UNESCO and UNIDO and is one of the five Sister Federations within FIACC: Five International Associations Co-ordinating Committee, further consisting of
IFAC - International Federation of Automatic Control,
IFIP - International Federation for Information Processing,
IFORS - International Federation of Operational Research Societies and
IMACS - International Association for Mathematics and Computers in Simulation.

Participation of the DOST-ITDI researchers to the Congress is made possible through the funding support granted by the DOST Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (PCIEERD) - Human Resource Development Program (HRDP): Presentation of Scientific Outputs in Conferences, Seminars, Workshops and Fora.

Thank you DOST-ITDI researchers for representing the Philippines in this worldwide scientific gathering.

Researcher from the Standards and Testing Division - ITDI presented study at the IMEKO 2024 XXIV World Congress at Hamburg, Germany

Chemist from the DOST Industrial Technology Development Institute (ITDI) presented a research study (oral presentation) on 28 August 2024 at the on-going International Measurement Confederation (IMEKO) 2024 XXIV World Congress currently being held at the CCH - Congress Center Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany. The Congress is from 26th to the 29th of August 2024, with the theme "Think Metrology."

Under the headline "Think Metrology," IMEKO sheds light on both well-established and new, highly current topics such as digitalization.

Ms. Johanna Andrea C. Valdueza, RCh, MSc, Science Research Specialist II from the Chemistry Laboratory, presented a research study through oral presentation during the breakout parallel sessions of the Congress, entitled "Development and Validation of methods for the Determination of Water-soluble and Acid-soluble Sulfate in Concrete."

The following is the abstract of the presented study:
"Sulphate attack is one of the deterioration mechanisms of concrete. This is characterised by the formation of chemical species that cause expansion, subsequent cracking, and the eventual loss of concrete strength. Production of acid rain and high elevation of temperature, as manifestations of climate change, can initiate and/or accelerate the process of sulphate attack, reducing the service life of concrete structures which could lead to social, environmental, and economic damage. The laboratory developed and validated ion chromatographic-based and spectrophotometric-based methods for the analyses of water-soluble sulphate and acid-soluble sulphate in concrete, respectively. This is to assess the laboratory’s capability in generating reliable and accurate measurement results for sulphate determination. This will support regulations on sulphate content of concrete, ensuring that construction products conform to the standard specifications. Method performance characteristics evaluated were linearity and working range, repeatability, intermediate precision, and trueness. The methods were found to be fit for the intended purpose of sulphate determination in routine analysis of concrete samples."

IMEKO is a non-governmental federation of 42 Member Organizations individually concerned with the advancement of measurement technology. Its fundamental objectives are the promotion of
- international interchange of scientific and technical information
- in the field of measurement and instrumentation, and
- the enhancement of international cooperation among scientists and engineers from research and industry.

Founded in 1958, the Confederation has consultative status with UNESCO and UNIDO and is one of the five Sister Federations within FIACC: Five International Associations Co-ordinating Committee, further consisting of
IFAC - International Federation of Automatic Control,
IFIP - International Federation for Information Processing,
IFORS - International Federation of Operational Research Societies and
IMACS - International Association for Mathematics and Computers in Simulation.

Participation of Ms. Valdueza to the Congress is made possible through the funding support granted by the DOST Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (PCIEERD) - Human Resource Development Program (HRDP): Presentation of Scientific Outputs in Conferences, Seminars, Workshops and Fora.

For future research collaborations and/or needs for testing services and/or technical assistance, you may contact the Division's Chief Science Research Specialist Ms. Ma. Rachel V. Parcon, RCh, MSc at email address [email protected] or landline number (+632) 8-683-7750 local 2198.

Congratulations Juna on the success of your presentation!

Researcher from the Standards and Testing Division - ITDI presented study at the IMEKO 2024 XXIV World Congress at Hamburg, Germany

Chemist from the DOST Industrial Technology Development Institute (ITDI) presented a research study (oral presentation) on 28 August 2024 at the on-going International Measurement Confederation (IMEKO) 2024 XXIV World Congress currently being held at the CCH - Congress Center Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany. The Congress is from 26th to the 29th of August 2024, with the theme "Think Metrology."

Under the headline "Think Metrology," IMEKO sheds light on both well-established and new, highly current topics such as digitalization.

Mr. Admer Rey C. Dablio, RCh, CCPQM, Senior Science Research Specialist from the Chemistry Laboratory and Quality Manager of the Division's Laboratory Quality Management System (LQMS) based on PNS ISO/IEC 17025:2017, presented a research study through oral presentation during the breakout parallel sessions of the Congress, entitled "Philippines' success in interlaboratory comparisons of nanoparticle geometric size measurements."

The following is the abstract of the presented study:
"There is a growing interest in the incorporation of nanomaterials in commercial products in the Philippines. With this, there are growing demands for testing of nano-enabled products, especially the nanoparticle geometric size measurements to support the claims declared by manufacturers, a consideration in nanosafety. Competence of analytical laboratories is of primary concern to ensure that accurate and reliable test results are used in conformity assessments in the field of nanotechnology. As per clause 7.7.2 of the international standard ISO/IEC 17025:2017, interlaboratory comparisons can be participated as means to compare performance with other laboratories. International interlaboratory comparison was participated by the Philippines and promising results were obtained which are at par with countries with established methodologies in testing nanomaterials. Locally, the first interlaboratory comparison was organized. Satisfactory results were obtained but areas for improvement were also determined for some of the participating laboratories."

IMEKO is a non-governmental federation of 42 Member Organizations individually concerned with the advancement of measurement technology. Its fundamental objectives are the promotion of
- international interchange of scientific and technical information
- in the field of measurement and instrumentation, and
- the enhancement of international cooperation among scientists and engineers from research and industry.

Founded in 1958, the Confederation has consultative status with UNESCO and UNIDO and is one of the five Sister Federations within FIACC: Five International Associations Co-ordinating Committee, further consisting of
IFAC - International Federation of Automatic Control,
IFIP - International Federation for Information Processing,
IFORS - International Federation of Operational Research Societies and
IMACS - International Association for Mathematics and Computers in Simulation.

Participation of Mr. Dablio to the Congress is made possible through the funding support granted by the DOST Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (PCIEERD) - Human Resource Development Program (HRDP): Presentation of Scientific Outputs in Conferences, Seminars, Workshops and Fora.

For future research collaborations and/or needs for testing services and/or technical assistance, you may contact the Division's Chief Science Research Specialist Ms. Ma. Rachel V. Parcon, RCh, MSc at email address [email protected] or landline number (+632) 8-683-7750 local 2198.

Congratulations Admer on the success of your presentation!

Researcher from the Standards and Testing Division - ITDI presented study at the IMEKO 2024 XXIV World Congress at Hamburg, Germany

Chemist from the DOST Industrial Technology Development Institute (ITDI) presented a research study (poster presentation) on 28 August 2024 at the on-going International Measurement Confederation (IMEKO) 2024 XXIV World Congress currently being held at the CCH - Congress Center Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany. The Congress is from 26th to the 29th of August 2024, with the theme "Think Metrology."

Under the headline "Think Metrology," IMEKO sheds light on both well-established and new, highly current topics such as digitalization.

Ms. Aileen C. Bidol, RCh, Science Research Specialist II from the Chemistry Laboratory of the Division, presented a research study through poster presentation, entitled "Development of Coconut Shell-based Charcoal In-house Quality Control Material (IQCM) for Proximate Analysis in Solid Fuels."

The following is the abstract of the presented study:
"The Philippines is one of the leading exporters of coconut products in the world. The coconut shell-based industry plays a big role in the country’s economic growth, in which exports have increased by 39.8% market share in terms of volume (MT) in 2022 as compared to the previous year. However, due to the accidents related to the transport of these commodities, shipping lines have imposed stringent policies to ensure the safe handling of charcoal while on board. A Joint Memorandum Circular was drafted in 2020 mandating the accreditation of third-party laboratories for the quality testing of charcoals, in which proximate analysis is included. The use of quality control materials such as Certified Reference Materials (CRM) ensures the accuracy and reliability of analytical procedures conducted in the laboratory. However, there are limitations on the availability of matrix CRMs for routine analysis. The use of an in-house Quality Control Material (IQCM) is a practical and cost-effective approach to establish quality measurements in the laboratory. In this study, a coconut shell based IQCM was developed and characterized for proximate analysis in solid fuels using the modified ASTM D1762. The charcoal IQCM was prepared based on ISO Guide 80:2014, while homogeneity and stability studies were evaluated according to ISO Guide 35. The material was individually packed (15g/bottle) into sealed amber bottles and stored at room temperature. Homogeneity was assessed using analysis of variance (ANOVA). The calculated p-values for Volatile Combustible Matter (VCM) and Ash were 0.10 and 0.43, respectively, which are both greater than p Valuecrit = 0.05. The mean values established during the 1.5, 3, 4, 6, and 12-month stability studies were compared to the mean value established during the homogeneity studies using t-test. Results showed that the produced IQCM is homogenous and stable and is fit to be used as a quality control material for routine testing of solid fuels.

IMEKO is a non-governmental federation of 42 Member Organizations individually concerned with the advancement of measurement technology. Its fundamental objectives are the promotion of
- international interchange of scientific and technical information
- in the field of measurement and instrumentation, and
- the enhancement of international cooperation among scientists and engineers from research and industry.

Founded in 1958, the Confederation has consultative status with UNESCO and UNIDO and is one of the five Sister Federations within FIACC: Five International Associations Co-ordinating Committee, further consisting of
IFAC - International Federation of Automatic Control,
IFIP - International Federation for Information Processing,
IFORS - International Federation of Operational Research Societies and
IMACS - International Association for Mathematics and Computers in Simulation.

Participation of Ms. Bidol to the Congress is made possible through the funding support granted by the DOST Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (PCIEERD) - Human Resource Development Program (HRDP): Presentation of Scientific Outputs in Conferences, Seminars, Workshops and Fora.

For future research collaborations and/or needs for testing services and/or technical assistance, you may contact the Division's Chief Science Research Specialist Ms. Ma. Rachel V. Parcon, RCh, MSc at email address [email protected] or landline number (+632) 8-683-7750 local 2198.

Congratulations Aileen on the success of your presentation!

Researchers from the Standards and Testing Division - ITDI are now attending the IMEKO 2024 XXIV World Congress at Hamburg, Germany

Chemists from the DOST Industrial Technology Development Institute (ITDI) attend and participate in the on-going International Measurement Confederation (IMEKO) 2024 XXIV World Congress at the CCH - Congress Center Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany. The Congress is from 26th to the 29th of August 2024, with the theme "Think Metrology." The 30th of August 2024 will be dedicated to the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), which is the National Metrology Institute (NMI) of Germany. The PTB is the host member organization of the Congress.

Under the headline "Think Metrology," IMEKO sheds light on both well-established and new, highly current topics such as digitalization.

From the Standards and Testing Division - ITDI, researchers who will be presenting the following studies are:

Mr. Admer Rey C. Dablio, RCh, CCPQM
Senior Science Research Specialist
Oral Presentation: "Philippines' Success in Interlaboratory Comparisons of Nanoparticle Geometric Size Measurements"

Ms. Aileen C. Bidol, RCh
Science Research Specialist II
Poster Presentation: "Development of Coconut Shell-based Charcoal In-house Quality Control Material (IQCM) for Proximate Analysis in Solid Fuels"

Ms. Johanna Andrea C. Valdueza, RCh, MSc
Science Research Specialist II
Oral Presentation: "Development and Validation of methods for the Determination of Water-soluble and Acid-soluble Sulfate in Concrete"

Other researchers from DOST-ITDI are Supervising Science Research Specialist Ms. Alleni T. Junsay, RCh, MSc, and Science Research Specialist I Ms. Abigail H. Bion, RCh, MSc, both from the National Metrology Division (NMD).

IMEKO is a non-governmental federation of 42 Member Organizations individually concerned with the advancement of measurement technology. Its fundamental objectives are the promotion of
- international interchange of scientific and technical information
- in the field of measurement and instrumentation, and
- the enhancement of international cooperation among scientists and engineers from research and industry.

Founded in 1958, the Confederation has consultative status with UNESCO and UNIDO and is one of the five Sister Federations within FIACC: Five International Associations Co-ordinating Committee, further consisting of
IFAC - International Federation of Automatic Control,
IFIP - International Federation for Information Processing,
IFORS - International Federation of Operational Research Societies and
IMACS - International Association for Mathematics and Computers in Simulation.

Participation of the DOST-ITDI researchers to the Congress is made possible through the funding support granted by the DOST Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (PCIEERD) - Human Resource Development Program (HRDP): Presentation of Scientific Outputs in Conferences, Seminars, Workshops and Fora.

Thank you DOST-ITDI researchers for representing the Philippines in this worldwide scientific gathering.

DOST OneLab member laboratories Eurofins Scientific Services Philippines Inc. and Eurofins Scientific Sac Ky Hai Dang, Vietnam visited the Standards and Testing Division - ITDI

The Standards and Testing Division - ITDI is thankful to Eurofins Scientific Services Philippines Inc. and Eurofins Scientific Sac Ky Hai Dang, Vietnam for the courtesy visit to the Division on 21 August 2024. Both of these laboratories are DOST OneLab member laboratories.

From Eurofins Scientific Services Philippines Inc., the personnel who visited the Division were Chairperson and President Ms. Gloria Lopez and the Chemistry Laboratory Manager Mr. Kevin E. Espiritu, RCh. From Eurofins Scientific Sac Ky Hai Dang, Vietnam was Business Development Manager Ms. Pham Thi Nhan.

The visitors were accommodated by the Division's Chief Science Research Specialist Ms. Ma. Rachel V. Parcon, RCh, MSc, and the Division's Quality Manager and DOST OneLab Project Coordinator Mr. Admer Rey C. Dablio, RCh, CCPQM.

The courtesy visit was conducted to welcome Ms. Pham Thi Nhan to the Philippines and to briefly discuss future collaborations between DOST-ITDI and Eurofins relative to testing capabilities for emerging concerns. Both Philippines and Vietnam branches of Eurofins became member laboratories of DOST OneLab in 2023. The guests were also toured to the Food Safety Testing Laboratory of the Division.

Thank you for the kind visit Eurofins team! Welcome to the Philippines Ms. Pham Thi Nhan!

The Standards and Testing Division (STD) of DOST-ITDI congratulates the On-the-Job Trainee who completed his 150 hours of work immersion at the Microbiology Section, Biological Laboratory of the Division.

Mr. Miguel Guillermo B. Santos is taking Bachelor of Science in Biology, Major in Microbiology at the University of the Philippines - Manila. He was exposed to various microbiological testing activities of the Division. He also experienced the implementation of the Division's laboratory quality management system (LQMS) based on PNS ISO/IEC 17025:2017. The intern started his journey at STD on 10 July until 21 August 2024. The completion of his training was formalized through a culminating activity conducted on 21 August 2024 at the Division's Conference Room. In this culminating activity, Mr. Santos presented his learnings from the on-the-job training experienced.

The STD staff gave words of encouragement to the intern graduate as he continue his studies for him to soon become professional, either in the government or the private sector, as future Microbiologist. The intern also gave his feedback and appreciation to the Division and its personnel for a comprehensive training program provided to him, especially in the exposure to various office and laboratory operations, helping him interact to Division's professionals.

The Division is truly happy in contributing to the professional journey of the intern as he prepares and equips himself for him to soon join the corporate world.

Congratulations Miguel!

Standards and Testing Division - ITDI personnel designated as internal quality auditors for the Lab QMS of DOST-PAGASA

The personnel from the Standards and Testing Division - ITDI were requested and designated as internal quality auditors by the DOST-PAGASA Instrument Calibration Laboratory for their annual internal quality audit of their laboratory quality management system (LQMS) based on PNS ISO/IEC 17025:2017. The internal quality audit was conducted on 05-06 August 2024, with conclusion on 07 August 2024, at the calibration laboratory of the said institution.

Both personnel came from the Biological Laboratory of the Division. Mr. Marlon S.A. Aguinaldo, RMT, Supervising Science Research Specialist and Head of the Biological Laboratory served as the Audit Team Leader. He audited most of the management requirements of the PNS ISO/IEC 17025:2017.

Mr. Alxis John C. Movida, RMicro, Science Research Specialist II, also served as a management auditor. He audited the rest of the management requirements of the international and national standard.

Together with them was Mr. Julius T. Fojas of the DOST Regional Office No. IX, Zamboanga City, who served as the technical auditor who audited the technical activities of the laboratory for their calibration services.

As DOST implements , DOST agencies tap the expertise of the personnel from other agencies/offices under the DOST system to level up the implementation of various parts of their respective LQMS based on PNS ISO/IEC 17025:2017. This includes training activities, internal quality audit services, benchmarking, on-the-job training, coaching and mentoring.

Congratulations Alxis and Marlon on the success of the IQA of DOST-PAGASA Instrument Calibration Laboratory!

DOST-ITDI Cosmetics R&D Laboratory secures Halal Certification

On 09 August 2024, the DOST-ITDI Halal Cosmetics Research and Development Laboratory located at the Standards and Testing Division - ITDI building, acquired its Halal Certification granted by the International Halal Integrity (IHI) Alliance, Malaysia.

The Halal Cosmetics R&D Lab was constructed in March 2023, dedicated for the Halal cosmetics R&D initiatives of the Institute for the formulation of Halal-compliant cosmetics and personal care products. It was established under the Institute’s completed DOST-GIA project, Establishment of Halal Assurance Management System and Halal-compliant Standardized Process for Spa Skincare Products for the Halal Tourism Industry led by Ms. Ma. Rachel V. Parcon, RCh, MSc, the Division's Chief Science Research Specialist.

The two-day audit, which took place on 08-09 August 2024, was conducted by Professor Dr. Abdul Rafek Saleh, Executive Director of International Halal Integrity (IHI) Alliance and Principal Halal Consultant of the Malaysia Halal Consultation and Training (MHCT) Agency. He was assisted by Dr. Jane Tranquilan, Professor at the Mindanao State University - Marawi and Halal Lead Auditor of the MHCT Agency.

This certification is a testament of the laboratory’s compliance with international standards, meeting the requirements of Malaysian Standard, MS 2634:2019 Halal Cosmetics – General Requirements and the Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Industry – International Halal Integrity (ICCI-IHI) Alliance Halal Standards, Cosmetics and Personal Care, IHIAS 0800:2011.

Congratulations to the STD-ITDI Halal Cosmetics Research and Development Laboratory!