September 25, 2018, National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), Mapúa University (Mapúa), and Taiwan Ministry of Science and Technology (TMoST) hosted a Mini-Workshop on Water Quality and Equipment Donation Ceremony at the Taiwan-Philippines Joint Water Quality Research and Innovation Center (TPWRIC).
TPWRIC, established in May 2018, was jointly funded by NCKU and Mapúa, and sponsored by TMoST. This year, TPWRIC has hosted two training workshops in Tainan, Taiwan, and Manila, Philippines, with more than 25 researchers, engineers, and chemists being trained for technologies and knowledge relevant to monitoring and treatment of cyanobacteria, cyanotoxins and taste and odor compounds in drinking water systems. To help in building-up analytical capability at the TPWRIC in Mapúa, in today’s ceremony, four Taiwanese companies, Taiwan Water Corporation, Great Engineering Technology Corporation, and Cenpro Environmental Technology Corporation, donate a mobile laboratory trailer, several equipment for sample treatment, and a set of kits for gene analysis, with a total cost of about 2.2 million Pesos. The donation was presented by Dr. Dar-Bin Shieh, Deputy Minister of TMoST, and received by Dr. Dr. Reynaldo B. Vea, President and Chief Executive Officer.
The Philippines is the closest neighbor country of Taiwan. Due to the lack of water protection, many water resources are contaminated and water quality issues are often reported by newspaper and media. In 2016, the NCKU was invited by Mapúa in a project that was internally funded. This research project is the first-ever in-depth investigation on harmful cyanobacteria and its metabolites for Laguna de Bay, the biggest inland water in the Philippines. The results of this investigation confirmed the presence of high concentrations of cyanotoxins, and taste and odor compounds producing cyanobacteria in the lake.
The cyanotoxins in the lake are hazards to human health as exposure to these toxins may cause gastroenteritis, rashes, kidney damage, and liver damage. The results were presented to Maynilad Water Services, Inc. (MWSI) that owns a water treatment facility that abstracts water to supply the western part of Metro Manila and to the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA), the regulating agency with jurisdiction over Laguna Lake. Currently, MWSI has the only water resource intake in the lake. NCKU and Mapúa then co-established “TPWRIC” in Mapúa Intramuros Campus, with the sponsorship from TMoST. NCKU then invited Taiwan Water Corporation (TWC), and China Ecotek Corporation, and both NCKU and Mapúa invited MWSI and LLDA to participate in this project. Mapúa and LLDA also intend to invite their friends from Manila Water Company, Inc., the other water utility service company that supplies water to the eastern part of Metro Manila. The tasks to be conducted in this project include training and exchanges of professionals and students, the establishment of a database for water professionals in the Philippines, co-investigate issues of source water quality and drinking water treatment in the Philippines, and capacity building of water quality research and engineering in the Philippines. Through conducting this center, more academic collaborations and more opportunity of technology transfers and applications for Taiwan water industry teams in the Philippines are expected.
國立成功大學、菲律賓Mapúa大學、及科技部於2018年09月25日上午11點30分於Mapúa大學(馬尼拉，菲律賓)舉辦台菲聯合水質研究中心水質研討會及設備捐贈典禮。菲律賓係我國最接近的鄰國，因飲用水水源污染程度高，水源中存在藻類毒素及臭味物質等藍綠菌及其代謝物問題，不僅造成水質之惡化，使得用水民眾的健康安全、及口感受到威脅，飲用水安全也常為報章雜誌關注的重點。為協助菲律賓提升水質研究、及解決水質問題能力，國立成功大學及菲律賓Mapua大學在科技部支持下，今年(2018)5月共同成立【台菲聯合水質研究中心】。
菲律賓過去對於藻類相關的研究非常少，對於水源毒素及臭味樣品多須送國外檢測，因此亟需提升在藻類、毒素及臭味水質問題之研發能力，尤其需要菲律賓培訓足夠的研究人員、以及建置必要分析設備。在科技部支持下，【台菲聯合水質研究中心】已辦理兩場藻類及代謝物分析、檢測、及處理技術課程，培訓超過25位菲律賓研究及技術人員，有效提升該領域人員技術能量。為使【台菲聯合水質研究中心】的設備更齊全，台灣水公司、中宇環保公司、巨研科技公司、及中環環保科技公司共同捐助【台菲聯合水質研究中心】移動式實驗室拖車、小型實驗設備、藻毒素及臭味基因分析套組等，價值超過125萬元台幣的設備及材料，並於本日舉辦捐贈儀式，由科技部次長謝達斌博士代表捐助，由Mapua大學校長Reynaldo Vea博士代表接受，該項捐贈象徵台菲兩國科技合作更深化，以及菲律賓水質研究能力進一步提升。
台菲聯合水質研究中心結合產業界，包括台灣自來水公司、中宇公司、Maynilad水公司及Manila水公司，進行人才培訓、交流，建立菲律賓水質專業人才資料庫，並協助菲律賓對於重要水源進行大規模調查，共同探討菲律賓的水源水質及自來水處理問題，以提升菲律賓水質研究及處理技術能力；同時本中心將媒合台灣的水處理專業技術團隊，將台灣水質的研究及改善經驗，應用於菲律賓水源水質及飲用水的改善，達成學術外交及技術輸出的目的。
