Bath soaps from papaya, lemongrass developed

ILAGAN, Isabela – Bath soaps from papaya, lemongrass and a combination of both.

Yes, there seems to be no limit to the creativity of the Filipino, as exemplified by Alex U. Hong Kun, a chemical engineer from this capital town.

Khung Hun, proprietor of the Herbakh Industries, is now manufacturing the "Wagas" Herbal Soap produced from papaya (skin whitener), lemongrass (blemish remover), and paplem (combination of papaya and lemongrass).

He owes the rapid expansion of his firm to the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), which has provided him technical help in the establishment of an essential oil extraction plant, upgrading his firm’s capability to produce bath soap, and developing new soap variants using different herbs. DOST-Region 2 also provided the cost of two units of essential oil extractors.

Khung Hun recalled the evolution of Herbakh from a maker of laundry soap to manufacturer of bath soap to DOST officials headed by Secretary Estrella F. Alabastro and Undersecretary Florentino O. Tesoro and members of the mass media (including this writer), who visited his soap production plant in Ilagan last March 27.

The group composed the third leg of the "DOST Technology Transfer Roadshow", a year-long (2003), nationwide activity that showcases the DOST-generated technologies adopted by micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME).

The S&T roadshow was started by DOST last Jan. 27-29 in Western Visayas (Region 6). The second leg covered Central Visayas (Region 7).

Herbakh started as a distributor of low-cost laundry soaps in 1998, a project initiated by the DOST-Industrial Technology Development Institute (TAPI).

Realizing the Wagas Plant potential, Khung Hun eventually added scented soap to its product line.

In 2000, DOST-Region 2 headed by Director Rustico Santos assisted Wagas Plant in the establishment of a nursery and plantation for essential oil-bearing plants.

On Sept. 17, 2002, the Wagas Herbal Manufacturing Plant was inaugurated. Aside from herbal bath soaps, the plant is now producing aromatherapy essential oils, lemongrass oil, and pure citronella oil.

The company is now churning out 800-1,000 cakes of soap per day sold in the Cagayan Valley, Ilocos Region and Metro Manila. –Rudy A. Fernandez