BISU Fablab turns over 

Anti-COVID face shields

For medical front liners 

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, March 25, (PIA)—Bohol Island State University and its Fabrication Laboratory (FABLAB) hands in its first batch of laser cut acrylic plastic face shields for use by frontline medical professionals in the battle against the dreaded coronavirus disease (COVID-19) March 25, at 2:00 PM inside the Fablab here in Tagbilaran City. 

BISU, represented by its SUC President Dr Regucivilla Pobar, Dr. Zina D. Sayson and their Public Relations office Bernarda Villarojo, as well as Fablab center chief Jerome Manatad turned over the first batch of 100 face shields to resident physicians of Governor Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital (GCGMH) which the state university put up to help the medical professionals in the front lines get the much needed protection from the virus. 

Also in the turn-over were Provincial Disaster Risk reduction management Officer Anthony Damalerio and other BISU officials. 

With the novel COVID-19 attacking the respiratory system, the virus is transmitted when droplets from an infected person coughs or sneezes travels and gets to one’s face, or are brought up when one touches his face, this brings the virus closer to the respiratory tracts. 

That is when the person’s trouble starts. 

Made from laser-cut acrylic plastic and acetate, the face shield from FABLAB Bohol within BISU complex is the first industrial prototype set for mass production from developed from four early development prototypes, said FabLab Manager Manatad. 

He added that from BISU Bohol Fablab, the prototype would also be used by all Fablab across the country, in the production of virus protection measures for frontliners. 

The shield, in the form of an acetate which can be easily disinfected, is attached to a backbone of laser cut plastic acrylic. 

The initial product developed prototypes were digitally printed and it took them a long time to make. Then they realized cutting an acrylic plastic into the computer designed headband is less costly and takes even a lesser time, adds Jerome Gabin of the local Department of Trade and Industry Bohol (DTI-Bohol) Shared Service Facility (SSF) coordinator, of which the Fablab is among them. 

The mass produced face shields, now produced by five FabLab volunteers cost a little over a hundred, and they can make about 72 pieces of it from a single sheet of acrylic plastic as backbone for the shield, Dr. Sayson said. 

BISU and FabLab each pooled resources and went into product development and prototype building until they perfected the less costly and faster to produce facial protection of medical professionals. 

With production now in full steam, BISU Fablab is already taking requests for the face-shields. 

That same day, BISU-Fablab also turned over 30 face shields for Clarin Community Hospital, while in their bulletin board are requests from Maribojoc Community Hospital, Bilar RH Center, Saint Jude Hospital, ACE Medical Center, Maternity Hospital, Civil Service Commission, RHU Cortes, BISU Clinic, BISU guard, Don Emilio del Valle Hospital, Ramiro Community Hospital, RHU Lila, RHU Talibon, RHU San Miguel, City DRRMO and PCCCED. 

In the next batch, DTI Bohol is sourcing out the few acrylic plastic available, the material which would hold the acetate shield. 

DTI, along with donations from well-meaning citizens envision to produce more face shields, even as Manatad said there is no intent on selling these shields. 

With social distancing measures implemented, Manatad said they would just keep their volunteers to the minimum, to make sure it is easy to space them out, especially when materials for the shield are also dwindling. 

In times of crisis where face masks are also not easy to secure, volunteers like FabLab and donations or people can maybe cause people to feel the ease knowing there is a government that cares for them. (rahchiu/PIA-7/Bohol) 

SHIELDING FRONTLINERS. BISU Bohol and its Fabrication laboratory (Fablab) turns over to Bohol hospitals and rural health unit workers the plastic face shields they produced. The project which started in Bohol is now on mass production in all Fablab networks across the country. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol) 

FABLAB VOLUNTEERS. With their face masks on, fabrication laboratory Bohol volunteers assemble the acrylic plastic and acetate face shields to equip medical frontliners with the proper protection they need to be safe from COVID-19. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)