The Philippine Textile Research Institute (PTRI) recently provided 400 face masks to the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD), its sister agency under the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).
The face masks called REwear™ are made of natural cotton fabric, produced through PTRI’s water-repellent textile finishing technology under its Smart R&D Textile Program.
The REwear™ mask is re-usable, washable, and re-wearable. It also conforms to the guidelines recently set by the World Health Organization (WHO) on non-medical masks. According to PTRI, the mask is made up of four layers of cotton-rich fabrics. The innermost layer is absorbent (hydrophilic) while the middle layer consists of two pieces of fabric for additional filtration capability.
The outer layer is infused with the Institute’s textile treatment technology that makes a fabric water-repellent (hydrophobic) to prevent the absorption of liquid droplets that may contain microbes and viruses, without affecting its breathability. It is designed to ensure both comfort and protection.
More importantly, it can be re-used up to 50 times when washed properly. The said masks are being produced in collaboration with four private sectors: Power Fashion Foundation/NE Noveau Star, Saffron Philippines, Inc., Reliance Producers Coop, and D&L Industries and Chemrez Technologies, Inc.
Together, they aim to produce 500,000 masks which could equate to reduction of 25 million disposable masks.
In support of this cause, DOST-PCAARRD is also ready to provide financial support to DOST-PTRI in producing more face masks from BANDALA (BackcrossAbaca with Native and Desirable Accessions to Lift Up the Abaca Industry) fibers. BANDALA, based on the initial study conducted by DOST-PTRI, is found to produce fibers with potential for textile or fabric application.
PTRI prides itself for producing the REwear™ masks from local raw material using Filipino technology. The mask comes with a kit and instruction on how to wash the mask properly.