The research on converting wastewater to fertilizer bagged the first place on the recently concluded Newton Prize Philippines.
Newton Prize Philippines
The Newton Prize is an annual award for the best research when it comes to economic development and social awareness in countries that the Newton Fund partners with. There is a one million pound ($1.31 million) funding intended for this award, subdivided into five projects by the Newton Fund partners; this includes the British Council, the U.K., China, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
The annual event is a token of appreciation for the strong partnership between the U.K. and Newton countries. In every country participating in the Newton Prize Awards, an independent judging committee is tasked to review the applicants and provide expert feedback to determine the winners.
In the Philippines, the awarding took place last January 28, in Makati City. A university professor named Michael Angelo Promentilla led a team of researchers in discovering a way to convert wastewater into a nutrient-rich fertilizer.
Wastewater to fertilizer
The awardee for the 2019 Newton Prize Philippines named the project “Water-Energy-Nutrient Nexus in the Cities of the Future.” The process involves extracting Nitrogen and Phosphorous from wastewater, which are both essential components in commercialized fertilizers.
Currently, the Philippines is importing tons of phosphate for fertilizers. The project can help assist in the supply of phosphate, decreasing importation, and at the same time, addressing the issue in polluted water leading into clean open bodies of water.
Recycling wastewater from sewers and septic tanks reduces water pollution while giving farmers a cheaper or maybe even free supply of plant fertilizers.
The Newton Prize Philippines award guarantees the winner £200,000 ($261,850). According to Promentilla, half of the prize money will be set aside to help develop a system for farming in an area that their represented school owns.
The farm caters to farmer’s children in the area. We will use the grant to support research in that area.
The team wishes to teach farmers in the area on how to process their own wastewater to be turned into fertilizer, instead of hiring waste siphoning services.
