Cover Artist and designer Minnie Pangilinan won the James Dyson Award for her innovative design and use of materials in Brakong (Photo: Wesley Villarica)
Artist and designer Minnie Pangilinan won the James Dyson Award for her innovative design and use of materials in Brakong (Photo: Wesley Villarica)
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Minnie Pangilinan, the co-inventor of an innovative breast prosthesis made from the aquatic plant "bakong", says designers must have a sense of duty to serve the people
In 2022, the Design Center of the Philippines (DCP) challenged the country’s finest designers to come up with an ingenious way to utilise bakong, a locally-grown aquatic plant with antimicrobial purposes.
Two emerging creatives from the Surgical Innovations and Biotechnology Laboratory (SIBOL) answered the challenge with a sustainable solution: Brakong, a breast prosthesis for breast cancer survivors. Not only is the bio-based product environmentally friendly, it is also comfortable to wear.
Brakong came at an opportune time. In a 2020 report, The International Agency for Research on Cancer stated that breast cancer is one of the two most common cancer types affecting women globally, with the Philippines having the highest incidence in Asia.
Read more: What we learned from Olivia Munn’s breast cancer diagnosis
Emmanuelle “Minnie” Alcazaren Pangilinan is a maker, designer, animator and artist who graduated from the University of the Philippines (UP) with degrees in Computer Science (2014) and Industrial Design (2020). She is currently in Spain, finishing her master’s degree in design for emergent futures at the Elisava Barcelona School of Design and Engineering (ELISAVA) and the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC).
Together with SIBOL colleagues, materials engineer Jason Pechardo and medical field mentors Dr Nats Orillaza and Dr Ancoy Lopez, Pangilinan partnered with the iCanServe Foundation Inc and came up with a prototype that would earn her team the top prize in DCP’s Bakong Circular Design Challenge. A year later, the team took home the prestigious James Dyson Award for Brakong.
Her years at UP have instilled the importance of using design and technology to serve the interests of marginalised communities. She continues to explore how to push the limits of design through circularity, climate and care to come up with “alternative presents” for the emergent futures.
Read more: Asia is advancing to the forefront of global healthcare, thanks to these innovators
What keeps me going in this field is the chance to use design and technology to tackle issues that need collective action, like climate change and healthcare. The goal is to not perpetuate existing exploitative systems. Working with doctors and mentors has shown me the power of collaboration in crafting sustainable solutions.
My fellow designers from school and colleagues are doing amazing work in both the public and private sectors, which is really inspiring. The UP College of Fine Arts FabLab has been my home in college. I would encourage citizens, especially students, to check out the maker spaces in these areas. These are spaces for creativity and collaboration. I believe that having access to these democratised resources is helpful in coming up with local solutions.
We are now in a polycrisis, a world full of ‘wicked’, interconnected challenges. I think the design sector should focus on creating environments of collaboration; bringing in and listening to the voices of the marginalised. While I am still unsure of the timing of my current projects, it is ultimately my goal to share the learnings, technology and methodologies I’ve been immersing myself in here in Spain and Europe. I hope to open my own studio when I get back to the Philippines, focusing on education and circular design in rural areas.
Despite being in Spain, I consciously make an effort not to perpetuate a Western or colonial mentality. Rather, I aim to challenge such notions and to find ways of decolonisation and democratisation. I’m excited to finish my master’s programme and see where my projects take me in Barcelona. While Brakong’s progress might be a bit slow right now, I’m optimistic about the collaborations we have in the pipeline and where they might lead us.
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About
Before assuming the Art and Culture Editor position, Franz has always had a penchant for visual and performing arts. He is passionate about exploring and writing about the local cultural scene and rediscovering the country’s storied past and rich heritage. Besides working on this luxury lifestyle magazine, Franz is an avid book reader, local traveller, museum-goer, chorister, and community theatre playwright.
Work
Franz earned a degree in Journalism from the University of Santo Tomas. He writes about local visual and performing artists and their craft; drinks wines, liquors, and spirits and talks about the creativity of their respective winemakers and master blenders; tries to learn more about business and investments; respects the tradition and artistry that go behind the making of watches and jewellery; and appreciates the genius of architecture and creative design.
As head of Tatler Philippines’ pool of writers, he helps them bring impactful and socially relevant stories to light.
For any leads, you may reach him through @franzsorillaiv on Instagram or franz@tatlerphilippines.com via email.
