Ongoing innovations in piping and filtration, as well as partnerships with private companies and government entities, are providing cleaner water and air to an increasing number of Filipinos amid the continuous health threats from bacteria and viruses.

Techglobal Incorporated and Luftonic Philippines are at the forefront of the thrust.

Techglobal Inc. director of marketing Aldrin Derrick Chua said the company has expanded its client base for its Polypropylene Random Copolymer (PPR) pipes with an antimicrobial coating.

“How we make it cost-effective for each Filipino buyer is we develop certain economies of scale,” he told DAILY TRIBUNE on its show Straight Talk.

“We bring in almost 100 shipping containers of pipes per year so we can bring down the cost and pass savings to consumers and contractors,” Chua continued.

Techglobal sources its PPR pipes initially from Germany, ensuring clients of durable and world-class materials for nearly three decades.

Established in 1974, the company had been selling various hardware materials before focusing on distributing pipes in 1995.

This made Techglobal the first distributor of PPR pipes in the Philippines.

In partnership with Great Britain’s BioCote, a provider of hygienic coating technologies, Chua stated that Techglobal has been supplying pipes that can kill viruses and bacteria since the onset of the pandemic in 2020.

“Our philosophy is to bring in first-world piping innovation to make our piping system on par with or better than first-world countries,” he said.

Chua said the pipes have been distributed to wholesalers, home depots, boutique hardware stores, contractors, property developers and hospitals nationwide.

Despite trying times, he said Techglobal strives to help the nation economically by providing antimicrobial pipes to quarantine facilities during the pandemic at no charge.

“We were doing our part for the country, and we bring in better products and create more jobs, so our efforts have a trickle-down effect,” Chua said.

Better than HEPA

As president of Luftonic Philippines, Chua said he also ensures Filipinos breathe cleaner air through Germany-made air purifiers equipped with ultra-low particulate air (ULPA) filters.

ULPA filters trap smaller particulates measuring 0.12 microns each, protecting people more effectively from inhaling various viruses, such as Covid.

Many other businesses offer air purifiers with high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters, which are effective only against larger particulates measuring 0.3 microns and above. 

“Our company was the first to have elevator purifiers because what we want is to create an environment where everything has to be purified because otherwise it will not make sense,” Chua said.

Since they first arrived in the country in April 2020 amid the pandemic, he shared that Luftonic air purifiers have been installed in prominent restaurants and hospitals, such as St. Luke’s, as well as city halls of local government units.

“Our purifier is a good supplement to vaccines, or sometimes I would say they can do better than vaccines because there are other virus variants that vaccines cannot work against, even if you were vaccinated,” Chua said.

He said the public can expect cleaner water and air in the condominium project, called River Park Manila, located near the Arroceros Forest Park in Manila City. Chua’s another company is developing the project also called River Park Manila and will be launched within this year.

“We’re unlike others that bring in cheaper products. Their buildings are becoming nicer, but the products inside are not,” Chua said.