An inventive mind

Panfilo Rieta has been baffling his doctors for the last 11 years when he was first diagnosed with emphysema, an incurable disease. Four years ago, his doctors told him he could go any time. Rieta is now 72 years old and still a happy smoker.

A major factor in Rieta’s continued good health is his own invention, a portable laser equipment. "I tried it on myself and then on my neighbors in Bulacan," he said. "I’ve had an 80% success rate on my 40,000 volunteer ‘patients’, many of whom were terminal cases."

Documented cases include the treatment of breast cancer, goiter, stones in the gall bladder and the kidneys, diabetes, gout, heart, and prostate.

Since 1998, Rieta has been holding free treatment sessions in his hometown of Kawit, Cavite. Depending on the illness, a treatment session ranges from six days to a month. "Results are not achieved in one exposure because the gadget is not a miracle cure," he said.

Affordable

Rieta’s laser equipment, which sells for P6,000 (compared to the P100,000 paid for the smallest laser equipment used by hospitals), heals the body in two phases. The laser first eradicates free radicals or toxins that block the free flow of healthy cells to the brain and back. After the cleansing, homogenous cells are able to bind together so they can freely send messages to the brain, which then directs the proper antibodies to fight cells not compatible with them.

"Unlike most X-rays and strong lasers, my invention is not ionic. It does not destroy all cells that it comes in contact with. It goes only after the toxins," he said.

The metal casing for the strong laser light are made by a company in Sweden. The company produces the metal casing, based on Rieta’s specification on wave length and brightness, in batches of 100 units. Rieta then assembles and sells the units, which can last up to ten years. depending on its usage. To date, Rieta has sold 400 machines.

Inventions

"I’m an electronic engineer, not a doctor. I don’t know anything about medicine except what I’ve learned from my research," said Rieta.

In 1977, he came up with his first invention, an electronic ignition system for cars. Two years later, he invented the first electronic or rechargeable lamp for brownouts. In 1982, he came up with a hot head gadget attached to the LPG, which enables the stove to reach its hottest flame very quickly.

"Foreign businessmen were quick to copy my inventions. Because I did not have the money to go into production as quickly as my competitors, I did not make money from some of my inventions," Rieta said.

In 1985, he invented the plasmatron, an electronic device for gasoline-fired cars that cut down gas consumption by 30%. Back then, gasoline cost only P2 a liter.

Then, he came up with a formulation to prolong the shelf life of balut or duck embryo from the usual three days (with refrigeration) to six months (without refrigeration).

"I gave Fedelino Adriano, then a director of the Philippine Inventors Commission (now Technology Application and Promotion Institute) six of my specially-preserved duck embryo. He stored them in a cabinet and then forgot all about them. A year later, he remembered them, heated them and ate them. They still tasted fresh," Rieta said.

Rieta’s duck embryo preservation formula–which can also be used to keep vegetables and other perishable agricultural products fresh longer– won the 1988 best invention award of the Philippine Inventors, Engineers, Scientist and Technology Association.

Prototypes

Rieta has two other inventions which have not been able to proceed to the prototype stage because of lack of money. These are a water fuel and the tapping of the ocean current as energy. Both inventions were presented to the Department of Energy for possible funding and both were turned down.

"A prototype plant that would harness the ocean current as energy would cost billions of dollars to install and to operate. But imagine the limitless energy potential of ocean currents," he said.

As he looks forward to his 73rd birthday, Rieta dreams of more ways to make life easier for Filipinos.