Local Production of Basketballs in the Philippines
By Yo Han Hwang
Description and Rationale
Basketball is the main sport for Filipinos.
This means that a ball is needed to play the game.
Basketballs are expensive also sometimes for squatter people
and just people can not afford basketballs that are on market,
because of the price. Basketballs are made of a lot of different materials
which also it needs chemicals to make basketballs.
It mostly requires rubber for the outer core and other materials that are needed as well.
Why don’t we use local rubber so it can create local basketball that is used for a cheap purpose instead of imports? Is it possible to change the imports and more exports from Filipino basketball instead of Nike and Addidas and other sports company imports? Why is it necessary for people to get imports rather than just local basketball?
Won’t this way give local people encouragement to grow rubber trees for their benefit? It can be cash crop, but the plantation takes work which is likely not wanted to be done by people who have to grow them and retrieve the rubber or latex. Still, using this method could be helpful to save money for the Philippines. It could shorten the cost of materials and the money that is used to buy basketballs can be used for other economic resources.
The main purpose of this project is to create an easier way to produce more basketballs than just waste money on imports that cost a lot. It is also to give the Filipino people to be less worried on expenses for a basketball.
Hoping that there is a way to change on imports and help people who do not have the expenses to buy a basketball. Also to help ecologically with less imports from other countries
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Biology
Common Names and Synonyms
Hevea brasiliensis is the scientific name for the Para rubber tree. Caoutchoua (German), Micrandra (British), Shringa(South American language) Siphonanthus (French), and Siphonia (German) are also synonyms.
Classification
Kingdom: Plantae(Plants)
Phylum: Magnoliophyta(Angiosperm)
Class: Magnoliopsida(Dicots)
Order: Malpighiales(Flowering Plants)
Family: Euphorbiaceae(Flowering Plants)
Genus: Hevea(Para)
Species: H. brasiliensis(Para Rubber Tree)
Morphology and Physical Description
It grows satisfactorily up to 600 metres above sea level (but is capable of growing much higher - to at least 1000 metres near the Equator), and will perform on most soils provided drainage is adequate. Hevea tends to be damaged by high winds. Its required temperature and rainfall define its prime growing area as between the 10° latitudes on either side of the equator, but is cultivated much further north (Guatemala, Mexico and China) and south (Sao Paulo region of Brazil). Further discussion on environmental factors is available”
Getting Food
This Plant uses photosynthesis as its energy source.Hevea brasiliensis is a tropical tree. It grows best at temperatures of 20-28°C with a well-distributed annual rainfall of 1,800-2,000 mm.
Reproduction
H. brasiliensis also reproduces through pollination with flowers.
Environmental Factors
The Para rubber tree initially grew only in the Amazon Rainforest. Increasing demand and the discovery of the vulcanization procedure in 1839 led to a boom in that region, enriching the cities of Belém and Manaus. The name of the tree derives from Pará, the second largest Brazilian state, which contains Belém as capital, mainly city and tech-financial centre
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Origin and Distribution
There had been an attempt made, in 1873, to grow rubber outside Brazil. After some effort, twelve seedlings were germinated at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. These were sent to India for cultivation, but died. A second attempt was then made, some 70,000 seeds being sent to Kew in 1875. About 4% of these germinated, and in 1876 about 2000 seedlings were sent, in Wardian cases, to Ceylon, and 22 sent to the Botanic Gardens in Singapore. Once established outside its native country, rubber was extensively propagated in the British colonies. Rubber trees were brought to the botanical gardens at Buitenzorg, Java in 1883.[1] By 1898, a rubber plantation had been established in Malaya, and today most rubber tree plantations are in Southeast Asia and some also in tropical Africa. Efforts to cultivate the tree in its native South America were unsatisfactory.
Importance to People
Its primary source is “natural” rubber. It is a major economic importance. It is valued for its dense grain, minimal shrinkage, attractive color and acceptance of different finishes. It is also prized as an "environmentally friendly" wood, as it makes use of trees that have been cut down at the end of their latex-producing cycle. Also it is used for manufacturing high-end furniture. It also has some kind of diseases in the tree.
Survivability and Endangered Status
H. brasiliensis it is not an endangered species, but it is hard to grow, because of the time of growth as well as to keep the tree survival. It is not able to grow in South America because of low forests. It has an economical life span of 30 years. It is not endangered by any predator.
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Potential Solutions
Is it possible to change the usage of local rubber to basketballs? The research that has been done by this researcher is not sure yet if the companies will change the usage of rubber and a portion to cheap good profitable basketballs for squatter villages. So far, the facts are that there is local rubber from places around the Philippines. But it is not really a huge profitable for companies to produce local basketballs for people who can not afford imported basketballs. Below are 2 possible solutions with analyzed advantages, but with also disadvantages
Possibility 1
Solution Number 1 Ask Companies to provide Rubber for basketball factories.
The prices of basketballs are so drastic for people with low expenses. They are not able to purchase a basketball due to lack of money. If the local Filipino rubber could be used for basketballs as well for cheap purchase, it could give people an easier route to purchase one. So to contact rubber companies in the Philippines to use a good amount of rubber for cheap local basketballs for better purchase of squatters and other people with low expenses.
Advantages:
1. Easier distribution of basketballs around the Philippines for people who are in need of one. It will help people with low expenses as well as people who can afford can be used for ministry for poor people who enjoy basketball.
2. This solution can affect also the factor of imports from other countries for basketballs. If the Filipino basketballs become useful, it could also a good exports and money for the Philippines so it can help rebuild places that need rebuilding or any other financial problems.
3. Also if they need more workers for plantation of rubber trees than people who are job less have an open opportunity to get a job.
Disadvantages:
1. It will be very difficult to convince also contact rubber companies. The problem is that the companies have their own plans for their rubber income. Also the possibility for them to consider or request will be most reject due to lack of seriousness in the problem.
2. The companies will most likely care about their funds and how much income of money they receive. Because the higher price they sell the higher the income. So if they produced and sold cheap basketballs it could lead them to low financial rate than producing a different material that is worth more of price.
3. Also if they need more rubber for production they will need more plantation and hard workers to retrieve the rubber.
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Possibility 2
Solution Number 2 To Find local or useable basketball factories in the Philippines
Process: “A method for manufacturing a rubber basketball is disclosed, which has the following steps: (a) supplying a sheet of rubber material in a suitable shape and size; (b) folding, compressing and cutting the rubber material to make the rubber material into a bladder; (c) mounting a valve in the bladder; (d) inflating the bladder with air and curing the bladder at a temperature from 130° C. to 150° C. for about 5 minutes; (e) wrapping at least one thread on the inflated bladder by a wrapping machine to form a wrapped layer with a suitable thickness and to pattern the bladder; (f) bonding relatively large multiple rubber sheets to the surface of the wrapped layer by a semi-automatic bonding machine; (g) making a groove at each junction between adjacent relatively large rubber sheets; (h) bonding a thinner and narrower strip than the relatively large multiple rubber sheets at each junction of adjacent rubber sheets; and (i) heating and curing the relatively large multiple rubber sheets together with the strips at a temperature from 130° C. to 150° C. for about 5 minutes in a mold having multiple protruding ribs defined therein to make a basketball, whereby the basketball possesses multiple, relatively concave depressions having two slanting walls defined therein.”(Lee, Shao-te (Taoyuan Hsien, TW)) Explain: This is the process of making a rubber basketball. But in the basketball there are no companies that process basketballs in the Philippines. This was my action step but I had asked the companies questions about any factories here in the Philippines in a tape. Also I sent and e-mail to the Spalding Company at the states and is waiting for a response. Action Step: I talk to each sports brand for information on their companies. Also I sent an e-mail to the Spalding Company about their factories of basketball production. I have a cassette tape. I also interviewed a person named Mark at the Valley Golf Squatter Area Close to School.
Advantages:
1. It will be useful for the people to create their own basketballs and sell them for profit.
2. It helps to use less on imports from other countries and is able to be locally made.
Disadvantages:
1. It takes to much material for the production that it could cost more than just buying 1 basketball. (Mostly depends on how many you are making) Also it takes time and money, which that is precious
2. It wastes time to make them so it is unable to teach without proper knowledge and skillful techniques on how to manufacture a basketball.
3. It takes for the Philippines
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Bibliography
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Lee, Shao-te (Tao Yuan Hsien, TW), “Method for manufacturing a rubber basketball” Copyright 2004-2007 FreePatentsOnline.com., All rights reserved., Method of manufacturing a rubber basketball., 06/04/2002, Patent, 09/503908, 05/05/08, <http://www.freepatentsonline.com/6398894.html>
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James A. Duke, “Hevea brasiliensis (Wild.) Muell.-Arg.” Last update Wednesday, January 7, 1998. May 5, 2008. <http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/duke_energ y/Hevea_brasiliensis.html>
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