AI-powered student solutions take top honors at 9th imake.wemake

From 49 entries nationwide, 20 team finalists showcased solutions-driven innovations at the 9th imake.wemake: create.innovate.collaborate competition, held on March 26-27, 2026, at Citadines Bay City Manila.

Taking top honors and bringing home the Youth Innovation Prize (YIP) were teams from Cebu, Iligan, and Rizal. Common across the winning teams was the integration of artificial intelligence into their project designs.

Among the YIP recipients was San Carlos School of Cebu. Their project, C.H.U.M.: Cellular Holistic Universal Microscope (C.H.U.M.), is an AI-powered microscope that automatically identifies and counts zooplankton, enabling faster water quality monitoring in support of environmental research.

Meanwhile, Iligan City National High School was recognized for their project called S.A.L.A.I.N: Smart AI-Powered Layered Analysis and Integration in Sewer Filtration and Notification. This student-developed system detects sewer blockages and pollution while sending real-time alerts to communities.

Completing the roster of winners was Rizal National Science High School for SISIW: Sensor-Integrated Sex Identification Incubation Window. Their project uses sensors and AI to identify the sex of duck embryos before hatching, helping farmers improve harvesting efficiency and reduce losses.

Each of the top three teams received a Php 200,000 grant to further develop their projects. Their teacher-coaches received Php 20,000 each.

Aside from the YIP, select students and teams were also recognized by partner organizations.

The Gokongwei Brothers Foundation (GBF) conferred the Young Scientist Award (YSA) to Yzza Gwyneth Cecilio of Camarines Sur National High School, Jayden Magpantay of Oriental Mindoro National High School, and Michaela Louise Bagtas and Beatrice Mae Goto of Rizal National Science High School.

Recognized for their technical craftsmanship and strong commitment to pursuing careers in STEM, all four recipients are eligible for a GBF scholarship grant.

Meanwhile, C&E Publishing, Inc. recognized select teams for their impactful innovations to the community. The awardees are as follows:

• Regional Science High School III received the Engineering Excellence Award for LAN6GAM: A Six-Limbed Arduino-based Navigating Gadget for Methane Gas Assessment and Mitigation in Rice Paddy Fields
• Las Piñas City National Senior High School – Talon Dos Campus won the Trailblazer in Innovation Award for SmartGuardian: An Arduino-Based Active Safety Smart Stroller for Child Protection and Caregiver Assistance in the Philippine Context
• Bucal National Integrated School received the Innovation Award for BamGuard: A Bamboo-Based Smart Preservation Chamber with BioClimatic Control for Safeguarding Likhang Maragondon’s Bamboo Handicrafts

Both GBF and C&E Publishing, Inc. have long been partners of DOST-SEI in empowering students not only to innovate but also to translate their ideas into meaningful, real-world impact.

Supporting young innovators

For Chris Angelo Rollon of Rizal National Science High School, competitions like imake.wemake play a vital role in empowering the youth.

“It gives young people like us the platform to turn our ideas into something that can impact our nation. Nabibigyang halaga yung ideas naming mga kabataan para hindi lang manatili bilang ideas kundi magkaroon ng mas malawak na impact,” said Chris.

This year’s imake.wemake cycle also marked a milestone in its nine-year run. For the first time, it has become part of the global celebration of Arduino Day. This connects young innovators and Filipino students to a worldwide community of creators and innovators.

As the cycle ended, DOST-SEI remains steadfast in its commitment to creating avenues for the Filipino youth to flourish in the field of science and technology, both locally and internationally. The next cycle will open soon. Announcements will be made on official DOST-SEI communication channels and the official imake.wemake Facebook page.