Nine Negros students to compete in Japan’s World Robot Games

BACOLOD CITY – Nine students from Negros Occidental will represent the Philippines at the 2026 World Robot Games (WRG) in Chiba, Japan, from Nov. 16 to 19, showcasing their skills in robotics, engineering, and technological innovation.

Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson, accompanied by Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz II, met with the participants at the Provincial Capitol on Nov. 6, along with Cely Trio, Avelyn Marañon, assistant department head of the Negros Occidental Language and Information Technology (IT) Center, and the students’ parents and guardians.

Lacson also led the distribution of a total of PHP 1.8 million in financial assistance to the participants.

Each student received a check worth PHP 200,000 from the provincial government to support their participation in the international competition.

The financial assistance will help cover the students’ travel expenses, registration fees, accommodation, and daily allowances during the four-day event.

The funding is expected to ease the financial burden on the students and their families while providing young innovators from public schools with opportunities to compete internationally.

The students heading to Japan are Jhande Marie Teodosio and Joezel Articona of Ramon Torres National High School in Bago City, and Reiniza Kate Ulgasan and Iohann Venice Navarro of Julio Ledesma National High School in San Carlos City.

The other participants are Razor Chua, Edjay Bryle Gemotra, John Dale Bangcaya, and Shantelle Kate Ballesteros of Cabacungan National High School in La Castellana, and Deanyvien Rafaeli Paculanang of Escalante National High School in Escalante City.

The nine students qualified for the international competition after winning their respective categories in the Visayas leg of the 2026 National Robotics Competition in September.

Their participation highlights the growing interest in robotics and technology education among public school students in Negros Occidental, as well as the provincial government’s efforts to support youth innovation and technical skills development.

WRG 2026 will bring together students, educators, engineers, and innovators from around the world for four days of competition, collaboration, and technology-focused activities at Chiba Port Arena.

The international event will feature robotics competitions, innovation challenges, and collaborative learning activities designed to strengthen participants’ programming, engineering, problem-solving, teamwork, and design-thinking skills.

The competition will also provide the Negrense students with opportunities to exchange ideas, learn from international participants, and gain practical experience in applying science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) concepts.