Pavia school bags top prize in science tilt

Fifteen senior high school teams joined the country’s scientists and engineers in creating technology innovations for Filipino communities.

Their works, showcased at the 3rd imake.wemake: create. innovate. collaborate competition of the Department of Science and Technology – Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI) and C&E Publishing, Inc., seek solutions to pressing societal and community issues in food safety, health, education, disaster mitigation, agriculture, and environment.

In the two-day final project presentation and awarding ceremony at the Crimson Hotel in Muntinlupa City last December 2-3, 2019, the teams from Ramon Magsaysay High School-Cubao, Pavia National High School in Iloilo, and New Era University Integrated School-General Santos City emerged as victors, besting twelve other finalists in the competition.

They were awarded the Youth Innovation Prize and P100,000 cash each by DOST Undersecretary for S&T Services Dr. Renato Solidum Jr., DOST-SEI Deputy Director Albert Mariño, and C&E Publishing, Inc. Chief Operations Officer Mr. John Emyl Eugenio.

Ramon Magsaysay HS-Cubao, composed of students Erwin Bonto, Justin Versoza and Marc Andrie Bermundo with coach Rey John Caballero, won for their “Project Hermes: An Arduino-based Discourse Helping Device for Deaf and Mute Learners.” The communication device is intended to help in teaching SPED students.

Meanwhile, Pavia NHS team of Jelliane Rose Dicen, Louise Andrew Hubaldo and Johnxis Jinon with coach Ian John Galupar came all the way from Iloilo City to present their project “Echo Delta Radio Repeater with GPS Technology: Its Impact on Maritime Safety, Rescue Operations, and Disaster Mitigation,” a low-cost radio repeater with GPS and SMS technology.

Lastly, the team of Raven Pandac, Lyka Mae Reyes and Danisha Culipano led by coach Diana Rose Gamil from New Era University Integrated School-General Santos Cityearned the judges’ nod with their “S.M.A.R.T. School Desk: Student Monitoring and Assessment Reinforcement Technology” which can check and record students’ attendance electronically and tag unruly students during discussions and activities among other functions.

The all-female team from St. Scholastica’s Academy-Marikina likewise received a special award, the C&E Makerce Award, for “TAX1CLE: Tricycle Fare Collection System Based on GPS using Arduino Uno”. It was hailed as the most promising projectwith its excellent design and strong market potential by C&E Publishing.

“In imake.wemake, we have set the stage again for our young innovators,” DOST-SEI Director Josette Biyo said.

Dr. Biyo was impressed with the works of the students, considering they were only given a period of three months to build and test their prototype.

From a total of 84 project proposals, 15 were selected to proceed to the five-day project pitching and technical training and workshop facilitated by Thinklab Philippines. Each team, composed of three senior high school students and one teacher-coach, also received kit-of-parts (KOP) that includes Arduino Starter Kit and set of sensors from C&E Publishing.

“Our challenge is that industries move faster than academic institutions,” C&EPublishing’s John Emyl Eugenio said during the opening ceremony.

C&E’s partnership with DOST-SEI enhanced this year’s competition, especially with the utilization of the Arduino platform in the projects.

Eugenio further emphasized the need to prepare students for the future; not only skills-wise but in creating relevance to the society – a message echoed by Dr. Biyo.

“The students showed enviable creativity and technical skills and quite remarkably, they proved to be aware of the needs of their communities which is what imake.wemake is all about,” Dr. Biyo added.

The panel of judges, composed of UP Electrical and Electronics Engineering Institute professor Engr. Percival Magpantay, Ateneo de Manila University professor Engr. Carlos Matti Oppus, and C&E Publishing Business and Market Research Head Mr. Rodel Cruz chose the winning projects for their viability and potential to address community issues.

Teams from Adelle Grace Montessori School, Bayambang National High School, FEU High School-Manila, Liceo-De La Salle Senior High School, Malinta National High School, Manila Science High School, New Era University-Lipa City, New Era University-Main Campus, Philippine Science High School-Central Luzon Campus, Rizal High School, and Science Technology Education Center Cebu also made it to this year’s list of finalists.