STI-WNU duo is BOTB semi-final winners

By: Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD City – The duo representing the STI-West Negros University  outbested seventeen other teams in the Battle of the Brains (BOTB) semi-finals held at the STI WNU gym, Monday afternoon.

The grand winners were Jeff Michael  Lacson and  Dhanna Eunice  Dela Gente while the 1st runner-up were  Efren J. Arcena and  Roy Clyd Belleza of the  Dr. Vicente  F. Gustilo Memorial  National High School.

Now on its fourth year, the quiz bee that has become the island’s most trusted and most awaited science-based competition is a project of geothermal leader Energy Development Corporation.

“The BOTB is not just a fun and exciting quiz bee but a wake-up call for the youth who need to learn and start taking care of our planet today in order for them to have a greener Negros and a sustainable future,” said Norreen G. Bautista, the Head of EDC’s Corporate Social Responsibility teams in Negros Island and Mt. Apo.

A total of 77 schools joined this year BOTB, which kicked off last week in Bais City, Negros Oriental for 21 participating schools from the area and was followed by the Valencia, Negros Oriental leg for 19 participating schools from the Municipality of Valencia and Dumaguete City.

The competition that EDC has developed in partnership with Drink Editorial and Design, Inc. continues to help the Filipino youth learn more about renewable energy, the environment, biodiversity, climate change issues and policies, and current events related to these topics. These same topics have, at one time or another, been featured in the Positive Energy Facebook page.

All information and questions have been verified by its panel of expert judges composed of EDC’s Ms. Bautista, Engr. Armando N. Arciaga, Jr., Negros Island Geothermal Facility Head; Engr. Arvin R. Aqui, Negros Island Geothermal Facility Resource Management Head; and Senior Production Engr. Ferdinand A. Lantaca; Ludwig O. Federigan, Executive Director of the Young Environmental Forum and Technical Advisor to the Philippines’ Climate Change Commission; former Foundation for Philippine Environment President and former Visayas State University President Dr. Paciencia P. Milan; Department of Energy (DOE)-Visayas Field Office Senior Science Research Specialist, Energy Industry Management Division Engr., Keelvin Ed D. Dajao and DOE-Visayas OIC-Director Engr. Rey Maleza-OIC Director.

The top two winning schools per area will move to the grand finals for a chance to win that much-coveted spot as 2019 Battle of the Brains-Negros champions on October 03.

EDC is the world’s largest vertically integrated geothermal company and the leading renewable energy firm in the country.  The company has been powering infinite possibilities in Negros Island for over 36 years now by harnessing geothermal energy, the only form of RE that can provide sustainable power 24 hours a day, rain or shine, all year round. #