UPHSI SHS students conduct online research symposium

After two school years of diving into the depths of the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) strand, Grade 12-STEM students of the University of the Philippines High School in Iloilo (UPHSI) showcased their research studies in a two-day webinar symposium entitled “Beyond Eureka Moments” last June 15–16, 2021.

Around 100 participants from 15 different schools in the region took part in the symposium. Most of them came from Antique National School and John B. Lacson Foundation Maritime University.

UPHSI Principal Prof. Alfredo Diaz welcomed the participants with his opening remarks on the first day. He also congratulated the graduating class for their “success in research endeavors” in the past years amid the pandemic.

In addition, Prof. Early Sol Gadong, the Culminating Activity adviser of the class, emphasized the efforts of the class preparation for the culminating activity. In her opening remarks on the second day, she further explained the importance of having the said event as well as the UPHSI research curriculum.

“The culminating activity is not only a culmination of everything that they’ve [12-STEM class] learned in this research curriculum. Technically, this is a culmination of all the skills and knowledge that they’ve gained throughout their stay here at UP High School in Iloilo,” she said.

Other guests who graced the symposium with their presence were Jonevee Amparo, Assistant to the Principal and a UPHSI teacher, and Dr. Marovi Celis, a member of iAmUPHI, the UPHSI’s alumni association.

The presentation of the three scientific research studies was conducted on the first day. These included (1) Dengue Incidence Predictive Model, a predictive model that forecasts future Dengue cases based on previous incidence and climatic factors; (2) Identifying the Relationship of Morbidity and Strategies against COVID-19 using Chi-Square Statistics, a comparative analysis of the Philippines and other Asian countries; and (3) MoisHute Multi-tester Device; an instrument used to measure the soil moisture, humidity, and temperature of a plant’s environment.

Meanwhile, the second day tackled two mathematical pieces of research: (1) Properties of Ronn’s Game, which is a study generating the possible solutions of the mentioned puzzle game; and (2) An Investigation on Emirp Primes, which dug into the properties of the sum, difference, and difference between the nth powers of emirp pairs.

Mini-games, as well as open forums, made the symposium as interactive as possible.

The webinar symposium took place via Zoom and was also broadcasted through Facebook Live Stream. (Mr. Leonel Fedric Tuburan and Ms. Kristel Jane Distajo, UPHSI)