UPHSI team presents sunscreen research at 2024 YIP forum

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The Fifth of Ace team from the University of the Philippines High School in Iloilo (UPHSI) presented their research progress at the DOST-PCIEERD 7th Young Innovators Program Forum held at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) Forum Tent in Pasay City on Sept. 21, 2024.

Mentored by Prof. Raphael Belleza, the team consists of members Abbie Jessica Leigh, Aisha Yaelle Homeres, Antoine Kaiser Demontaño, Arwen Jayne Deriada, and Caiden Ramirez. They were among six research group grantees invited to the forum. Their project, titled “Cresunscreen: Formulation of the Calabash (Crescentia cujete) Methanolic Extract as a Sunscreen Cream,” received a grant of P355,600 last year during the 6th Young Innovators Program Forum.

The team’s presentation earned them the Alumni’s Choice Award, one of two awards given by YIP alumni to the research group that captured their interest.

As the first Young Innovators Program (YIP) grantees from Region VI (Western Visayas), they presented alongside five other schools from Luzon. The forum was part of the National Youth Science, Technology, and Innovation Festival (NYSTIF), which also featured exhibits, activities, and additional forums showcasing youth-led scientific innovation in the Philippines.

UPHSI faculty member Jema Talaman accompanied the group on this trip.

The Fifth of Ace’s project, which focuses on sustainable sun protection, is set for completion by the end of the year. (Written by UPV-IPO)