Outstanding S&T inventions in ARMM receive awards

MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur, Oct. 13 (PIA) --- Outstanding science and technology inventions and research studies from different parts of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) during the 2015 Regional Invention Contests and Exhibits (RICE) were awarded on October 10.

Ten entries in the Sibol Award or the Outstanding Student Creative Research – High School and College levels, and in the Likha or the Outstanding Creative Research competed in the 2015 RICE.

The research study ‘Guyabano Treatment for Urinary Tract Infection’ of students Marida Dalgan, Sharon Caballero, and Majera Santiago was hailed as the regional champion in the Sibol Award - College level.

The three are all taking up Bachelor of Secondary Education major in General Science at the Mindanao State University (MSU) - Maguindanao.

“Marami po kasing MSU students like me na may UTI. And effective yung guyabano bilang treatment sa UTI na napatunayan ng phytochemical analysis na ginawa namin (Many MSU students suffer from urinary tract infection and we found out guyabano is an effective treatment),” Dalgan said.

She said her group will conduct thorough research as preparation for the upcoming National Invention Contests and Exhibits (NICE) in July 2016.

Paula Nicole Bataga, 16, was awarded first runner-up in the high school level of the same category. A grade 10 student of ARMM Regional Science High School in Parang, Maguindanao, Bataga built a Solar-Powered Power Bank as her entry.

She said her power bank was made from recycled materials specifically broken solar panel from a lamp and a rechargeable battery from a damaged power bank. What she only bought, she noted, was an P18 crayons box that houses the power bank.

Her power bank could fully charge an android phone. “I made this so that these junk materials culd be re-used.”

The 2015 RICE was part of the regional celebration of the National Science and Technology Week (NSTW) spearheaded by ARMM’s Department of Science and Technology (DOST). It is a nationwide activity conducted in different regions to recognize the creativity of Filipino inventors.

The 2015 NSTW bears the theme “Philippines: A Science Nation Innovating for Global Competitiveness.”

Myra Mangkabung, DOST-ARMM secretary, said the celebration depicts the vision and dream of science and technology community to keep abreast with global economic integration through innovation. (BPI/PIA-10)