GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/20 August) — Four promising inventions from Southwestern Mindanao will compete in the National Invention Contest and Exhibit (NICE) of the Department of Science and Technology.
Zenaida P. Hadji Raof Laidan, DOST-Region 12 director, said the four qualifiers in the 2012 NICE competition were among the more than two dozen entries to the recently concluded Regional Invention Contest and Exhibit (RICE) here.
“This only proves that we have gifted inventors in the region who can help promote the benefits of S&T towards a sustainable economic development and peace in the countryside,” she said in a statement.
The 2011 RICE winners and qualifiers for the 2012 NICE contest are:
–Cipriano Diego of Tulunan, North Cotabato for his betel oil product (Tuklas Award). He received a plaque and P20,000 cash prize;
–Benjamin Hurtado of Koronadal City for his barangay mechanical rice dryer (Outstanding Creative Research Category or Likha Award). He received a plaque and P10,000 cash prize;
— Jade Pamela Barriga, Anthon Mark Jay Rivas and Emil Keith Antoni from the Mindanao State University-General Santos City for their entry “Procoagulant and Bioplastic from Bitter Cassava and Chanos-chanos Scales” (Student Creative Research or Sibol Award College Level). They received a plaque and P10,000.00 cash prize, and;
— Ever Luv S. Esquilla, and Juhrina D. Sabpa of Esperanza National High School, Esperanza, Sultan Kudarat for their entry “The Potential of Pansit-Pansitan as Bio-coolant” (Student Creative Research- Sibol Award High School Level). They received a plaque and P10,000.00 cash prize.
RICE was among the highlights of the regional observance of the NSTW, which carried the theme “Nasa Siyensya ang Pag-asa” (In Science is our Hope). It was the first time for RICE to be held since previously, the invention contest was conducted through the clustering of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.
At least 1,000 participants joined the two day NSTW celebration, which was attended by national officials of the DOST from Manila.
AGHAM Party-list Rep. Angelo B. Palmones, also the event’s key guest of honor, handed the awards for the winners of the RICE whose theme was “Imbensyon at Inobasyon, Kabalikat sa Pag-unlad.”
Palmones urged inventors to develop more products that can help the country move forward and become a major player in the global S&T community.
“Your exhibits are worth bringing to roadshows in Manila so they will see that in Region 12, there are very good inventors too,” said Palmones, who has roots in North Cotabato.
Laidan said the RICE is an undertaking of the DOST primarily aimed at providing opportunities for inventors to exhibit and present their inventions and breakthroughs in line with the national efforts to promote inventiveness pursuant to Section 4 of Republic Act No. 7459 or the “Inventors and Invention Incentives Act of the Philippines”.
“This is our approach to ensure maximum participation of inventors and researchers as well as to further promote technologies, inventions and innovations from the countryside for possible commercialization prospects,” she noted. (Bong S. Sarmiento/MindaNews)
