Students showcase Filipino ingenuity at STEMEX 2019
BY MICHAEL RAMOS | May 29, 2019
The Philippine Society of Youth Science Clubs (PSYSC) launched its sophomore run of the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathemematics Expo or STEMEX 2019 last May26 to 27 at the SMX Aura Convention Center in Taguig. Organized by science clubbing students for fellow students and STEM enthusiasts, the opening day of STEMEX 2019 was filled with youth energy and enthusiasm for sharing their experiments and innovations. Activities included student exhibits, booths from sponsors, guest talks through TAKDA or Teknolohiya, Agham, Kalikasan, Diwa at Ako, and a science film festival.
“I am certain that the organizers, PSYSC, worked really hard to organize these diverse activities so that each of you will find something that will suit your interest,” said keynote speaker Dr. Ma. Corazon A. de Ungria, head of the DNA Analysis Laboratory at the University of the Philippines, Diliman.
Breaking Sterotypes
With STEMEX 2019, the young scientists of today are breaking the stereotype of being “absent-minded and too engrossed in experiments to notice people, things and events around him,” de Ungria shared. “The public image of a scientist in isolation no longer exists.”
Hillary Andales, who delivered a talk in Knowledge Channel’s Learning Circle for interns, also echoed de Ungria’s point as she debunked some major Science misconceptions during her TAKDA Talk. She shared how scientists are working more collaboratively nowadays towards Big Science- with projects and experiments involving numerious scientists from various fields and backgrounds, a departure from the old notion that science is led by one figure alone.
Mythbusting science misconceptions. Junior Breakthrough Winner Hillary Andales inspires her audience during her TAKDA Talk in STEMEX 2019. (Photo by Michael Ramos)
Showcasing Ingenuity
The two-day event also showcased the best inventions and ideas from science high school students through the Investigative Project Fair, iGen: Ideathon and iGen: Innovation. The IP fair is an exhibit of student experiments and researches based on pressing problems and issues. In iGen: Ideathon, students are given 48 hours to propose a solution to a pressing issue through science and technology. “Basically may problem tapos i-so-solve yung problem through an idea. And then you have to make that idea feasible,” said Joseph Gavine, Jr., Marketing Head of STEMEX 2019. iGen Innovation on the other hand is a research competition that focuses on the feasibility of a product or innovation.
“This year, tayo ang bibida. Ang sabing tatak Pinoy ay itatatak natin sa ating lahat at sa isa’t-isa sa ngalan ng agham at teknolohiya,” said PSYSC President Kent Elmann Cadalin.
Pinoy youth ingenuity. Students from Philippine Science High School share their Investigative Projects during STEMEX 2019 (Photos by Michael Ramos)
STEMEX 2019 Winners
The event concluded with an awards ceremony that announced the winners in the various competitions. Tabaco National High School took home the Best Picture Award for their entry I Wonder Y for the Science Film Festival. Students from Philippine Science High School – Cordillera Administrative Region Campus took the top prize for the Robotics Skills Challenge.
Mark John Paul delos Santos, Juan Samuel Ordonio, and Paul Emmanuel Evangelista of Philippine Science High School – Main Campus bagged the top prize for the Investigative Project Fair with their entry: “Development of an iOS Application for Real-Time Spectral Classification of Stars Based on a Convolutional Neural Network.” The project focused on the creation of an app that can help classify stars without having to undergo the manual process. This aimed to make astronomy more accessible and affordable to people according to the students.
Geo Earl Angeles, Pascal Marius Stefan Aurelio, and John Kristian Anjelo Balinsat of Philippine Science High School – Cordillera Administrative Region Campus took home the top award for the iGen: Innovation competition with their entry, “Wheelduino: An Arduino-based Smart wheelchair for Paraplegic Patients.”
Blaine Ayochok and Jan Catherine San Juan of Philippine Science High School – Cordillera Administrative Region Campus took home the overall champion award for the iGen: Ideathon competition with their entry “Rice Guardians”, a tamarillo leaf-based tablet that can be used against rice weevils.
Knowledge Channel is an official media partner of STEMEX 2019.
Below is the complete list of awardees:
SCIENCE FILM FESTIVAL
Best in Musical Score (Team)
TABACO NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL: I WONDER Y
Best in Cinematography (Team)
TABACO NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL: I WONDER Y
Best Screenplay (Team)
PHILIPPINES SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL – CORDILLERA ADMINISTRATIVE REGION CAMPUS: SAPANTAHA (PRESUMPTION)
People’s Choice Award (Team)
PHILIPPINES SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL – CORDILLERA ADMINISTRATIVE REGION CAMPUS: SAPANTAHA (PRESUMPTION)
Best Actress (Individual)
CHRISTINE DENISE CANO
Best Director (Individual)
KYLE CLARENCE DEMOT
2nd Best Picture (Team)
PHILIPPINES SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL – CORDILLERA ADMINISTRATIVE REGION CAMPUS: SAPANTAHA (PRESUMPTION)
Best Picture (Team)
TABACO NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL: I WONDER Y
ROBOTICS SKILLS CHALLENGE
Fastest Assembly (Team)
TEAM PSHS-CRC: JOHN KRISTIAN ANJELO BALINSAT, SOPHIA BERNADETTE LUNAR, RENE LEE AQUITANA
Top Speed (Team)
TEAM PSHS-CRC: JOHN KRISTIAN ANJELO BALINSAT, SOPHIA BERNADETTE LUNAR, RENE LEE AQUITANA
Overall 2nd Runner-up (Team)
TEAM ACES
Overall 1st Runner-up (Team)
PASIG CITY NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
Overall Champion (Team)
PHILIPPINE SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL – CORDILLERA ADMINISTRATIVE REGION CAMPUS
INVESTIGATIVE PROJECT FAIR
Best in Exhibit (Team)
PHILIPPINE SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL – MAIN CAMPUS: DEVELOPMENT OF AN iOS APPLICATION FOR REAL-TIME SPECTRAL CLASSIFICATION OF STARS BASED ON A CONVOLUTIONAL NEURAL NETWORK: MARK JOHN PAUL DELOS SANTOS, JUAN SAMUEL ORDONIO, PAUL EMMANUEL EVANGELISTA
Best Presenter (Individual)
PHILIPPINE SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL – MAIN CAMPUS: DJOEY BIANCA MEDILLA
Overall 2nd Runner-up (Team)
University of Baguio Science High School: PATTERN ACTIVATED DOOR LOCK USING KNOCKS (P.A.D.L.U.K.): PATRICIA NICOLE CHOY, ANNE DREW BAUTISTA, JOSHUA BEN
Overall 1st Runner-up (Team)
PHILIPPINE SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL – CORDILLERA ADMINISTRATIVE REGION CAMPUS: PROJECT NAMNAMA: AN ARDUINO-BASED EARTHQUAKE VICTIM DETECTION SYSTEM : JOHN KRISTIAN ANJELO, CATHERINE FABELLA, GABRIELLE CHARIS TAGTAG
Overall Champion (Team)
PHILIPPINE SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL – MAIN CAMPUS: DEVELOPMENT OF AN iOS APPLICATION FOR REAL-TIME SPECTRAL CLASSIFICATION OF STARS BASED ON A CONVOLUTIONAL NEURAL NETWORK: MARK JOHN PAUL DELOS SANTOS, JUAN SAMUEL ORDONIO, PAUL EMMANUEL EVANGELISTA
IGEN: INNOVATION
Health and Well-being (Team)
PHILIPPINE SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL – CORDILLERA ADMINISTRATIVE REGION CAMPUS: WHEELDUINO: AN ARDUINO-BASED SMART WHEELCHAIR FOR PARAPLEGIC PATIENTS: GEO EARL ANGELES, PASCAL MARIUS STEFAN AURELIO, JOHN KRISTIAN ANJELO BALINSAT
Energy and Environment (Team)
SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY-LABORATORY SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL: EFFECTIVENESS OF ACTIVATED CARBON FROM COCOS NUCIFERA AS DIESEL EXHAUST FILTER: JOSEPH BRIAN BANG-NGIT, ALYSSA JAYNE MUNAR, CIEJAY
Automation and Machine Technology (Team)
UNIVERSITY OF BAGUIO SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL: H.E.A.R.T.S. (HEART-ATTACK EQUIPMENT WITH ALERT-READY TRACKING SENSOR: JOHN FARRENHEIT ISIDRO
Disaster Mitigation and Management (Team)
PASIG CITY SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL: PROJECT: ANTARES (ARDUINO-BASED NECESSITY-TERMINATING AUTONOMOUS RECONNAISSANCE SYSTEM): LUIS ADRIEL BAAY, GODWYN BANZIL, CYRUS JUDE CARDAÑO, RHIMVO CRIS ANTHONY IGNACIO, JAIME LUIS SANTOS
Best in Exhibit (Team)
PHILIPPINE SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL – CORDILLERA ADMINISTRATIVE REGION CAMPUS: WHEELDUINO: AN ARDUINO-BASED SMART WHEELCHAIR FOR PARAPLEGIC PATIENTS: GEO EARL ANGELES, PASCAL MARIUS STEFAN AURELIO, JOHN KRISTIAN ANJELO BALINSAT
Best Presenter (Individual)
PHILIPPINE SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL – CORDILLERA ADMINISTRATIVE REGION CAMPUS: WHEELDUINO: AN ARDUINO-BASED SMART WHEELCHAIR FOR PARAPLEGIC PATIENTS: GEO EARL ANGELES
Overall 2nd Runner-up (Team)
SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY-LABORATORY SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL: EFFECTIVENESS OF ACTIVATED CARBON FROM COCOS NUCIFERA AS DIESEL EXHAUST FILTER: JOSEPH BRIAN BANG-NGIT, ALYSSA JAYNE MUNAR, CIEJAY
Overall 1st Runner-up (Team)
PASIG CITY SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL: PROJECT: ANTARES (ARDUINO-BASED NECESSITY-TERMINATING AUTONOMOUS RECONNAISSANCE SYSTEM): LUIS ADRIEL BAAY, GODWYN BANZIL, CYRUS JUDE CARDAÑO, RHIMVO CRIS ANTHONY IGNACIO, JAIME LUIS SANTOS
Overall Champion (Team)
PHILIPPINE SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL – CORDILLERA ADMINISTRATIVE REGION CAMPUS: WHEELDUINO: AN ARDUINO-BASED SMART WHEELCHAIR FOR PARAPLEGIC PATIENTS: GEO EARL ANGELES, PASCAL MARIUS STEFAN AURELIO, JOHN KRISTIAN ANJELO BALINSAT
IGEN: IDEATHON
Best in Presentation (Team)
SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY-LABORATORY SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL: RICE GUARDIANS: BLAINE AYOCHOK, JAN CATHERINE SAN JUAN
Best Presenter (Individual)
SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY-LABORATORY SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL: RICE GUARDIANS: BLAINE AYOCHOK
Overall 2nd Runner-up (Team)
PHILIPPINE SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL – CORDILLERA ADMINISTRATIVE REGION CAMPUS AND DENR-MINES AND GEOSCIENCES BUREAU REGION 1: AGMULA: ROXANNE JOY DOYAYAG, NANDRY CLAE LAGMAN
Overall 1st Runner-up (Team)
SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY-LABORATORY SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL: iONE: JACOB MARINAS, RALPH JOSEPH SABADO
Overall Champion (Team)
SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY-LABORATORY SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL: RICE GUARDIANS: BLAINE AYOCHOK, JAN CATHERINE SAN JUAN