THE Department of Science and Technology (DOST) proclaimed the three winners of the 2017 Regional Invention Contests and Exhibits (Rice) in Davao Region last Wednesday, June 5, at NCCC Mall Activity Center, that will compete in the National Invention Contest and Exhibits (Nice) next year.
Rice is a regional competition that started in 2011, encouraging both public and private sector inventors and researchers to showcase their inventive capabilities, ingenuity, and creativity.
The competition was divided into two categories: the Adult Creative Research (Likha Award) and Student Creative Research (Sibol Award) for High School and College.
Representing Davao Region for the Adult Creative Research category is the owner of the Hydrophilia Technologies Incorporated, Aezer Cajegas, for his research on Alcasol Pure Antibacterial and Antifungal Disinfectant.
"I am happy that my invention won for this year's Rice because this is really helpful for our farmers in treating banana diseases. This disinfectant is 100 percent organic which will not produce any foul odor and cannot irritate human's skin," Cajegas said.
He added that his invention has laboratory results and is being used as a trial product in a banana plantation in some parts of Mindanao that have contributed to his championship in the regional level.
Cajegas also won as the third placer in Nice last year for his invention on hydrophiliate technology.
For College Student Creative Research category, Charles Abella, Carlo Lagura, and Bernard Ranola from University of Southeastern Philippines (Usep) will be representing the region for their research on TAMLA: A Mobile App fro Crime Scene Fingerprint Matching with Latent Search Capability.
"Our invention is for crime laboratory application which will be helpful in the community through fast identification processes during crime scenes," Lagura said.
Lagura also said they will be doing further research regarding their invention as a preparation for NICE next year.
Philippine Science High School-Southern Mindanao Campus students, Felix Arthur Diosos and Coleen A. Quirim, will be the representatives of Davao Region for the High School Student Creative Research category for the Pectin-carboxymethylcellulose Biocapsule for Potential Colon Targeted Oral Drug Delivery.
The solo and school winners received P10,000 prize and gift certificates. DOST-Davao Region will also be covering plane tickets and accommodations for their national competition next year.
DOST-Davao Region Assistant Director Elsie Mae A. Solidum, in an interview, said Rice 2017 was an exciting batch of young and professional inventors, highlighting the importance of producing new ideas and inventions that are not only useful to the society but also possess commercial viability.
"Through competitions like this, the Science and Technology sector in the country hopes to gain more support from the government especially in terms of funding the department," Solidum said.