SCIENCE and technology are the real engines of progress and are the essential components in nation building. Our history and experiences point to the fact that the modern world has been shaped by the advances made by man in these fields.
Outstanding science students are, therefore, worthy of recognition because of their potential contributions to industry and nation building. Their impressions here are enough motivation to their fellow students in the Cordillera region to likewise forge to excel in their studies and aim for academic excellence.
“More than the prestige of winning, this award contributes to my holistic development as a student. It opens my eyes to greater social responsibility. This award is an avenue to discover and maximize my potentials as a student and as a Filipino citizen” (Caluza).
“Winning the award is a most gratifying experience which will certainly build my character and step up my conviction to contribute significantly to society. An award like this serves as an encouragement and inspiration for researchers to be more responsive to the country’s needs” (Galunza).
“This recognition will help me pursue the career that I am passionate about. This award is a great platform for us students since it fosters healthy competition among scholars. An improvement in the school’s operation would mean an improvement in the quality of service provided to the students” (Montes).
Marianne N. Caluza (BS Biology), Carlos C. Galunza II (BS Electronics & Communications Engineering), and Madeleine A. Montes (BS Information Technology) are graduating students of Saint Louis University who were selected and later feted in the 21st BPI-DOST Science Awards (2010). They are the latest addition to the prestigious roster of BPI-DOST Science Awardees.
SLU is the only university in northern Luzon and one among 10 universities nationwide accredited by BPI and DOST to participate, through its Registrar’s Office as coordinator. SLU now has a total of 36 science awardees since the awards program started in 1989.
Annually, three graduating students who excel in the fields of Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Engineering, Computer Science and Biology are recognized and given incentives.
Marianne’s study on the “Antimutagenic Potential of Brown Alga Extract in Onion” focused on the locally abundant brown alga or seaweed for chemical components which are potentially capable of sustaining a healthy body and preventing cancer and other uncommon diseases. She chose this subject because of the alarming number of mutation-related diseases occurring in the Philippines that might be affecting people living below the poverty line.
In his research project “RoboArm: A Drainage-Screen Scraping Robot,” Carlos aims to monitor the occurrence of solid wastes that clog drainage screens in drainage and water systems. It automatically scrapes the portion of the waterway just before the drainage screen using a robotic arm.
Finally, Madeleine’s project entitled “SLU-Net Inventory and Repairs System” allows SLU’s office staff to know where different equipment used by SLU are located and which need repair. This would help SLU ride the technology bandwagon thereby improving and speeding up many aspects of university operations.
Other participating universities are Ateneo de Manila University, Ateneo de Davao University, De La Salle University, Silliman University, University of the Philippines (Diliman & Los Baños), University of San Carlos, University of Santo Tomas, and Xavier University.