CAGAYAN de Oro City — Four Grade 12 students from Central Mindanao University Laboratory High School brought home two international awards after testing whether common weeds could help fight bacteria that can cause foodborne illness.
Kyla Alana Bless T. Dargantes, Febryl Jhem A. Caballero, Shairra Jean P. Betache and Zahra Joie P. Perang won the Gold Tier Poster Award and the Ajinomoto Malaysia Berhad Special Partner Poster Award at the Science Castle Asia 2026 competition held Aug. 22–23 at Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia.
Their study, “Weeds as Antibacterials Against Foodborne Pathogens,” examined the potential of locally available weeds as natural sources of antibacterial compounds.
The research could have practical implications for food safety and sustainable agriculture by exploring plant-based alternatives to conventional antimicrobial sources.
The students competed against young researchers from across Asia in the international science competition.
The poster category was highly competitive. Of 30 Philippine research teams that qualified for the poster phase, only five received Gold Awards, while three won Special Partner Poster Awards.
The CMU team was among those recognized in both categories.
The students were guided by research adviser Prof. Roselynn Grace G. Montecillo and accompanied by official chaperone Dr. Alan P. Dargantes.
Their research also reflected the competition’s theme, “Advance Science for a Sustainable Future,” by looking at how common natural resources could be explored to address food safety concerns.
The achievement puts Bukidnon student researchers on the international stage while showing how school-based research can turn locally available resources into possible solutions to wider problems.
