DOST holds invention tilt sans inventor’s entry

By URIEL C. QUILINGUING
Contributing Editor

THE three-day Regional Invention Contests and Exhibits (Rice) of the Department of Science and Technology at Robinson’s Place in Valencia City, which attracted 170 entries from all over Northern Mindanao, was opened for public viewing Monday, but not one of these can be categorized as an invention. 

Science research specialist Julie Anne Baculio, who is also the DOST-10 spokesperson, said the student creative research category for high school and collegiate levels posted the most number of exhibitors with 98 and 30 entries, respectively. Other entries were 34 for creative research and eight for the utility model.

Baculio said the favorable response from schools was the result of the formal invitations and display of posters, other than social media postings.

Meanwhile, Engr. Mark Anthony Galon, who is DOST-10’s Rice coordinator confirmed there is none for invention as well as for industrial design categories.

Galon said the top three winners in Rice will represent the region in the National Invention Contest and Exhibit (Nice) to showcase Filipino inventions, innovations, and researches. DOST  is undertaking the biennial activity through the agency’s Technology Application and Promotion Institute.

Of the five categories, the Outstanding Invention or Tuklas awards carry the biggest cash awards of P60,000, P30,000, and P20,000 for the top three entries while its P30,000, P10,000, and P5,000 for top three in industrial design.

Cash awards for student creative research (Likha awards), for both high school and college, are P25,000 for the first, P10,000 for the second; P5,000 for the third while utility model’s top three will receive P30,000, P10,000, and P5,000, respectively. These categories are also known as Sibol awards.

Science and Technology Secretary Fortunato dela Peña cut the Rice ceremonial ribbon Monday afternoon, in the presence of Bukidnon Gov. Jose Ma. Zubiri, Valencia Mayor Azucena Huervas, Central Mindanao University president Jesus Antonio Derije, and DOST-10 director Alfonso Alamban. 

Other than Rice, which was the centrepiece activity of the Regional Science and Technology Week, other activities were Bantog media awards launch, regional oral research contest, hazards of Northern Mindanao and disaster risk reduction and management technologies, agri-technologies forum, innovative packaging, and metalworking technologies.