CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — Five Mindanao secondary schools have secured finalist spots among the Top 20 nationwide in the 10th Department of Science and Technology–Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI) iMake.WeMake competition.
The national competition challenges high school student innovators to build technology-driven solutions addressing community, environmental, and agricultural challenges.
National Stage
Among the regional qualifiers, Acelo C. Badelles Sr. Memorial High School in Iligan City secured its place in the national top 20 for the third time.
Developed by the school's ABMHS e-Innobotics and Research Club, the entry titled "RHIZO-NEXUS: An Edge-AI Phytoacoustic-Environmental Telemetry Sentinel for Real-Time Mobile Analytics and Early Hydraulic Failure Prediction in Rhizophora mucronata" targets mangrove ecosystem preservation.
The project originated from community mangrove-planting initiatives led by Principal Bernie F. Lubguban and YES-O Coordinator Annaliza Tayone, prompting student researchers to explore technology-assisted environmental monitoring.
Guided by adviser Josevi Dela Torre Macas, team members Villarazo Daniella, Yana Roxas, Cj Lanzvernard Yamelo, and Ian Bczz developed the entry with support from collaborators Rachel Ebon and Carl Dominie B. Canindo, CENRO Iligan Specialist Mitz C. Tapi-on, DEVCON Iligan, and DEVCON Kids.
Community Roots
Four other Mindanao schools earned national finalist honors with specialized technology initiatives targeting slope safety, medical transport, and precision farming.
Camiguin National High School qualified with "Project X.A.V.I.E.R (eXtended Autonomous Volcanic-slope Intelligence for Erosion and Risk-monitoring)" to enhance slope hazard monitoring.
In Iligan City, Iligan City East National High School advanced with "LIFESAFE: An Arduino-Assisted Adaptive Thermal Protection Transport Box for Safe and Stable Transportation of Temperature-Sensitive Blood and Organ Products".
Finalist Roster
Valencia National High School in Bukidnon secured a spot with "BarakoTech: Development of a Multi-Parameter Sensing and Mobile Analytics Ecosystem for Precision Coffee Fermentation in Smallholder Farms".
Panabo City National High School from Davao del Norte rounded out the Mindanao qualifiers with "CAVEN-DOSE: An Embedded Sensor-Actuator Network for Automated Soil Alkalization through Calcium Hydroxide (Ca(OH)2) against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense Tropical Race 4 (Foc TR4) in Cavendish Banana (Musa acuminata) Soils".
All 20 national finalists will receive further instructions and technical guidelines through their registered emails as they advance to the next competition stage.
