‘HOLISTIC’ ROBOTICS
Champions of the Filipino future You also have to be people smart; you learn how to collaborate with teammates. And of course, hone your communication skills
While the country was preoccupied with a showbiz scandal in the early days of August, two feats were celebrated by a community concerned with the nation’s future.
On 8 August, President Rodrigo Duterte signed into law Republic Act 11363 or the Philippine Space Act. It is a law that mandates the creation of a unified space agency.
The creation of such dedicated agency will enable faster information gathering and dissemination, especially on natural and man-made disasters and other related concerns.
The other feat was another feather in the cap for the country’s national robotics team which has been collecting medals one after the other.
The more recent was the gold medal in the World Robot Olympiad Friendship Invitational 2019 held from 1 to 4 August in Aarhus, Denmark.
They came on top of the 150 teams from 33 countries which participated in the event.
Among the members of the national team was Team DYCI Novus from Dr. Yanga’s College Inc. in Bocaue, Bulacan.
Team members Doneth de la Rama, Naiah Mendoza and Jaren Perez created project SMART Governance or ALAB (Anti-Adversity Link for Aid and Benefit), which is “an efficient, innovative and organized way of providing aid in addressing natural and man-made calamities all over the world through smart governance technology.”
It won gold in the Senior-Open (Creative) Category.
Robotics for all
The Daily Tribune caught up with the three and another member from their other team, Team Blue Ocean’s 10, Jocas Cruz, last June.
Team Blue Ocean’s 10 emerged as Champion’s Award Finalist for their work, “Project Fuse,” which bested 109 teams from 74 countries at the For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Lego League World Championship held in Houston, Texas from 15 to 21 April. The team was composed of six girls and four boys.
Project Fuse is a virtual reality game that connects astronauts in space to their families back home through a live virtual reality video chat that enables the parties from other ends to have physical interaction through a robot.
“Most of the problems being addressed right now with regards to our astronauts in space is physical problems. Sometimes, their psychosocial health is not tackled. We decided to tackle this issue because we think that if their psychosocial health is not addressed it affects their work,” Mendoza explained.
Composed of teens aged 12 to 17, Team Blue Ocean’s 10 worked efficiently as a team dividing the task into three aspects: project and research, robot and core values.
When one converses with these teens, one could not help but wonder at the creative and brilliant minds that lurk behind their glasses and almost shy demeanor.
Here is the future of the Philippines, especially now that a law has been created that makes learning science, technology, astronomy and other related courses conducive and favorable.
They each had their stories on why they joined the team: one was influenced by the exploits of an older sister in past robotics competitions; another thought of trying out and getting out of her comfort zone; and one joined because it had always been his goal to join a robotics team.
But all were in agreement that it had made them better students.
“There’s more to robotics than the building and programming, especially in FLL (First Lego League). Though I am taking up an ABM (Accountancy, Business and Management) strand, I still can do something related with technology. You also have to be people-smart; you learn how to collaborate with teammates. And of course, hone your communication skills,” Mendoza added.
The first and only World Robotics Olympiad ambassador and national organizer of Philippine Robotics Olympiad and FLL Philippines, Mylene Abiva, agreed.
I’m trying to hone the Filipino youth to be a holistic successful person but also possessing soft skills that they learned through robotics.
Abiva has been staunchly championing and supporting the robotics program. She talked lengthily about her love for it which all started from her fear of studying Physics back in high school. She would even have “butterflies in my stomach,” as she told during her Ted Talk session.
“What really fuels me is making the Filipino youth shine — like we have a Champions Award, the only Asian country to have won so far in the World Championships. We have benchmarked the Philippines in the world robotics arena. What I really want to achieve is for our students to be not just good in robotics but we also have a good value system,” she enthused. “I’m trying to hone the Filipino youth to be a holistic successful person but also possessing soft skills that they learned through robotics. With that we have a more progressive Philippines.”
The Philippine Robotics National Team is not done yet. They are set to compete in the World Robot Olympiad Finals in Gyor, Hungary in November.
“Before, kids were afraid because they thought it might be difficult. It will always be hard at the start but through time, they’ll eventually learn. That’s why they always say that this generation has a future. We should always think of a goal that is not just for oneself,” De la Rama, the more senior member of the team who wants to take up law someday, said.
Perez, one of the four boys, agreed. “One’s goal should not only focus on oneself. There’s a greater purpose other than just achieving something for ourselves. We want to make a difference.”