Innovation marks 2nd Pshs-meralco Science Fair
WHILE most of their peers were preoccupied with social networking sites, viral videos and online gaming, several high school students kept busy recently researching, patiently putting ideas and theories to the test to prepare for the second Philippine Science High School System–meralco National Science Fair.
Dr. Josette Biyo, the award-winning mentor and director of the Philippine Science High School (PSHS), said innovation was inherent among future scientists and researchers.
Biyo said innovation simply meant doing things better and making things better.
Innovation filled the three-day science fair attended by 185 students from 11 PSHS campuses in the country and held at the Meralco Development Center, now Leadership Academy of the First Pacific Group, in Antipolo City. Around 69 research projects were presented.
Theme of the event was “Building a Culture of Science.”
Science Secretary Mario G. Montejo and Undersecretaries Fortunato dela Peña and Carol Yorobe were among those who attended the event.
Leadership Academy executive director Roy Agustin K. Evalle welcomed guests, including Filipino scientists here and abroad.
Montejo said the Philippines could achieve progress if people developed an interest in science.
Biyo said this year’s fair showed a lot of improvement in terms of quality. The projects were better and there were more researches in engineering and environmental science like conservation and management of water bodies and coral reefs, she said.
During the fair, students participated in team-building activities, study critiques, and plenary discussions. They also shared their experiments with a wider audience that included students from public high schools in Cainta and Antipolo, Rizal, and Pasig City, as well as other visitors of the center.
Visiting experts included some PSHS alumni like Dr. Francisco Sandejas of Narra Ventures Capital; United States-based neuro-oncologist Dr. Baltazar Aguda, currently with the American National Cancer Institute; Dr. Ricardo C. H. del Rosario, research associate, Genome Institute of Singapore; forensic expert Dr. Corazon de Ungria, University of the Philippines (UP) DNA Analysis Laboratory; Dr. Edna Amparado, UP Institute of Biology; Dr. Jaime C. Montoya, Philippine Health Council for Research and Development; environmental science professor Dr. Rene Rollon, UP Diliman; UP assistant professor Jeffrey Valenzuela and teaching associate Alvin Joseph Teng.
One Meralco Foundation president Jeffrey Tarayao suggested that the fair be brought to public venues like malls. He pointed out that many projects were not purely for scientific research but were partially or wholly influenced by the people around them and the environment.
Projects were created to benefit the communities where the students belonged, he added.
Evalle expressed interest in some of the projects that involved energy and the environment. He said the projects were aligned with Meralco’s core business of power distribution.
He expressed the hope that some of the budding scientists would find a career in Meralco and its sister-companies.