SCI HIGH STUDENTS' 'LIGHT OF HOPE' GETS RECOGNITION

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Students of the Cebu City National Science High School created a buzz recently with their innovative, eco-friendly flashlight project, which won in the recently concluded ABS-CBN Central Visayas Eco-Patrol Competition. Young Minds Academy (YMA) scholars Marc Carlo Pocong, Katriel Gantalao, and Stephanie Tamayo’s Project Pa-S.I.G.A (Suga nga Isakto ang Gamit sa Asin) uses common table salt or even seawater in making an improvised source of light, which is useful during disasters.

While it is true that teens in this day and age are becoming too obsessed with gadgets, Pokémon Go and similar products of “Generation Me,” there are still a lot of young people who create an impact in the community.

Meet this team of students from the Cebu City National Science High School who created a buzz with their innovative, eco-friendly flashlight project and triumphed in the recently concluded ABS-CBN Central Visayas Eco-Patrol Competition.

Young Minds Academy (YMA) scholars Marc Carlo Pocong, Katriel Gantalao, and Stephanie Tamayo’s Project Pa-S.I.G.A (Suga nga Isakto ang Gamit sa Asin) used common table salt or even seawater in coming up with an improvised source of light, which is of great use for disaster preparedness.

Project Pa-S.I.G.A. also supports the use of recycled materials and is therefore environment friendly. Because it is just simple, anybody can create a similar project.

“It was a very fulfilling experience. We were really able apply our YMA learnings even after our season. We felt very happy that we were given the opportunity to upscale our project and to improve our previous prototypes,” Pocong said of his experience joining the competition.

YMA is a program of the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc.–Eduardo Aboitiz Development Studies Center, where chosen students undergo an eight-month leadership and citizenship development training. The graduates undergo learning sessions, community exposures, and project development anchored on an annual theme.

Pocong, Gantalao, and Tamayo were YMA Season 9 (2015) scholars. It was during that experience when the idea of creating a saltwater light source was created. Although Pa-S.I.G.A started as a mere concept, they were able to develop a prototype whose light astonishingly lasts up to 36 hours.

Since its inception in 2006, YMA has trained close to a thousand young leaders who graduated with enhanced competence, strengthened character, and more active citizenship engagement.

Pocong said the Eco-Patrol competition was a memorable experience for them, and that receiving the award made them even more inspired to keep on thinking of more innovative ways to help the community and the environment.

The improvised flashlight component chain is secured to a popsicle stick.

An organizer that contains the necessary materials in creating the improvised flashlight.

Preparing the copper, aluminum, cloth and cotton to create the flashlight component.

The copper of the core of the improvised flashlight is wrapped in cloth and cotton.

CEBU CITY Science High School students Stephanie Tamayo (left), Katriel Gantalao (second from left), and Marc Carlo Pocong (right) with their teachers.