Balugo Nat’l HS wins EDC 2018 Battle of the Brains
DUMAGUETE CITY — Rose Jane Flores and Jay Tumo of Balugo National High School in Valencia town of Negros Oriental bested nine other teams to win this year’s Battle of the Brains (BOTB), staged by the Energy Development Corporation (EDC) at Foundation University, Dumaguete City.
Flores and Tumo, with their coach Joel Genel, in a very close fight, bagged the P30,000 grand prize along with gold medals, and a trip to EDC’s 222.5-mW Southern Negros Geothermal Project in Valencia.
The first runner up honors went to Rengel Ann Amaro and Wendlemar Gantalao of Cambagahan National High School in Bais City,Negros Oriental to go home with P10,000 cash prize. The second runner-up prize went to Nyle Andrea Sapul and Theresa Trayco of Bago Colleges in Bago City, Negros Occidental.
Other participating schools were the defending champion Southland College in Kabankalan City, Dr. Vicente F. Gustilo Memorial National High School, Riverside College Senior High School, Notre Dame of Bago City, Mabinay Science High School, Okiot National High School, and Valencia National High School.
Present during the BOTB were Rodne Ga licha, Climate Reality Philippines country manager, Engr. Rey Maleza of the Department of Energy in the Visayas, and EDC officials headed by Vicente Omandam Jr., senior manager and head of EDC Negros Project Execution, and Noreen Bautista, head of EDC Watershed Management Group and Community Partnerships External Relations.
The EDC’s BOTB is now on its third year, a regional science quiz bee for junior and senior high schools aimed at making the students aware of the importance of renewable energy to fight climate change. “It is clear that the movement to combat climate change has been embraced by our students here in Negros,” Omandam said.