GENERAL SANTOS CITY, June 16 (PNA) — Two innovative projects from Region 12 or the Soccsksargen Region will be vying for top awards in the 2014 National Invention Contest and Exhibit slated next month in Manila.
Zenaida Hadji Raof Laidan, Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Region 12 director, said Monday an invention made by a group of young scientists from this city and another from an enthusiast based in Isulan town in Sultan Kudarat will be the region’s official entries to the annual NICE.
She said the two projects emerged as top winners at the recent Regional Invention Contest and Exhibit (RICE) held in this city.
Dennis Bialen was declared as the 2014 RICE’s most outstanding creative researcher or the prestigious Likha Award winner, she said.
The young inventor, who is a resident of Isulan, Sultan Kudarat, received a plaque and a cash prize of P25,000.
In the student creative research category or the Sibol Award – High School Level, Laidan said a group of students from the General Santos City National High School emerged as winners for their for their entry: “Nutgrass (Cyprus rotondus) Habit as Alternative Indigenous Materials.”
The research team, which received a plaque and cash prize of P35,000, is composed of high school students Jason Cole, Rafael Tan and Kent Soler.
RICE is an undertaking of the DOST that is primarily aimed to provide opportunities for inventors to exhibit and present their innovative projects and breakthroughs in line with the national government’s efforts to promote inventiveness.
The initiative is pursuant to Section 4 of Republic Act No. 7459 or the “Inventors and Invention Incentives Act of the Philippines.
Supported by the DOST’s Technology Application and Promotion Institute, RICE serves as the qualifying round for the NICE.
The competition is open to amateur and professional inventors in the region who wish to highlight their ingenuity and craft through their research and locally developed creations.
In the 2014 RICE, Laidan said 42 researches and inventions were showcased by young inventors and scientists from various parts of the region.
Region 12 comprises the provinces of South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, North Cotabato and the cities of General Santos, Koronadal, Tacurong, Kidapawan and Cotabato.(PNA)