Six University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos (UNO-R) Integrated School students were recently recognized during the University of the Philippines (UP) Academic League of Chemical Engineering Students Research Fair at the 2020 Research Competition, which took place from January 31 to February 1 at UP-Diliman.
Dane Claudelle Abalayan, Maria Ella Bagaforo, and Francis Raymund Garcia won the life science category with their “Structure-Based Virtual Screening of Seaweed Metabolites as Potential Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors” study; while Aivan Karl Ambagan, Shanly Yanna Granada, and Molerick Paul Otero topped the physical science category with their study called “Characterization of Calcium Oxide Nanoparticles from Blue Swimmer Crab (Protunus pelagicus) Exoskeletons as Fabricated Biofilter for Vehicle Gas Exhaust.”
“It feels surreal,” Garcia said. “We did not expect to beat other brilliant minds with out-of-this-world ideas in research and development.”
“We went to UP without high expectations but we strongly believe that it [was] God’s will for us to be acknowledged in this prestigious competition,” she added.
Jude Xerxes Herbolario, who served as advisor to both teams, discussed the importance of promoting research.
“Research is as much a tool for learning as it is a tool for societal change,” said the team advisor. “These students demonstrated a great love for science and research and found purpose in the knowledge they gained by ensuring what they learned can be used by the world that surrounds them.”
“These students stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the best student researchers from high schools all over the Philippines, most with dedicated science programs, and emerged on top, proving once again that research belongs to everyone who wants to learn so that they can help those around them,” he added.
This was the third time UNO-R Integrated School took part in the event. Last year, Dymme Jerah Barrera, Thea Gillera, and Jerrylle Siasat won the case study competition.
The teams joined 62 other studies in a poster competition, which was narrowed down to a final six where they took part in a final defense round.
“[This achievement] affirms UNO-R’s continuous commitment to excellence and quality education,” said UNO-R Integrated School director, Fr. Persiuz Joseph Decena.
Meanwhile, 26 other UNO-R Integrated School students participated in the Youth Science Convention./WDJ