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2015 Regional Invention Contests and Exhibits: A Humbling Experience

2015 Regional Invention Contests and Exhibits A Humbling Experience
2015 Regional Invention Contests and Exhibits

Every other year, The Technology Application and Promotion Institute (TAPI) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) in cooperation with DOST Regional Offices and the various inventors’ organization conduct the Regional Invention Contests and Exhibits. RICE is a nationwide activity conducted in different regions to recognize the indispensability of the Filipino inventors in the Philippine society and in the landscape of national economic development. The invention contest gives encouragement to investors to use their inventive capability by competing for cash rewards. It also 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.

Participating in the 2015 RICE was a challenge to my students. Since it was our first time to join in a research competition, everything seemed so new. The unfamiliarity in joining contests like these served as a challenge to the school and definitely, for ourselves. Fortunately, our research entry entitled, “Multi-purpose Board Out of Rice Hull” was qualified in the Region III 2015 Regional Invention Contests and Exhibits under the Student Creative Research Category. To be qualified as one of the entries in the 2015 RICE is unexpected because first and foremost, we were not satisfied with our finished product (multi-purpose board) but God provided a way for us to be able to reach our goal. The research was conducted by Grade 9 students headed by Diana A. Aresta, Sunshine J. Genove, and Anjo M. Querido.

During the first day of the exhibit, an ingress took place wherein the entries were displayed in the provided booths at Waltermart, City of San Fernando, Pampanga. The ingress happened from seven to nine in the morning. Different schools in Region III participated in the contest. Before the exhibit proper, officials of DOST spearheaded the ribbon cutting ceremony. Fifty entries were qualified under the different categories: Industrial Design Category, Creative Research Category, and Student Creative Research for College and High School. Out of those fifty entries, nineteen research entries were under the Student Creative Category (High School Level). Students from different school in Region III visited the exhibits since it is open to the public. Reporters from different TV stations were also present to cover the affair. exhibit is open from 11 am to 6 pm in the afternoon. To cap-off the first day, two judges in the competition evaluated the research entries, including our work.

On the second day of the competition, Grade 7 and 8 students from our school went to Waltermart, City of San Fernando, Pampanga to visit the exhibits. Their goal was to look for a research entry of their interest so that they can have ideas how to conduct research works. Conducting research offers our students a taste of the culture of research and life of being a scientist. By visiting exhibits like the Regional Invention Contests and Exhibits, students will be able to design their own research, decide what research questions to ask, and decide what topics to work on. They will also establish a personal connection to the work and a feeling of ownership of their research works.

On the last day of the competition, students from Grade 9 and 10 of our school graced the exhibit together with some teachers and our school principal, Mrs. Racquel C. Diaz. On the morning of the last day, a quiz bee was held among the students in Region III. Though our entry did not win in the competition, it is a humbling experience for us to join in the bi-annual event. The contest provided us an opportunity to learn research techniques and problem-solving skills. We also found time to chat with our fellow teachers, students, and postdoctoral researchers about science and scientific careers. Quality researches are important to the survival of mankind and the simplification of life. A quality research makes results that can be criticized by peers for further improvement, methodologies that can be repeated over and over again, and knowledge that can be applied in real-world situations. Conducting research enhance our knowledge of how to best address the world’s problems. Doing it is a tiresome activity. It takes patience, hardwork, and dedication to be able to make a good one. In conclusion, there is no single formula for developing a successful research study, but it is vital that the process of research is cyclical and iterative.

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Mark Kevin Gabriel Santos

Mark Kevin G. Santos is a licensed teacher. He is a science enthusiast. He placed 7th during the September 2012 Licensure Examination for Teachers – Secondary Level. He is currently teaching at Tabacao National High School in Talavera, Nueva Ecija.

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