FIRST TIME WINNER. Don Don Ferrer (left) team leader of Nemesio I. Yabut Elementary School guns for the win in the Tug-of-War Game Category.

The first timers have all agreed.

And today, Nov. 4, until Sunday, they, with four other Philippine school teams, are off to Bangkok, Thailand to compete with more than 10 countries in this year’s World Robotics Olympiad.

For newbies who didn’t even have gadgets, laptops and all the important program software of their own to start with, who would have an inkling that they would stand on stage alongside already experienced groups and fly with them overseas in an attempt to bring ‘hi-tech’ glory to the country?

"Wala talaga kaming mga kagamitan when we thought of joining the local robotics competition. Suwerte lang talaga," the seemingly unbelieving NIYES team coach Norman Talavera humbly states in an interview after the awarding of winners of the fourth installment of the Olympiad held at the Alabang Town Center. The Philippine Robotics is organized by the Felta Multimedia, Inc in partnership with the Department of Science and Technology – Science Education Institute (DOST–SEI).

Talavera attributed much of their being able to make it in the winners’ circle of the competition to Makati Science High School teacher Job Ferrer.

"Sir Job trained us really well," Talavera acknowledges. "Siya talaga ‘yung pinaka-trainor namin. He provided us the gadgets, software, and computer."

For two days, the two mentors trained Don Don Ferrer, Joshua Dedel, and Jonathan Fajardo – all fifth graders – for the pre-qualifying robotics event, then one more week prior to the final judging of the would-be representatives to the world leg of the contest.

Fate had it that Talavera is the Information and Communications Technology coordinator of the ICT Organization of Makati City, wherein Ferrer is a franchisee – unquestionably the connecting factor as to how the two got to work together in pushing for their students success in this realm of technological advancement.

Ferrer shares that their organization has a lot of projects in the Division of Makati, helmed by its superintendent Elena Ruiz. "But I think she is unaware of this endeavor that we delved into and she will be very surprised but glad to know that we captured a championship award," he gushes.

The mentor likewise credited MSHS principal Roberto Anir for having made possible the provision of the materials for the use of his ‘adoptive’ team, plus the support of teachers and parents and, yes, the City Government of Makati led by Mayor Jejomar Binay.

"Norman was also very helpful. Lahat ng ipagawa namin, like constructing playing fields, nagawa niya kaagad. For us coaches, siya ang naging puhunan namin dahil sa tiyaga niya kahit na inaabot kami ng alas nuwebe o alas diyes ng gabi in training the kids," tells Ferrer, who primarily train high school ‘roboticians’, but also train elementary ones.

The student-contestants themselves couldn’t be happier.

"Masayang-masaya po kami kasi first time po namin na manalo sa ganitong contest at saka first time din po naming makakapunta sa ibang bansa," expresses the not-so-outspoken-yet-excited Don Don, who is the school team leader. Job Ferrer is Don Don’s uncle.

The young Ferrer, who, together with the rest of his team mates, assembled the Lego-made robots themselves, shares what he has learned from engaging in robotics: "Puwedeng i-program ang Lego para mapagalaw o mapalakad."

Joshua says, "Sana manalo kami."

Talavera remarked that the apprentices never gave them much problems and headaches during their training. "Masusunurin at masisipag silang tatlo. ‘Yun nga lang, medyo makukulit dahil siyempre, mga bata nga naman ang mga ‘yan. So, after the training, they tend to play computer games, then we had to tell them to stop for the meantime to continue training. Although, we don’t also consume much time just training them, because, of course, we know that they wanted and needed to be relaxed at some points during our practice, para balanse rin."

The coach also commended the perseverance of the kids’ parents in helping the two of them mentor the team members. "We created two robots to be contested para malaman namin kung ano talaga ang magandang design na panlaban. With the parents’ opinions, we were able to come up with good designs of robots."

Asked if there was any technique that they had employed to spell the success of NIYES, Ferrer reveals: "We call it ‘disgrasya o chamba’. We played safe. We never captured the award for one specific event, but we captured the overall score in the two events."

To which Talavera seconded. "Doing the surest and safest thing is the best. Kasi, once na gusto ng isang team na manalo pa, ibubuhos nitong lahat ng mga naiisip na possible programs, which are, let’s say, dominant against a team. Pero, may disgrasya din kasi. So to play it safe, we applied the program that was really effective for our team."

The robotics enthusiast in Ferrer observed that robotics in the Philippines is "painfully slow when it comes to its development."

"In order to become a very good robotics programmer or developer, one should have a good knowledge of the software. For example, how are you going to control the sensitivity of light, the sensitivity to voltage, or the sensitivity to humidity of the robots that you have assembled? These are the things that need to be analyzed in order for one to apply it to the programming of these robots," he explains, adding that he and colleagues are not concerned with enabling the robot to move forward or backward.

"It’s as if you are teaching a blindfolded person to walk straight or backward. Robotics in the Philippines, I should say, is still in the period of infancy, parang bata pa lang na gumagapang nang napakabagal."

However, that statement was not made without hope and optimism.

"One of our problems right now is the support coming from whatever institution. We’re still trying to get more of it from the parents and administration to give us fund for doing research on robotics," Ferrer admits. "In MSHS, that is our objective: to prepare students, not only to become good doctors or lawyers; we want them to become good engineers also. Robotics is being taught in many colleges in universities in senior year levels. But in our school, we are already starting to teach it on the third year of selected students only. On the fourth year, two quarters are devoted to teaching robotics."

The Technology and Livelihood Education teacher, who also handles an Electronics class and a Computer class at the same time, found out that robotics can be integrated into those subjects, although it is not a part of the curriculum, as per education department. "But, being a science high school, there is an option for us to tackle this kind of field to the students in a relatively easy way.

"We are now living in a digital world, so why not make use of the technology that is available in this age? We want the kids to be interested in developing this kind of stuff, na sa ngayon ay medyo napakahirap nga sa simula pero kung hindi mo sisimulan, hindi mo mararating."

The NIYES team expects some modifications during the slated world leg of the competition. "I anticipate changes there at talagang maninibago kami roon, especially kung makarating man kami sa finals. Maybe, magiging napakaliit ng chance namin, but, of course, we’re going to try our best and bring home the bacon," promises Ferrer, who himself is competing in the world level for the first time. MSHS, under the tutelage of Katherine Javier with his assistance, competed last year and garnered the fourth place in the world level.

"Focus, concentrate, strategize, and believe in what they are doing. Most of all, have faith in God," he advises their prized apprentices.

Completing this year’s Philippine delegation to the WRO are Jose Maria Encarnacion, Charles Bryan Guerrero, Napoleon Nicolas Manuel II, and Jose Deña III (coach) of robotics veteran First Asia Institute of Technology and Humanities (FAITH) in Batangas (1st place – Regular Category, High School); John Christopher Villanueva, Angelo Se, Juan Rafael Mastrili, and Gilbert Zamora (coach) of La Salle Greenhills (2nd place – Regular, Grade School); Jasper Enzo Chua, Justin Lloyd Ferrer, Ken Lauren Daganio, and Rommel Pelayo (coach) of Aquinas High School (2nd place – Regular, HS); and Cyril Lumboy, Glenn Galano, Siegfred Mendoza, and Javier (coach) of 2004 champion MSHS (2nd place – Open Category).