The Philippines’ most prestigious science competition, the Intel Philippine Science Fair draws to an exciting culmination in February with ongoing Regional Finals in various provinces. Competitors are vying for slots to the national finals to be held in February 17 and 16 at the Bahay ng Alumni, UP Diliman, Quezon City.
The Intel Philippines Science Fair is an annual national search for outstanding youth science projects sponsored by Intel Technology Philippines Inc. It aims to generate excitement and interest in science and research and taps the cream of the crop among the country’s high school students. Winners in the event’s Finals get the chance to represent the country in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), one of the world’s most prestigious science competitions. Co-organizing this Science search this year is the Department of Education.
The 2006 Intel ISEF will be held in the city of Indianapolis, Indiana on May 7-13 and will be hosted by the Science Education Foundation of Indiana and the Indianapolis Convention and Visitors Association. The competition is expected to attract 1,500 top science and technology high school students representing the 50 U.S. states and 40 global countries.
This year’s theme "Winning with Science," focuses on the importance of science in achieving success. Entries will be categorized into individual and team projects to promote the values of personal excellence as well as teamwork.
"We have high hopes for this year’s crop of young scientists and researchers," says Yvonne Garcia-Flores, Intel’s education manager. "Thus far we have seen a lot of very promising projects that we believe can bring home prestigious awards, such as those brought home by our delegates during the last ISEF."
In the 2005 Intel ISEF, held in Phoenix, Arizona, USA last May 8-14, two Filipino student-science researchers were named among the best from 1,447 finalists. Joey Davila Mangadlao, 16 years old and high school graduate of Agusan del Sur National High School (CARAGA), won Third Grand Award for his science individual project, "Biologically Potent Antimicrobial Agent Obtained from Tetrodotoxin-Rich Organs of Puffer Fishes (Arathron hispidus, Arathron manillensis, Chelenodon patoca)" under the Microbiology Category. He found out that extracts from the puffer fish possess broad-spectrum anti-microbial properties. A high school graduate from Sinait National High School (Ilocos Sur/Region I), Daisy Bayani Galapia, 16 years old, won Fourth Grand Award for her individual project in Botany, "Tabemaemontana pandacaqui Poir (Pandakaki) as Rice Bug (Leptocorisa acuta) Eradicator. Galapia’s project aimed to help farmers eradicate rice bugs during the milky stage of the rice cycle using pandakaki extract. It costs less than the commercial pesticides and has no danger to the environment.
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