Mapúa celebrates young innovators for community development and social change in Cardinal Challenge 2021

In celebration of its fourth year of being a university, Mapúa held the University Day last month with the theme “Catalyzing Social Change Through Service and Innovation”, underscoring its role in providing education that shapes communities and contributes to nation-building.

Recognizing how knowledge and skills empower individuals to create solutions that uplift society and advance the interest of mankind, Mapúa highlighted its event with the ingenuity and talent of senior high school and college students in the country through the Cardinal Challenge 2021. Out of 44 participants that successfully made it to the final screening, six were named Cardinal Innovators. 

Despite being a competition, the Cardinal Challenge 2021 served as a display of brilliance of its participants who exemplified excellence and relevance. It encouraged senior high school and college students to submit original projects that are innovative solutions to the needs and problems of the community.

Out of 44 participants that successfully made it to the final screening, six were named Cardinal Innovators.

The awardees are:

• Feasibility of Cardaba Banana fibers and Milkfish scales as fiberglass fillers by Kimberly B. Acuña, Karen Pauline B. Dalusong, Jennifer Coline G. Ibay, and Mark Lawrence C. Regio of Manuel A. Roxas High School. The innovators used Cardaba Banana fibers and Milkfish scales as fillers in creating fiberglass. Compared to commercial ones, the product of this study is eco-friendly, cost-effective, and, most importantly, helps in waste management, which is one of the top issues in our country.
• Analysis of the ability of mealworm in decomposing different types of plastics by Joniel R. Bolocon, Jomari M. Saltorio, Kurt Nicholi T. Saulog, and Gabriel R. Vaflor of Manuel A. Roxas Senior High School. Mealworm (Tenebrio Molitor), the larvae form of the darkling beetle, may be able to reduce the increasing rate of waste coming from plastics. A mealworm can live on a diet of different kinds of plastic such as low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polystyrene, and polypropylene.
•  iDIETS (Intelligently Directed Innovation to Enable Technology for Sustainability) by Team Southvillians of Southville 1 Integrated National High School. The innovators created modern aquaponics with technology-based iDIETS made from recycled materials, primarily aimed at addressing the agricultural needs of farmers for them to create and implement more efficient farming methods.
• Pili Seal by Mark Kennedy E. Bantugon from the Philippine State College of Aeronautics. Pili Seal is a new product innovation of sealant for aircraft integral fuel tanks made from environment-friendly material, specifically the Pili Tree resin, which is also called “spent resin” or “de-oiled resin”. This product is effective for application on specific aircraft parts like the integral fuel tank to avoid fuel leakage as well as other areas that come in contact with aircraft fuels, lubricants, oils, and water and are affected by weathering. 
• Arduino-based Automatic Soil-profiling Device by Nicole Beatrice M. Tan from Mapúa University Senior High School. The Arduino-based automatic soil-profiling device uses a microcontroller – Arduino Mega 2560 – to measure soil properties: temperature, moisture, pH level, and humidity. This innovation will be beneficial to the agricultural sector, particularly the Filipino farmers.
• Concentrated Solar Thermoelectric Generator by Epsilon Omni Yambot from the City of Mandaluyong Science High School – Senior High School. The innovation is designed with a high level of optimization that it can sustain its own energy resource consumption while still putting out a considerable amount of power – solving inefficiencies and proving its potential. It can be used for large-scale electrical supply and can be further improved with increased funding, research, and development.

The projects were judged based on their originality, potential impact, and innovativeness. All Cardinal Innovators are awarded certificates and a cash prize worth P15,000 per innovation.

Other innovations entered in the Cardinal Challenge 2021 can be viewed through the virtual exhibit at https://bit.ly/2QXmMxb.