Students from different campuses of the Philippine Science High School competed in robotics during the Freestyle Robotics Competition 2026 held on March 5 at the Philippine Manufacturing Co. of Murata, Inc. in the First Philippine Industrial Park in Tanauan City, Batangas.
Participants came from CAR, CALABARZON, CARAGA, SOCCSKSARGEN, Central Visayas, and Bicol Region, presenting their robotics innovations focused on industry automation, disaster response, agriculture, and assistive technologies.
In the competition, Cebu – Central Visayas Campus was declared champion and received a 50,000-peso cash prize, plus another 50,000 pesos for their school campus.
SOCCSKSARGEN Campus finished as first runner-up with 35,000 pesos, followed by Cordillera or Baguio Campus as second runner-up with 25,000 pesos, while Bicol Campus placed third runner-up receiving 15,000 pesos.
Meanwhile, the CALABARZON and CARAGA teams each received 10,000 pesos as consolation prizes.
Several teams also received special awards. Central Visayas won Best Presenter, CARAGA Butuan Campus won Best Poster, while SOCCSKSARGEN received both the People’s Choice Award and the Erovoutika Choice Award.
Among the projects presented were the Microfactory of the Bicol Region Campus, a modular system that simulates industrial automation; SafeMATE of SOCCSKSARGEN, a smart industrial safety monitoring system that detects workplace hazards; and the Smart Flood Alert System of Central Visayas, which uses sensors and microcontrollers to provide early flood warnings.
The Cordillera Campus also presented HAPTIX AI, an assistive robot that converts text into audio and Braille for visually impaired users. Meanwhile, the CALABARZON Campus introduced PeltiAir, a Peltier-powered cooling system designed for agricultural applications.
The judges of the competition were Mr. Arvin Banayo, Junior Section Manager for Machine Engineering Department; Mr. Shigeki Iwasaki, General Manager of the Machine Engineering Department; Mr. Wilson Pareja, Section Manager of the Machine Engineering Department; and Mr. Noel Deplomo, President of Erovoutika.
Also present during the event were Mr. Martin Joseph Simbulan, Information Technology Officer III of the Philippine Science High School Office of the Executive Director; Mr. Masayoshi Koda, President of the Philippine Manufacturing Co. of Murata, Inc.; Mr. Mitsuki Notsu, Director for Administration; and Ms. Janet Inocencio, General Manager of the Sustainability Promotion Department.
The competition was organized in partnership with the DOST–Technology Application and Promotion Institute (DOST-TAPI) and the robotics organization Erovoutika, aiming to encourage young Filipinos to develop innovative technologies for the future of industry and society. | BChannel News
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