SMC Students Shine in National Chem Video, Written Competitions
By Le Grande Dolino
Students from Southern Mindanao Campus won first runner-up in the Ateneo Chemistry Olympiad Video Presentation Round held online last April 24 and 30. The event was organized by the Ateneo Chemistry Society.
The winning team, composed of Grade 11 students Shannen Alexa Basan and Elle Sue Jamayo as well as Grade 12 student Tom Manuel Piccio, participated in the Industrial Chemistry of Everyday Objects category. Alexa, Elle and Tom made an informative video about the chemistry behind flavors.
Another team composed of Grade 11 students Taj Liam Banzon and David Mendoza as well as Grade 12 student Revien Rodriguez participated in the Chemistry in Health and Medicine category. Taj, David and Revien produced a video about CRISPR technology which can be used to edit genes.
The video entries of both teams can be viewed at the Ateneo Chemistry Olympiad Facebook page.
Also, Taj won Bronze in the 2021 Philippine National Chemistry Olympiad Finals held online last March 6. The event was organized by the Philippine Federation of Chemistry Societies, Inc.
Congratulations to all students involved!
Grade 8 Student Emerges as Champ in Thai Math Olympiad
By Le Grande Dolino
Grade 8 PSHSSMC student Franz Achilles Lindayag won champion in the Secondary 2 category of the Thailand International Mathematical Olympiad (TIMO) held online last April 3, 2021.
This year's TIMO was joined by participants from 18 countries across five continents. Franz also won Gold for the individual awards in the same competition and ranked top scorer for the Philippines.
Franz frequently participates in local and international mathematics competitions.
"I could hardly believe it. I have vied for this title for three years now and finally, my hardship and perseverance paid off," Franz said in a written comment.
Franz recently won silver in the Guangdong Hong Kong Macau Greater Bay Area Mathematical Olympiad held last March.
Upon becoming champion in TIMO, Franz encouraged other students and math enthusiasts to continue doing their best.
"Keep on believing in yourself. Eventually, like me, you will reach your star. Cheers to all! We did it! Philippines conquered the world!" Franz shared.
TIMO is organized by the Olympiad Champion Education Centre (OCEC).
Congratulations!
Call for Registration to the ASEAN Data Science Explorers Program
Grade 8 Student Wins Silver in HK Math Olympiad
By Le Grande Dolino
Franz Achilles Lindayag, a Grade 8 student from PSHSSMC, won silver (second prize award) in the 2021 Guangdong Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area Mathematical Olympiad held online last March 21, 2021.
Franz is one of ten other silver awardees in the competition for the Secondary 2 category. The event was joined by representatives from Bulgaria, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
The annual competition was organized by the Olympiad Champion Education Centre (OCEC).
SMC Reps Win Big in National Mining, Materials Olympiad
By Le Grande Dolino
SMC students bag the championship and second runner-up awards in the recently concluded National Mining, Metallurgical, and Materials Engineering Summit held online last March 26 to 28, 2021.
The event consisted of a qualifying quiz bee round which led to the Idea Challenge, where groups proposed solutions to "medical waste management and valorization" in the Philippines.
Team L composed of Carlos Gabriel Araniego (Grade 12), Maria Leianna Yutig (Grade 11) and Crispino Alvarado III (Grade 10) under Engr. Ace Lonzaga (coach) emerged as champion. Team K composed of Tom Manuel Piccio (Grade 12), Warren Dominic Beltran (Grade 11), and Mary Grace Espino (Grade 10) under Ms. Jihan Codizar (coach) bagged the second runner-up prize as well as the Best in Quiz Bee award.
The event was organized by the UP Mining, Metallurgical, and Materials Engineering Association Incorporated.
Iska Emerges Victorious In ADDU-SEA Fair 2021 Sketch War
by Sheila Allong
Proving that PhiSciers are not just academically excellent but are also multi-talented in different abilities and skills, a Philippine Science High School Southern Mindanao Campus scholar emerged as the CHAMPION in the region-wide Ateneo de Davao University- Schools of Engineering (ADDU-SEA) Fair 2021 Sketch Wars Event held online last March 17, 2021.
Grade 12-Kelvin student Eliza Annet B. Juanitez competed virtually against other high school students from 9 different schools all over Mindanao in a challenge wherein they were given the subject “Royal Ontario Museum in Canada” on the spot for which they had to use as a guide for sketching depending on their desired perspective. They were to sketch the subject using monochrome (black and white format) for two (2) hours only. The sketch war event was part of the week-long (March 15-19, 2021) online ADDU-SEA Fair.
As relayed by the coach, Engr. Michael V. Nalitan, “I am very proud of Eliza not only because of her exceptional drawing skills but also because she remained focused and tenacious despite the event being held in time for the examination week in Pisay-SMC.”
As instructed by the Campus Director Jonald P. Fenecios, the good news was announced during the virtual flag ceremony of the PSHS-SMC faculty and staff last March 29, 2021 and is posted in the school’s official Facebook Page - https://www.facebook.com/PisaySMC
Published Faculty JMA Villanueva – ‘I Conduct Research To Look For Solutions’
What is research for if not to find a technical solution to a problem and develop something useful which can be implemented for the benefit of mankind?
This mantra was precisely the driving force behind all the research endeavors and research-related coaching activities of one of the “just starting out” yet highly admired teachers of Philippine Science High School Southern Mindanao Campus, Ms. Jessa Mae A. Villanueva.
In fact, when asked as to what was her and her co-author’s inspiration in coming up with the research entitled Antimicrobial Property of Sodium Alginate/TiO2 Nanocomposite Film, she said that, “One time, we visited the farmers in Calinan and learned that their persistent problem is on how to prolong the shelf life of their crops. This was the very reason why we conducted this research to look for solutions that could help farmers.”
Basically, the study shows that Sodium Alginate/TiO2 composite films can indeed be used in the food industry as an antibacterial film. Given its many possible uses in agriculture and food industry, the study was thereby acknowledged and peer-reviewed by the Philippine Journal of Science and published last September 2018. Here’s the link: https://philjournalsci.dost.gov.ph/78-vol-147-no-3-september-2018/818-antimicrobial-property-of-sodium-alginate-tio2-nanocomposite-film
Ms. Villanueva, who has been a recipient of a number of research-related awards such as second place in the DOST, 6th Health Research & Development Expo and second place in poster presentation in the 11th PNHRS Week, shared that the current innovations in food packaging systems, including the use of polymers, hydrogels and nanoparticles to increase the shelf life of food has really been her main research interest.
With her passion and love for research, it is not a wonder that even her research advisees/students in the campus were award-winners too in different research-related contests here and abroad such as the Malaysian International Young Inventors Olympiad 2018, Project BT 2018, Restoration Exology Society of the Philippines Saving the Cordilleras Ecosystem Network (RESPhil-SCENE), Inc. 8th National Conference, and Global youth Science and Technology Bowl 2020, among others.
As a message to everyone, Ms. Jessa Villanueva has this to say: “Go out and look for research problems that are practical. Those that can actually help the society.”
About the Published Faculty:
Ms. Jessa Mae A. Villanueva finished BS Food Technology degree at the University of the Philippines Mindanao and is currently taking up MS Food Science at the same institution. For this school year 2020-2021, she is teaching Integrated Science II to Grade 8 Rosal students, serving as Research 1 Teacher/Adviser (Materials Science) and also as Research I Unit Head, and at the same time, as Research 3 Teacher/Adviser, while being the Homeroom Adviser of Grade 8 Rosal.