QUEZON CITY, (PIA) -- Stereotypically, inventors may be imagined as geek-looking older individuals but wait until you meet the young students of the Philippine Science High School (PSHS).

At a young age, their students were able to create and invent systems and processes with the guidance of their teachers.

These inventions may be envisioned to contribute in various industries or may improve the quality of lives of individuals. 

The Philippine Science High School (PSHS) presented some inventions of their students in a press conference recently held in Quezon City. 

One of the highlights is the invention coined as “System for Assisting a Visually Impaired User” by one of their scholars Vaugh Matthew Valle, a student from PSHS-Central Visayas Campus, and teacher Dr. Benito Baje.

It is a pair of glasses, named VISION, that comes with a tiny device. This device has a camera that functions as the "eyes" of a blind person.

It has a tiny speaker that tells the user what's in front of him or her, and tells time, day, and even the weather when asked. Moreover, it is created as a local system that do not need an internet connection to function.

In addition, this invention is also registered at the World Intellectual Property Organization, which will protect the integrity of their works according to the PSHS System Executive Director Lilia T. Habacon. 

Aside from VISION, there are also other inventions by Pisay Scholars of PSHS-Central Visayas Campus that received international publications such as the Portable Water Quality Assessment Device, which is a portable and chargeable device that measures the size of microplastics in a water sample.

The inventors are Josefino Logan, Chesyne Pepito, David Atup and Ro-Ann Laude.

There is also the Aquaculture Monitoring Device that measures temperature, dissolved oxygen, and pH level of a water sample --important factors in assessing aquaculture conditions. The inventors are Samantha Salva, Angel Gordo, and Merci Ceniza.

Moreover, students from the PSHS-Main campus also presented their inventions to the media.

These are the process for producing noodles enhanced with mango peel flour and jackfruit seed flour by Annika Gozum, Angelica Sangalang, Ana Dominique Teodoro, and Adrian Sumalde; Process for producing 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural from biomass by Marjana Montañez, Althea Tomas, and Micoh Valenzuela; and Process for producing hydrophobic coating for cement by Jelly Hope Daguro, Josh Mari Magtira, and Viberly Reyes. 

Executive Director Habacon shared that the students were taught about product development such as engineering design and principles, designing, problem-solving skills and methods, and others (Phase 1) during high school and now they have moved to the phase of project pitching skills through the PISAYCOM.

This is a certificate training course on science communication for Grade 10 students envisioned to inspire Filipino youth to communicate science towards national consciousness and enhance participants’ ability to laymanize science content through multimedia.

Online Application for PSHS Requirement for Admission, Criteria, and Evaluation (RACE)

During our interview with the PSHS System Executive Director Lilia T. Habacon, she clarified that a student does not need to be at the top of the class in order to be accepted in the school.

Students with high aptitude in Science and Technology are qualified to apply as well.

Exec. Dir. Habacon explained that they measure the skills and capabilities of the students to appreciate scientific ways and how they practice logical way of thinking, and not the student’s knowledge learned through memorization.

“Hindi lang valedictorian, salutatorian, or hindi lang yung may honors ang nasa Pisay. Akala nila basta honor ka, ‘yun na ‘yon, hindi po. Marami po kaming nadidiskubre o nakikilalang mga

 bata at nakapasok sa’min na hindi top ten… We are accepting about 1,740 at hindi po lahat sila ay honor. I-try lang po nating mag-apply kasi ang kailangan namin ‘yung may mataas na aptitude, hindi knowledge, aptitude in Science and Technology… and Math,” Exec. Dir. Habacon stated. 

[Not only valedictorians, salutatorians or honor students are in Pisay (PSHS). They thought as long as you are an honor student, that’s it. But we’ve discovered students who passed and they do not belong in the top ten (of the class). We are accepting about 1,740 and not all of them are honor students. Try to apply because we need those with high aptitude, not knowledge, aptitude in Science and Technology… and Math.]

Exec. Dir. Habacon encouraged Grade 6 students to apply at the PSHS.  The deadline for filing applications for applicants from Private and Public Schools is on November 15, 2022. 

PSHS has 16 campuses around the country. Applicants may apply there or at the nearest Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Office. 

For more information, interested applicants may visit https://nce.pshs.edu.ph/.