QC schools shine in international science tilt

Science projects by students from two public high schools in Quezon City and one in Manila were among the winners in the recently concluded 2004 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair held in Portland, Oregon USA.

In a report to Quezon City Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr., city schools division superintendent Victoria Fuentes said Joy Anne Aquino, a third year student from the E. Rodriguez Jr. High School in Quezon City won the American Veterinary Medical Association Award for her project entitled, "Biologically-guided isolation of the anti-microbial component of the sea snake laticauda colubrina Schneider venom." She earned $1000 for bagging first place.

The project also won the 4th Grand Award (with $500) in the medicine and health category.

Three fourth-year students from the Quezon City Science High School also bagged the 4th Grand Award (with $500) for their research entitled "Lumos: a simple rapid and inexpensive determination of the dissolved oxygen of water waste samples using the novel tube bioluminiscent extinction method of Vibrio Fischerri USTCMC 1063."

The team is made up of Jayson Reggie Taruc Orbos, Trina Granada Napasindayao and Melanie Cayanan Melchor.

During yesterday morning’s flag-raising ceremony at city hall, Belmonte handed certificates of appreciation to the triumphant students as well as their advisers in school.

Delegates representing Quezon City schools were among the 1,300 young scientists from 40 countries that joined in the world’s largest pre-college competition held last May 9-15 at the Portland Convention Center.

The country entered five national investigatory project winners — two each from Quezon City and Manila and one from Iloilo.

The global competition provides an oppurtunity for young scientists and inventors to come together and share ideas, science projects and compete for $3 million in awards and scholarships.