RP student scientists shine in Intel International Science and Engineering Fair

MANILA, Philippines – Fourteen-year old Angeli Joyce Dy is not your typical teenager who whiles away her time shopping in malls. At 13, she’s pouring over thick science books and spending her summer at the laboratory of the University of the Philippines (UP) Institute of Biology, testing the anti-cancer, anti-bacterial properties from the bile of the milkfish (bangus).

Unlike most girls her age, Angeli, an incoming third year high school junior at the Capiz National High School, has been going back and forth to the regional office of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in Capiz and SIFDEC library in Iloilo to make an in-depth and extensive research on her subject.

Angeli has stumbled upon an existing study on the potential anti-cancer properties of the milkfish bile and wanted to pursue this because in her own words “I want to help contribute in finding a cure to a widespread and global disease such as cancer.”

Her study recently took center stage when Angeli received the second special award from the American Association for Clinical Chemistry for her research project, “Cytotoxicity Against Human Lung (A549) and Colon (HCT116) Carcinomas, Antioxidant and Anti-Bacterial properties of Milkfish (Chanos chanos Forsskal) Bile” at the recently-concluded Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in Reno, Nevada.

Aside from Angeli, three other young students’ works were recognized at the prestigious Intel-ISEF, considered by many around the world as the High School “Nobel Prize”.

Sixteen-year old Jovani Tomale, a fourth year high school from the Davao City National High School in Davao del Sur, also took a second special award from the American Statistical Association for his mathematical models for the gender determination of Philippine eagles.

Tomale is an incoming freshman at the Ateneo de Davao.

Philippine Science High School graduates 16-year olds Kevin Jer David and Orven Jules Dumaoang, garnered a grand award in the plant sciences category. Their study, screening for “Quorum Sensing Inhibitors from Surface-Associated Bacteria of Halymenia Durvillaei”, looked into the process by which disease-causing bacteria communicate and how they become less resistant to antibiotics and cannot cause diseases.

A total of 1,563 young scientists from 56 countries, regions and territories participated in the Intel-ISEF competition.

‘Practical and useful’

Jovani considers his study, “Mathematical Models for Gender Determination of Philippine Eagles”, a practical and useful application in ascertaining the gender of one of the most precious treasures of the country.

In his native Davao where Philippine eagles are endemic, he remembers hearing in a forum that there’s really no set method to determine the gender of the Philippine eagle.

A wave of inspiration came over him and with the help of an adviser, led him to develop a mathematical equation to determine the gender of the Philippine eagle.

Jovani was also thinking about conserving and preserving the endangered eagle when he conceptualized the mathematical algorithm. He was very happy that his study was noticed and recognized in Intel-ISEF competition.

Kevin and Orven, for their part, also took an interest in their study “how certain bacteria communicate,” because they know it could contribute in further studies to develop drugs, particularly antibiotics that are not anti-resistant.

“We did this study because at the back of our minds, we want to help develop drugs that will combat diseases, and perhaps make drugs that are effective, especially now, we know that there are a lot of bacterial anti-resistant drugs,” said Orven. 

A true love for science

Angeli admitted that it has not been a walk in the park pursuing her study but stressed that she did this not out of pressure to do something or win an award but because she truly loves science, a passion that Jovani, Kevin and Orven also share.

Kevin said “science takes you out of the classroom and helps you learn not books and facts but experimenting.”

“Science is fun. It is discovery. When we have questions and we want to prove it and find the solution, you get to devise solutions to problems like ano ba nangyayari, how can we solve this,” Kevin said. Orven agreed: “You get to enjoy science because you don’t just memorize, you experience it yourself. In our school, we do a lot of researching, experimenting and it’s been fun.”

Education Undersecretary Vilma Labrador said there is no dearth of young, talented science and math wizards in the Philippines.

“This is a proof, the four students’ recognition and talent, that Filipino students indeed can excel, and there are a lot of students like the Intel-Isef winners in the provinces. We have a pipeline of scientists in the making,” Labrador said. She also said that there have been a dozen Intel-ISEF winners since 1997, a proof of the brilliance of many Pinoy students.

 Their message to young people?

“We encourage students, the youth, to venture into science research. Our country needs a lot of scientists and engineers to also help it move forward,” they said.