The Gokongwei Brothers Foundation proudly recognized 14 exceptional high school students as recipients of the 2025 Young Scientist Award for excelling in national STEM competitions organized by the Department of Education and the Department of Science and Technology.
The GBF Young Scientist Award is a scholarship grant given annually to high school students who demonstrate outstanding aptitude in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. This year’s awardees include 10 students who excelled at the Department of Education’s National Science and Technology Fair (DepEd NSTF) and four from the DOST–Science Education Institute’s imake.wemake youth innovation competition. Each scholar received financial incentives, medals, and a college scholarship grant.
Outstanding Students at the National Science and Technology Fair
The National Science and Technology Fair (NSTF) is the Department of Education’s premier competition for high school researchers, providing a platform for students across the country to showcase innovative projects that address real-world problems through science and technology.
As part of its advocacy for STEM education, the Gokongwei Brothers Foundation selected ten student researchers from the 2025 NSTF as recipients of the GBF Young Scientist Award.
From Region I, Charly David T. Manuel, Rey Alfred S. Quiam, and Klein Gunneries R. Bubos of Alaminos City National High School stood out with their project, “EDAD: Early Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease Utilizing Low-Cost Plasma Peptide Extraction, Atmospheric Pressure Mass Spectrometer, and Support Vector Machine-Based Classification of Amyloid-beta Species.”
Representing Region IV-B and Bansud National High School, Earl Johven C. Luna impressed with his study on the “Neuroprotective Potential of Premna odorata (Alagau) Leaf Extract Against Alzheimer’s Disease Using Deltamethrin-Induced Neurotoxicity in Drosophila melanogaster (Fruit Fly): In Silico and In Vivo Analyses.” His schoolmate, Marc Fritzter V. Tamayo, also developed “KISLAP PILIPINAS,” a coin-cell battery innovation utilizing Musa textilis (Abaca) fibers and carbonized Perna viridis (green mussel) shells.
Also from Region IV-B, Trisha Kaye F. Mesana of Leuteboro National High School presented “Project SEAS: Smart Environmental Awareness System via Buoy Monitoring for Marine Sanctuaries.”
From Region V, Edric V. Magana, Mark Nino S. Asis, and Jaycil Robert R. Sta. Rosa of Jose Panganiban National High School introduced “MAPS: Mangrove Analytics and Prediction System.”
Finally, Margareth J. Ac-Ac from Sumaliring High School in Region VII showcased “SKIMP,” an AI-powered portable skin cancer detection device that uses a convolutional neural network and a Python-based notification system.
In addition to their national recognition, the NSTF winners participated in the recently concluded Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) 2025 in Ohio. GBF sponsored their team jackets and a three-day training clinic to help them prepare for the international competition, where two outstanding projects from the Philippine delegation won special awards. The Mary Kay Inc. Special Award was presented to the SKIMP project by Sumaliring High School, while the Qatar Research, Development, and Innovation Council Award was given to the EDAD project by Alaminos City National High School.
Young Innovators at the DOST imake.wemake Competition
The 2025 cycle of the imake.wemake: create, innovate, collaborate youth innovation competition, organized by the Department of Science and Technology–Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI), concluded with a final presentation and awarding ceremony held on April 24–25, 2025, at Ascott Bonifacio Global City in Taguig. Now in its eighth year, the program encourages young innovators to develop science-based solutions addressing real-world challenges.
Four student innovators from this competition were also named recipients of the GBF 2025 Young Scientist Award.
From Region IV-A, Kristine Butaran of Rizal National Science High School developed “Speech-to-Animation Device for Sign Language Inclusivity (SALIN): Combination of Arduino Technology and Artificial Intelligence for Promotion of Equal Treatment of Deaf Individuals,” a project aimed at promoting inclusivity for the Deaf community.
In Region VII, Healvey Taytayan and Marc Jomyr Diongzon of Bantayan Science High School worked on “Project LUSAI,” an Internet of Things (IoT)-based unmanned surface vehicle (USV) that uses LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technology for seagrass mapping and aquatic inspections.
Representing Region X, Patricia Loraine Sevilla of Lala National High School presented “C.R.A.B.-Tech: Crustacean Robotic Autonomous Baiting Technology,” showcasing a unique application of robotics in fisheries.
The Young Scientist Award reflects GBF’s goal of nurturing future innovators by encouraging more young Filipinos to explore STEM education and careers—advancing the vision of GBF co-founder John Gokongwei Jr., who believed that science and technology are essential to nation-building.
For more information on the Gokongwei Brothers Foundation and its programs, visit gokongweibrothersfoundation.org
