Quezon city: Sixteen homegrown inventions are set to lower farming costs, power remote communities, and bring internet-free learning to classrooms as they head to a major national finals. These breakthroughs come from the finalists of this year's Presidential Filipinnovation Awards (PFA), proving that the answers to the country's needs are already being created by Filipinos themselves.
According to Philippines News Agency, the 16 finalists pushing for this real-world impact include innovations in healthcare and education such as OstreaVent2S, Nano Foldable Crutches, TeachAid Offline/Intranet E-Learning System, and the CPU/PNC Feeds and Phytomedicines. In the field of agriculture and food technology, notable entries include the Semi-automatic Feed Milling System, JUAN Algae Paste, AI-Driven Farm Management Module (AID-FMM), and the Automated Coconut Sap Juice Extractor.
In the energy and environment sector, inventions like the Compact-Easy-to-Operate and Economical Biodiesel Reactor for Benteng Diesel, Saltric Marissa Turbine, and Advance Waste Solution are in contention. Systems and digital solutions are also represented with USHER-WEHLO Unified Resilience Platform, REELIST8, Draft Master Innovation, WERT System, and AIMHI Construction Clarity Intelligence.
The awards aim to highlight crucial fields like finance, public administration, and the blue economy, ensuring no sector is left behind in the country's modernization. As vice chair of the National Innovation Council (NIC), Balisacan emphasized that those who understand the struggles faced by local farmers, workers, entrepreneurs, students, and communities are the ones living these realities every day.
The NIC, through the Presidential Filipinnovation Awards, is committed to helping Filipino innovators and homegrown solutions gain visibility, build partnerships, and reach the people and industries that can benefit from them. The national finals began on Sept. 1, with finalists undergoing a rigorous process of eligibility screening, technical evaluation, mentoring, live pitching, and prototype demonstration during sub-national competitions across the country.
Additional capacity-building support was provided to refine their business models and pitch decks before presenting their innovations to the National Board of Judges on Wednesday. The competition will conclude with an awarding ceremony on Thursday in Quezon City, where five grand winners will each receive a PHP3.5 million cash grant and support to help grow and bring their innovations to the market. The remaining 11 finalists will receive PHP250,000 each to support the continued development of their innovations, including research and development, prototyping, field testing, and system upgrades.
