DOST-TAPI Awards Southern Luzon’s Top Innovators at ClusteRICE 2025

The Department of Science and Technology – Technology Application and Promotion Institute (DOST-TAPI) successfully staged the Southern Luzon Cluster Leg of the 2025 Regional Invention Contest and Exhibits by Cluster (ClusteRICE) on October 1-2, 2025, at the Philippine Science High School CALABARZON Region Campus.

With dozens of inventive entries from the Regions IV-A (CALABARZON), IV-B (MIMAROPA), and V (Bicol Region), the two-day event featured pitching sessions and live demonstrations, capped by an awarding ceremony which recognized the ingenuity and potential of local talents.

Southern Luzon’s Official NICE 2026 Qualifiers

IN PHOTOS (from left to right): Ms. Felina Malabanan, Provincial S&T Director, DOST-Batangas, Mr. Mark Anthony C. Bigayan, DOST-TAPI TIPD Chief Science Research Specialist, Ms. Emelita P. Bagsit, Regional Director of DOST-CALABARZON, Inv. James Camacho, Winner of Unlad or Outstanding Utility Model Category, Atty. Israel Jacob R. Zaragoza, DOST-TAPI Head of Legal Unit, and Mr. Rex Forteza, PSHS Campus Director.

The top-performing entries from the Southern Luzon Cluster earned the right to advance to the 2026 National Invention Contest and Exhibits (NICE):

Entry Title	Category	Region
Nano Foldable Crutches	Unlad Award for Outstanding Utility Model	Region IV-A
Multi-Grain Precision Seeder with Fertilizer Applicator	Banghay Award for Outstanding Industrial Design	Region IV-B
KArbon: Kaong Activated Carbon Products	Likha Award for Outstanding Creative Research	Region IV-A
IoShroom: IoT-Integrated Smart Mushroom Monitoring Device	Sibol Award for Outstanding Student Creative Research for the College Category	Region IV-A
Bio-Pigment from Golden Apple Snail Eggs (Pomacea canaliculata): A Sustainable Input to Dyes Green Economy	Sibol Award for Outstanding Student Creative Research for the High-School Category	Region IV-A

These winners will represent the Southern Luzon Cluster in the national finals, wherein they will compete against other regional champions for the NICE 2026 titles. The national winners may also benefit from the DOST-TAPI’s support programs, including product development funding, commercialization assistance, and intellectual property (IP) protection, and may even be chosen to represent the Philippines in international invention expos.

The Institute also extended its appreciation to the DOST-CALABARZON and the Philippine Science High School – CALABARZON Region Campus for co-hosting the Southern Luzon leg of ClusteRICE 2025.

Continuing the Road to NICE 2026

Following the Southern Luzon leg, the ClusteRICE 2025 will move on to the Mindanao Cluster (October 7-8, 2025) and the North Luzon Cluster (October 14-15, 2025).

ClusteRICE, one of the flagship components of the Institutional Support for Technology Exposition (ISTE) Program, aims to strengthen marketing, promotion, and support for DOST-generated technologies and homegrown inventions. This is anchored on the Republic Act 7459, or the Inventors and Invention Incentives Act of the Philippines. The program underscores the government’s commitment to nurturing Filipino innovation for national development.

The Department of Science and Technology – Technology Application and Promotion Institute (DOST-TAPI) is among the DOST’s service agencies tasked to promote technology commercialization and innovation support services, created under the Executive Order No.128 on 30 January 1987.

For more information about the DOST-TAPI’s programs and services, you may email info@tapi.dost.gov.ph, call (02) 8582 1450, or visit the official DOST-TAPI Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/DOST.TAPI.