The journey of Filipino innovation begins in the regions and culminates on the national stage. The Regional Invention Contest and Exhibits (RICE) and the National Invention Contest and Exhibits (NICE) are interconnected platforms designed to discover, nurture, and elevate the country’s brightest inventors, innovators, and researchers. Conducted alternately every other year, RICE serves as the qualifying round for NICE, where the regional winners advance to compete at the national level.
“They are brilliant ideas, but if they remain as an idea, then that’s all they are… We can’t just put them and then store them away. Gamitin natin ‘to… find a way to make it, commercialize it, to put it in the market, and for people to gain,” President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. emphasized during the 2024 National Invention Contest and Exhibits (NICE) Presidential Awards.
Both competitions are implemented under the Institutional Support for Technology Exposition (ISTE) Program of the Department of Science and Technology – Technology Application and Promotion Institute (DOST-TAPI), pursuant to Republic Act No. 7459, also known as the Inventors and Invention Incentives Act of the Philippines. Anchored on this national law, the competitions recognize outstanding grassroots innovators across five major award categories: Tuklas Award (Outstanding Invention), Unlad Award (Outstanding Utility Model), Banghay Award (Outstanding Industrial Design), Likha Award (Outstanding Creative Research), and Sibol Award (Outstanding Student Creative Research) for both college and high school categories.
ClusteRICE 2025: Homegrown Innovations Advance to NICE 2026
Last year, the DOST-TAPI concluded its Regional Invention Contest and Exhibits by Cluster (ClusteRICE) 2025, where a total of 764 RICE applications were evaluated nationwide. From hundreds of submissions, 28 winning entries emerged across the five clusters (Southern Luzon, Northern Luzon, NCR, Visayas, and Mindanao). These outstanding innovators have officially earned their place as finalists, set to represent their respective clusters in the upcoming national competition at NICE 2026.
Tuklas Award for Outstanding Invention (Private-Funded Category) Finalists
| Entry Title | Cluster |
| Effectiveness and Safety of Herbal cream preparation DEMOLLUSCUM in the removing of Molluscum Contagiosum and the Like using Cashew nut oil extract (Anacardium occidentale, Linn.) | NCR |
Tuklas Award for Outstanding Invention (Government-Funded Category) Finalists
| Entry Title | Cluster |
| Multi-shell Neutron Spectrometer (MuNS) | NCR |
| Coirmach: A Coco Fiber Twining Machine | Visayas Cluster |
| Mechanical Coconut Climber | Mindanao |
Unlad Award for Outstanding Utility Model Finalists
| Entry Title | Cluster |
| Nano Foldable Crutches | Southern Luzon |
| Electromagnetic Power Generating Device | NCR |
| Seed Planter | Visayas |
| A Device for Car Charging and Battery Monitoring System | Mindanao |
Banghay Award for Outstanding Industrial Design Finalists
| Entry Title | Cluster |
| Multi-Grain Precision Seeder with Fertilizer Applicator | Southern Luzon |
| Car Charging and Battery Monitoring System | NCR |
Likha Award for Outstanding Creative Research (Private-Funded Category) Finalists
| Entry Title | Cluster |
| A Process of Producing a Food-Grade Oven-Dried Ternate (Clitoria ternatea L.) Flower Powder | Northern Luzon |
| Compost Bin composed of container and insulator | NCR |
| Fecal Smear Kit Pack | Mindanao |
Likha Award for Outstanding Creative Research (Government-Funded Category) Finalists
| Entry Title | Cluster |
| Papa Eat-han’s Serpentina Mix | Northern Luzon |
| KArbon: Kaong Activated Carbon Products | Southern Luzon |
| Point-Of-Care (On-Site) African Swine Fever Virus Detection System | NCR |
| Project TANAW: 3D-Printed Urban Model with Geohazards Simulations Using Virtual Environment and AR Projection Mapping | Visayas |
| Zappify: IoT-Based Insect Pests Management System for Rice Fields | Mindanao |
Sibol Award for Outstanding Student Creative Research (College Category) Finalists
| Entry Title | Cluster |
| IoShroom: IoT-Integrated Smart Mushroom Monitoring Device | Southern Luzon |
| Development, Evaluation and Testing of Recyclable Plastic Materials Molding Machine | Northern Luzon |
| Anti-Theft Electronic Wireless Cut-Off Engine Starting System: A Motorcycle Helmet Application | NCR |
| I-Count: Artificial Intelligence Optical Chick Counting Device For Unloading Operation | Visayas |
| Automatic Rice Seed Varietal Purity Testing Machine Using Artificial Intelligence and Automation | Mindanao |
Sibol Award for Outstanding Student Creative Research (High School Category) Finalists
| Entry Title | Cluster |
| Bio-Pigment from Golden Apple Snail Eggs (Pomacea canaliculata): A Sustainable Input to Dyes Green Economy | Southern Luzon |
| 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 | Northern Luzon |
| Vest The Best | NCR |
| Establishing The Nutraceutical Potential Of Quercetin In Physalis Peruviana And Passiflora Foetida Fruits Via In Vitro Bioassays, Phytochemical, Physicochemical, And Nutritional Profiling Analyses | Visayas |
| Hibiscus sabdariffa: A Biochemical Activity Probing of Ethnopharmaceutical Potential Thru Quantitative Phytochemical Analysis, BALB/C Swiss Albino Mice Hypoglycemic Evaluation, α-Glucosidase Inhibitory Activity and BSLA Cytotoxic Evaluation | Mindanao |
Limitless: Innovation Beyond Boundaries at NICE 2026
Set to take place in Manila in 2026, NICE will convene the country’s top inventors, researchers, and student innovators. Beyond national recognition and cash incentives, NICE serves as a springboard for greater opportunities, as awardees will gain access to DOST-TAPI’s programs and services, from IP protection to technology transfer and commercialization.
Moreover, through DOST-TAPI’s technology promotion and marketing initiatives, winners may be endorsed for international exhibitions and engagements, positioning Filipino innovations on the global stage while providing exposure to investors, industry partners, and potential adopters worldwide.
