PHL Robotics Team Scores Double Victory at 2019 FIRST Lego League World Championship Houston

Wazzup Pilipinas!

A cozier life in space awaits astronauts, thanks to the impressive creations of The Philippine Robotics National Team. Their awe-inspiring robots earned two coveted awards in the recent For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Lego League World Championship held in Houston, Texas, USA on April 15-21, 2019.

The national delegation, winners of the 8th FLL Philippines, comprised two teams – DYCI Blue Ocean’s 10 from Dr. Yanga’s College Inc. (Ages 12-17) and Team CYLLO from De La Salle Zobel (ages 6-12).

DYCI’s Blue Ocean’s 10 (ages 12-17), with team members Jocas Arabella Cruz, Abigail Silva, Denise Carpio, Naiah Nicole Mendoza, Raingel Vryse Mendoza, Rodel Christian Alcantara, Ma. Anne Geline Doneth Dela Rama, Paul Jaren Perez, Lara Monique Narciso, Head Coach Beryl Jhan Cruz, and Assistant Coach Lemuel Francisco, emerged as Champion’s Award Finalist for their work titled “Project Fuse”, besting 109 teams from 74 countries.

Their winning piece is a virtual reality game that connects astronauts in space to their families on earth through live virtual reality video chat with physical interaction through a robot. This year’s challenge, INTO ORBIT, tasked students to explore how to solve the physical and social problems associated with long-duration space flight.

Meanwhile, Team CYLLO won the Explore and Discover Award with their project that aims to solve the problem of supplying enough food and oxygen to astronauts on the moon by creating a robot that can sustain the life of cyanobacteria. The challenge for the Junior League, MISSION MOON, was to learn about the Earth’s moon and what is needed to live there.

The team, composed of Zoie Francesca Aldave, Chito Salunga Roxas, Jr., Franc Andre Dimatatac, Eduardo Matteo Valdez, Emmanuel Jace Savellano, Robert Philip Lim, with Head Coach Heinz Elorde and Assistant Coach Genevieve Pillar, bested 43 countries.

Dubbed as “the world’s largest celebration of STEM for students”, the FIRST Championship brings together tens of thousands of students from around the world who participate in the K to 12 Robotics program. This year, around 34,000 teams participated and only 109 teams reached the World Championships.

“The Philippines holds the Champion Award center stage in International Robotics and will continue to excel and showcase the brilliance of the Filipino Youth,” according to FELTA Multi-Media Inc. President and CEO Mylene Abiva, who accompanied the team and is the National Organizer of the Philippine Robotics Olympiad/FLL Philippines and the first and only World Robot Olympiad Ambassador.

Department of Science and Technology-Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI) Director, Dr. Josette Biyo, lauded the team’s triumph in the international stage. “We thank our young robotics champions and the people behind their team for bringing honor to the country and inspiring others to get into robotics. This victory further motivates us at DOST-SEI to continue supporting our emerging robotics experts,” Dr. Biyo said.

The Philippine Robotics National Team is set to compete again at the FLL European Open Championship in Izmir, Turkey on May 20-27, 2019.

Photo Captions: 

1 - The Philippine Robotics National Team (DYCI Blue Ocean’s 10 from Dr. Yanga’s College, Inc.) with Ms. Mylene Abiva of FELTA Multi-Media (leftmost) at the FIRST Lego League World Championship in Houston, Texas, USA. Photo courtesy of FELTA.

2 - The Philippine Robotics National Team (Team CYLLO from De La Salle Zobel) with Ms. Mylene Abiva of FELTA Multi-Media (leftmost) at the FLL World Championship in Houston, Texas, USA. Photo courtesy of FELTA.

Gateway Gallery celebrates Araneta as Heritage Town

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Gateway Gallery observes the summer month of May as Heritage Month. To celebrate this theme, Gateway Gallery will open the exhibit Araneta: Heritage Town on May 15, 2019. The exhibit highlights the rich history of Araneta district and its peripheral areas as center of lifestyle and entertainment with Araneta Coliseum as its centerpiece.

The exhibit discusses the roles that the vintage town played in the development and enrichment of the area and how it shaped the public’s consciousness with regards to leisure, consumption, religion and traditions. It will also explore the roles that the iconic structures in the district played in shaping the public’s customs and awareness, and how the public shaped back these structures.

The exhibit will be divided into sections that will give the viewer a clearer perspective of its traditions and history. The exhibit is curated by Gari Apolonio with the assistance of the Araneta Archives Unit. It will run until June 2, 2019.

To supplement the exhibit, Gateway Gallery has lined up activities that will complete the viewer’s experience of the heritage district. These activities include a Street Photography Workshop on May 19, Araneta Heritage Walk on May 25 and Araneta Heritage Talks on June 1.

The Araneta Street Photography Workshop will be a full day workshop on May 19 which will be conducted by award-winning photojournalist Luis Liwanag. The lecture will be complemented with a hands-on photography around the Araneta Center. Facilitator’s assessment of the students’ photos ends the workshop.

The Araneta Heritage Walk is a guided walking tour along memory lane that will familiarize the participants on the iconic structures in the district through historic and anecdotal accounts. It includes a quick food stop to enjoy classic refreshments popular decades ago. The May 25 heritage walk starts at 9 am and ends at 12 noon.

The Araneta Heritage Talks on June 1, 3 to 5 pm, is a focused discussion on the key issues related to heritage and Araneta district as a historic town. Three speakers will delve on general heritage information, the characteristics of Araneta as a heritage district and the crucial work of archiving. Noted architect and urban planner Paulo Alcazaren will talk about the second topic. He will be joined by Architect Reynaldo Lita of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines and Maritess Gonzaga, the Director of Araneta Center’s Archives Department.

The exhibit and its activities is supported by the J. Amado Araneta Foundation, Araneta Center and its Archives Department. These celebrations become more timely now that Quezon City Government has officially declared Araneta Center as one of its tourism districts in its new ordinance. The announcement was made in April 2019, recognizing it as Cubao Growth Center.

Everyone is enjoined to visit the exhibit and participate in its collateral activities for a more enriched understanding of heritage and a deeper appreciation of this district. To join and get full details of the activities, check out Gateway Gallery’s social media accounts (Facebook: GatewayGalleryPh, Twitter: gateway_gallery, Instagram: gateway.gallery), call 588-4000 local 8300 or email gatewaygallery@aranetagroup.com.

Gateway Gallery is the art museum of Araneta Center. Located at the 5th floor of Gateway Tower, It is open daily, from 10 am to 7 pm. Entry to the museum is free. It is managed by the J. Amado Araneta Foundation.

GenieTech Urges ASEAN Businesses to Reinvent, Transform to Leapfrog Global Competition

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Solutions provider to host JDA’s Supply Chain ASEAN Summit – Manila

Despite the increase of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows in ASEAN countries than China, there are still factors that hinder the growth of the region, says leading solutions provider, Genie Technologies, Inc (GenieTech).

Citing a data released by Thomson Reuters, GenieTech Chief Operating Officer Mahesh Gopinath said that the total inward FDI inflows in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines grew to a record high and exceeded US$200 billion last year.

In the Philippines, the same growth is also seen, especially that the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) noted that investors continue to view the country as a favorable investment destination. BSP also sees FDI inflows may reach up to US$10.20 billion in 2019.

“With this continued growth, the challenge now for ASEAN countries is to rise up to the goal of achieving its regional economic integration as a single market,” said Gopinath. “Manufacturers, retailers, distributors, or logistics providers should start reinventing and transforming their businesses with necessary strategies to leapfrog the global competition.”

To elevate the discussion on this trend and, to provide a venue for interactive and insightful sessions, including an industry panel, GenieTech, in partnership with JDA, will be holding JDA’s Supply Chain ASEAN Summit – Manila, at the City of Dreams Manila - Integrated Resort, Hotel & Casino this May 23, 2019.

The summit aims to gather businesses and professionals to present trends that can help in synchronizing end-to-end supply chain from planning to execution; delivering agility by managing the diverse multi-echelon plant, warehouse, and retail inventory; as well as boosting productivity by tasking, scheduling, and forecasting workforce across the store and warehouse.

The event also seeks to provide insights into achieving the ideal mix of new products, best sellers, and private labels to maximize profitability and shopper satisfaction; driving higher margins and be profitable with far higher demand forecast accuracy, the right assortment and allocation in the world of omni-channel fulfillment; and delivering true space awareness, offering the flexibility to match available space with the optimal product mix.

GenieTech is a partner of supply chain solutions provider JDA, which helps in optimizing customer experience with the enterprises’ product and services. More than 4,000 JDA global customers use JDA Integrated retail and supply chain planning and execution solutions to improve costs, increase revenue, and reduce time to value.

For more information and to book a seat, visit the website at https://now.jda.com/JDA-SCAS-Manila.html.