By: MYRRH CAITHIN L. GUTIERREZ
Fifty two senior high school students from 17 schools in Laguna participated in the Invent School Program of the Department of Science and Technology- Technology Application and Promotion Institute (DOST-TAPI) in partnership with DOST-CALABARZON on July 4-5 2018.
Dr. Alexander R. Madrigal, Regional Director of DOST-CALA BARZON welcomed the students and teachers and explained the importance of Science and Technology in the pursuit of success of the students.
Mr. Robert R. Verzosa and Ms. Anna Liza B. Saet from DOST-TAPI facilitated the two-day lectures and workshop on Ideation Tools and Techniques, Creative Problem Solving, Intention Development, Intellectual Property Rights, Prototyping and Commercialization, Prior Arts Search, and Basic in Patent Drafting. The students were grouped randomly into five groups to engage them to collaborate more on the hands-on workshops. As a culminating activity, the students made their own inventions and prototypes which they presented to the whole group. The teachers served as the judges and critiques.
The program ended with an awarding ceremony and a closing remarks by Dr. Lydia S. Manguiat, Assistant Regional Director for Technical Operations of DOST-CALABARZON. In her closing remarks, she reminded everyone that the students, regardless of their age, have potentials to contribute to the development of our country.
The students gave positive response in the conducted seminar workshop. Tricia Paunon from Philippine Women’s University-Calamba, shared how she was amazed by how such technical topics were delivered in a very interesting manner. “The seminar-workshop made me want to create an innovation”, Tricia said. Meanwhile, Bernadeth Panganiban, from Lalakay Senior High School shared that the seminar workshop made her realize the importance of patenting and inventing, and how an inventor’s mind can help solve the problems of mankind.
The Invent School Program is a seminar-workshop for high school and college students and out-of-school youth to stimulate their interest in creativity and inventiveness and create awareness on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) and Protection. The program provides an opportunity for students/OSY not only to develop their creativity and potentials but also to awaken their true ingenuity, leading to the development of devices and processes that will become their enterprises. ISP serves as a starting ground for young Filipino inventors in the field of inventing and entrepreneurship (TAPI, 2010).|
