Kid innovators show off amazing inventions at Wyeth Nutrition competition

MANILA, Philippines — Five groups of kids between 9 and 14 years old showed off last month their unbelievable inventions at the grand finals of Search for the Wyeth Nutrition Kid Innovators 2016.

Two kids from the Philippine Science High School in Central Visayas came up with an effective and inexpensive alternative solution to food spoilage. 

Malycka Rentuza and Hannah Guadiel dubbed their brilliant project as the Anti-Ripening Paper, an innovation that uses pellon fusible paper and a solution to delay ripening of fruits and vegetables, which in effect could help local farmers minimize losses.

Rentuza and Guadiel’s solution contains elements that when wrapped in pellon paper will inhibit the ethylene or the ripening agent’s activity in fruits and vegetables. 

Another innovation is by Jericho Villarico of Baguio City High School. He created a safety and security system which automatically alerts a homeowner of a possible burglary through a phone call.

The genius system, called Auto-Call Doorknob, activates when someone attempts to open a locked doorknob. It also has a camera module that records an image of the potential thief.

The students from St. Scholastica’s College Manila, meanwhile, developed the Banana Stem Water Filtration and Distillation System. 

Katrina Sison, Adrianne Ong and Andrea Estrella wanted to find out whether it’s possible to use indigenous materials to produce safe drinking water. 

After much research and testing, the group discovered that banana stems, charcoal and sand can effectively work together to filter out harmful elements in water. 

And according to Sison, Ong and Estrella, the University of the Philippines certified the water produced from the Banana Stem Water Filtration and Distillation System to be potable or safe for drinking.

These are the top three innovations that got their creators P100,000, a science and technology showcase worth P100,000 for their school, and a trophy. 

The other two groups, on the other hand, received P25,000 and other consolation prizes each. 

Maurice Macatol and Trinity Santos from the Catholic Filipino Academy are inspiring children to learn science in a fun way through their mad-science-like project called Aghamathika, which compiles various fun tricks that combine science, math and magic.

The group from the Philippine Science High School in Ilocos Region assembled their Multi-Commodity Heat Pump Drying System where they used an old air conditioning unit as a heat pump dryer. 

After experimenting on dried mangoes, Mharianne Balagtas, Cathrina Jose and Yorecel Calzado, found that their system is effective for commodities, without negative effects on the color or appearance.

Endless possibilities

“These kids have so much potential waiting to be unleashed. And if we work together by supporting them, providing opportunities and encouraging them to turn their dreams into reality, the possibilities are endless for our children,” Wyeth Philippines, Inc. President and General Manager Eugene David said in his welcome address.

The Search for the Wyeth Nutrition Kid Innovators is an annual nationwide contest that aims to spark the wonder and awe in every child and celebrate kids’ journey to innovation.

“At Wyeth Nutrition, our vision is to help the next generation of children develop their full potential and live healthier lives, and that is why we are passionate about nurturing their potential for greatness by providing a platform for them to do so. To create, to be curious, to try, to fail, and ultimately succeed,” David said.

The next season of the search already includes the upcoming Kid Innovators category where children as young as five years old, in partnership with a parent, can join the competition. This pupil-parent category will help enable parents to nurture the inherent innovator in their child.

The first-place winner for this category can win P25,000 cash prize, P25,000 worth of science and technology books and educational toys, and P10,000 cash prize for the coach or adviser. 

“In the years to come, we look forward to marking this occasion with the recognition of more Filipino children who ignite the spirit of innovativeness and inspire every Filipino to pursue his journey to innovation towards societal transformation,” Wyeth Nutrition Philippines Communications Associate Director Anne Pador said.

“It is in our hands to empower our children, to help them develop their full potential so they can let out the power of their dreams and themselves become catalysts of change.”

Photos by Philstar.com/EC Toledo