PH wins Goldin Robotics

Philippines wins gold medal at European robotics contest

By Dhel Nazario| Manila Bulletin

06 June 2019

A bright future awaits the field of Philippine robotics.

Last month, the Philippine Robotics National Team won the gold medal at the For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Lego League (FLL) European Open International Turkey 2019 in Izmir, Turkey.

(PHOTO COURTESY OF DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY-SCIENCE EDUCATION INSTITUTE / MANILA BULLETIN)

The team was fresh from a double victory at the FLL World Championship held in USA last April.

The national delegation, represented by Kid Imagineers from Dr. Yanga’s College, Inc., came home victorious after winning a Gold Award for Project Presentation and finalist on Project Research. Eighty-two teams from 41 countries and over 600 students (ages 11-17 years old) participated in the competition.

The theme, “Into Orbit”, challenged students to find solutions to physical and social problems associated with long-duration space flight.

The team won for Project Mu.S.C.A., an innovative, effective, and systemized way of helping astronauts solve musculoskeletal problems they face during their stay in orbit. The suit gives a solution to various physical problems such as bone loss and loss of muscle mass in microgravity environment of space.

Project Mu.S.C.A is a self-adjusting suit that can monitor the astronauts’ pulse rate, exercise their legs and arms, help them maintain proper posture in space, massage their arms and legs, help attain the right temperature for their body and protect astronauts from radiation.

The Kid Imagineers from Dr. Yanga’s College, Inc. is composed of team members Gwyneth Sabusap, Aaron James Amar, Andrea Luz Guevarra, Daniella De Guzman, Annette Nicole Ambi, Nicole Flores, Shervie Dela Cruz, Gabriel Ortega, Michael Ronnie Estrella, Renz Daren Flaviano, Assistant Coach RV Mendoza, and Coach Romyr Gimeno.

Mylene Abiva, FELTA Multi-Media, Inc. president/CEO, led the delegation and was selected as one of the judges during the event. Among the 41 judges, she was the only judge to represent Southeast Asia.

“Human space exploration helps address fundamental questions about our place in the universe. Space exploration drives us to explore the unknown, discover new worlds and push the boundaries of our scientific limits. Hopefully, with the victory of the Philippine Robotics National Team, the Philippine government will initiate a Space Education Program for the Filipino Youth,” Abiva said.

The Department of Science and Technology-Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI), through its director, Dr. Josette Biyo, congratulated the team and thanked the national organizers for their efforts in helping young Filipinos’ maximize their potential in robotics.

“The Philippine Robotics National Team made the country proud and opened doors for future robotics experts. Robotics will play a crucial role in the country’s transition to Industrial Revolution 4.0. These victories will help us gain traction to push for more youth science programs that would prepare the youth for jobs of the future,” Dr. Biyo said.

Asia's best scientists

Filipino scientists named as among Asia’s best 

Jan Milo Severo

Philippine Star

08 May 2019

MANILA, Philippines — Eight Filipino scientists have made it in this year’s Asian Scientist Magazine’s “Asia Scientist 100,” which aims to raise the profiles of outstanding scientists from the region. 

“Asia Scientist 100” is an annual listing of the Asia-Pacific region’s award-winning researchers, academicians, innovators and business leaders. 

Filipino scientists in Asian’s Scientist Magazine’s “Asia Scientist 100” 2019 list 

The eight Filipino scientists included in the list are Technology Development Institute’s Dr. Rosalinda C. Torres (Chemistry), Technology Development Institute’ Dr. Marissa A. Paglicawan (Material Science), University of the Philippines (UP) Los Baños’ Artemio Salazar (Agriculture), UP Manila’s Rody Sy (Biomedical Science), UP Diliman’s Gay Jane Perez (Environmental Sciences and Geology), UP Diliman’s Charissa Marcaida Ferrera (Life Sciences), De La Salle University’s Elmer Dadios (Engineering) and University of Santo Tomas’ Ricardo Balog (Engineering).

According to Asian Scientist Magazine, the AS100 list highlights research excellence and seeks to raise the profile of early career and veteran scientists in Asia who have made significant impact on their respective scientific disciplines.

From material scientists to molecular biologists and particle physicists, the AS100 (2019 edition) aims to celebrate the achievements and diversity of the research scene in the region, the magazine explained.

“We hope that with our yearly publication of the ‘Asian Scientist 100,’ outstanding researchers from Asia will be recognized for their fervent passion to further scientific knowledge and impact people’s lives,” said Dr. Juliana Chan, the magazine’s editor-in-chief.

  

Pinay wins best nanny in UAE

Filipina wins Best Nanny award in UAE

Khaleej Times

17 December 2018

(MENAFN - Asia Times) A Filipino domestic worker in Dubai was named the United Arab Emirates' Best Nanny for 2018, beating out 42 others who were shortlisted for the award. 

Rosie Villa, 39, who has been working in the UAE for 17 years, was nominated for the award by her current employers of almost six years. On Friday, Villa won the award, the initiative of a financial-technology platform for migrants, which saw more than 2,000 nominations from families all across the UAE, Khaleej Times reported.

Villa will receive a retirement fund of 1 million Philippine pesos (US$18,860) as her prize, which will allow her to pay for her daughter's college education. She said the money came at the time she needed it the most. 

Villa started working after her husband left her and her one-year-old daughter, who is now 17. She decided to take a job in Dubai as she needed to finance her daughter's education, as well as support her parents and siblings.

'My parents are bedridden and it is my sisters who take care of them. They also play the role of mother for my daughter. I am grateful to them,' Villa said. 

Last year, Filipino domestic worker Melanie Manansala won the UAE's Best Nanny award. Manansala worked in Dubai for 25 years and said the prize money she got would help her retire sooner and return home to the Philippines for good.

Sarah G wins at Big Apple Award 2018

Sarah Geronimo wins at Big Apple Music Award 2018

Jan Milo Severino

Philippine Star

01 December 2018

MANILA, Philippines — “Popstar Royalty” Sarah Geronimo added another feather to her cap as she was awarded as the Best Pilipino Artist and the Most Popular BAMA 2018 Artist by the Big Apple Music Awards.

The announcement was made in the official Instagram account of the BAMA.

“2 trophies for the Best Pilipino Artist Award & the Most Popular BAMA 2018 Artist Award has been sent to Sarah Geronimo. Congratulations,” the award giving body announced.

Big Apple Music Awards is an annual event in New York City that celebrates international music from Asia, Europe, Middle East, Africa and many more.

Other Asian artists who received an award from BAMA include Super Junior as Best Korean Pop Artist and Rossa as Best Indonesian Artist Award.

PAL 4-Star Apex Award

Philippine Airlines wins 4-star Apex award for passenger experience

Star2.com
10 November 2018

Philippine Airlines (PAL) has won another international award – a four-star major regional airline 2019 rating by the New York-based Airline Passenger Experience Association (Apex), a global non-profit airline customer association.




With the award, the national flag carrier of the Philippines gets affirmation from passengers for the tremendous job of improving its products and services through new airplanes, new destinations, and enhanced in-flight and on ground amenities.

Passengers have been giving PAL high marks on its flights through a network that spans two-thirds of the globe. The new four-star honour bestowed in a special ceremony in Boston, Massachusetts, on Sept 24 is the latest in a string of international victories notched by the Filipino flag carrier.

These include the four-star global airline certification from London-based Skytrax in February 2018 and a Second Most Improved Airline In The World ranking from the annual Skytrax passenger survey released in June 2018.

The Apex award is the result of a fully “certified, validated, verified” rating programme based on passenger feedback on PAL’s overall flight experience in five sub-categories: seat comfort, cabin service, food and beverage, entertainment and Wi-Fi connectivity.

Philippine Airlines president and COO Jaime J Bautista (with award) with (from left) Apex CEO Dr Joe Leader, PAL VP for marketing Ria C. Domingo, The Points Guy founder and CEO Brian Kelly, and PAL AVP for product research and development Debbie C. Cuyegkeng at the Apex awards ceremony in Boston, Massachusetts, on Sept 24.

PAL president and COO Jaime J. Bautista dedicated the honour to the Filipino people and to PAL’s loyal customers.

“We are humbled by this latest vote of confidence from our valued customers,” said Bautista. “This new four-star Apex award is another victory for the Philippine Airlines team of dedicated professionals, coming after the four-star global rating certified by Skytrax earlier this year.”

Overall ratings were certified by an external audit firmed hired by Apex.  The association processed verified itineraries that were validated by geo-location from over 50 million verified airline generated itineraries.

More than 500,000 flights by passengers from around the world were rated throughout the year ending July 31, 2018.

“We are extremely proud of the results of our passenger driven official airline ratings programme with TripIt,” said Apex CEO Dr Joe Leader. “Of nearly 500 airlines rated worldwide, less than 9% were rated by their passengers at the highest five-star airline level and only the next 14% reached the prestigious four-star airline tier.”

The award will spur the airline to step up its service enhancement programme as PAL introduces new aircraft, routes and product innovations. PAL has begun deploying the sophisticated Airbus A350-900 and Airbus A321neo aircraft on key international routes.

The A350 now operates the non-stop Manila-London route while its inaugural Manila-New York non-stop flights commenced on Oct 29 – marking another milestone (the longest commercial flight ever operated by a Philippine carrier).

The A321neo now serves Brisbane, Sydney and Port Moresby, and will also fly the much-awaited Manila-Sapporo (Japan) route in December.

“This new accolade comes with a fresh challenge: We should never rest on our laurels but must always remain focused on our primary role to provide a pleasant and comfortable travel experience for all our passengers, in the air and on the ground,” said Bautista.

“Thus, this latest award as four-star major regional airline will inspire us to keep getting better and achieve more until we attain the coveted five-star status as a prime player in global aviation.”
The national flag carrier of the Philippines also flies daily from Kuala Lumpur to Manila. Passengers are given the flexibility to choose from any of the daily frequencies of the route:

• PR526 departs Kuala Lumpur every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday at 12.10pm and arrives in Manila at 16.05pm local time. Its return flight PR525 leaves Manila on the same days at 07.35am local time and touches down in Kuala Lumpur at 11.20am.

• PR528 leaves Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 3.40pm and arrives in Manila at 7.40pm local time. Its return service PR527 departs Manila on the same days at 11.05am local time and touches down in Kuala Lumpur at 2.50pm.

The non-stop service will enable travellers from Kuala Lumpur to enjoy Manila for several days and hop on to the Philippine’s top travel destinations.

Philippine Airlines is Asia’s first airline, having established the standards in airline service for the past 77 years while showcasing the best of the Philippines to the world. PAL currently flies to 43 international and 34 domestic destinations.