An innovative Smart Charger outshined other contenders after winning the Outstanding Student Creative Research High School Category during the Regional Invention Contest and Exhibits (RICE) in the Philippines’ National Capital Regions (NCR).
About the initiative
According to a recent press release, the Smart Charger is an Android phone charger with a built-in alarm system.
The ingenuity of the project gained the senior high school students of Pasay City South High School (PCSHS) the recognition for their project.
A team member related from experience how her phone and charger both heat up when left charging overnight. Her phone battery also got bloated because of that.
This inspired them to develop a charger with a built-in alarm system in order to prevent overcharging and the possibility of fire incidents.
Gadget chargers can be fire hazards and can cause electrocution or overheating. As such, the built-in alarm system will serve as a fire-preventive measure that alerts and reminds users when their phone is overcharging.
Background
The RICE in NCR event was spearheaded by the Department of Science and Technology in NCR (DOST-NCR) in partnership with the Department of Science and Technology-Technology Application and Promotion Institute (DOST-TAPI).
Mr. Jose B. Patalinjug III, Regional Director of DOST-NCR, envisions RICE-NCR to showcase not only inventions but solutions to everyday problems of ordinary Filipinos in Metro Manila.
The RICE is in search of the best researchers, inventions, and innovations nationwide as a means to recognise Filipino ingenuity and creativity of inventors and innovators in the country.
Highlights of 2019
In other news, 2019 was a good year for science in the Philippines.
Some of the country’s accomplishments were reviewed in a recent report.
For one, the country fared relatively well in the 2019 Global Innovation Index. OpenGov Asia reported that The Philippines jumps higher in the Global Innovation Index 2019.
From being in the 73rd position in 2018 with a score of 31.56, it became 54th among 129 countries, with a score of 36.18.
Initiatives on better transportation were also witnessed in the past year.
A team of app developers from Caraga State University-Butuan created Transeek, or transportation seek.
OpenGov Asia reported how the tricycle-hailing app eased commuting at night by providing hassle-free booking for tricycle commuters.
Meanwhile, in Metro Manila, the country’s first hybrid train made its inaugural run.
The five-coach train uses hybrid diesel-powered generator and batteries, similar to what hybrid electric cars use.
It is about 12 meters in length and has a maximum capacity of 880 passengers. This locally-made hybrid-electric train seeks to augment the number of trains used by the Philippine National Railways.
Moreover, several legislations that are deemed to be beneficial for the scientific community were signed into law.
One of which is Republic Act No. 11293: The Philippine Innovation Act. This law establishes the National Innovation Council, which will set the national innovation agenda and strategy.
The law backs the promotion of technology to enhance the competitiveness of micro-, small- and medium-scale enterprises.
Additionally, Republic Act No. 11337: The Innovative Startup Act, which seeks to strengthen, promote and develop the Philippine startup ecosystem, was also signed into law.
Landmark legislation that was also signed in 2019 was Republic Act No. 11363: The Philippine Space Act, which establishes the Philippine Space Agency as well as the Philippine Space Development and Utilization Policy.
It proves that the Philippines is ready to embark on new heights when it comes to space science and technology.
