Rizal National Science HS tops all-female robotics contest

The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Science Education Institute (SEI) has concluded this year’s Tagisang Robotics Competition (TRC) Girls and Gears, which brought together 17 high schools from Metro Manila with teams composed entirely of female participants.Now in its second year, the TRC aims to highlight and celebrate the potential of young women in robotics, inspiring them to become future engineers and scientists. The initiative is designed to motivate girls to pursue excellence in various science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, creating a pathway for them to inspire others along the way.

Over the course of three days, participants constructed and programmed their own robots to complete various tasks throughout the competition.The event featured seed games, allowing the different schools to team up and compete against each other, to form a sense of bond and camaraderie among the schools. Teams were then instructed to form alliances consisting of three schools each, competing and leading to the championship showdown.



Having the theme “Pinoy Fiesta,” the competition required the robots to participate in simulated traditional Filipino games such as Pukpok Palayok, Pabitin, and Palosebo, which were modified to fit into a dynamic three-minute bouts.A robot scoring against a blocking opponentThe assembled robots underwent strict inspections, with the competition judged by faculty members from the University of the Philippines Diliman Electrical and Electronics Engineering Institute, Ateneo De Manila University School of Science and Engineering, and the University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Engineering.In a display of remarkable skill, the reigning champion, Rizal National Science High School, retained its title by winning the “Best Team” category, marking a two-year winning streak.

The “Best Alliance” championship was claimed by the group formed with Rizal National Science High School, Maronquillo National High School, and Pasig City Science High School.Winners of the Best Team received a cash prize of P25,000, along with a P5,000 cash grant for their coach. Each school in the Best Alliance received a cash prize of P100,000, with a P10,000 cash grant awarded to the respective coaches.

Diana Ignacio, assistant secretary for administrative and legal affairs and focal person for gender and development at DOST, noted that while the event occurred shortly after Women’s Month, she emphasized that the capabilities of women and girls in science should be celebrated year-round.“Tagisang Robotics Girls and Gears is DOST’s commitment to creating more opportunities where young girls can thrive,” she stated.The post Rizal National Science HS tops all-female robotics contest appeared first on Newsbytes.

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