Public and science high schools in Metro Manila top this year's Intel Philippine Science Fair in Metro Manila. Students from E. Rodriguez High School won first place both for the Individual and Team Categories of Cluster I, while Quezon City Science High School and Manila Science High School bagged first place for Cluster 2 Individual and Team Categories, respectively. Rizal High School, Pasay City High School, Villamor High School and Arellano High School also got major awards together with Philippine Science High School.

The winning investigatory projects for Cluster 1, Individual and Team Categories, conducted by the students of E. Rodriguez High School dealt with the antifungal and antibacterial effects of sphagnum junghuhnianum, a certain species of moss. Francis Tablizo, the topnotch in the Individual Category, used extracts of the plant in a soap formulation and tested the germicidal effect of the final product. On the other hand, the top placers in the team category researched on the efficacy of the crude extracts of the same species of moss against pathogenic or disease-causing bacteria and fungi commonly found in the environment.

Mikaela Irene D. Fudolig of Quezon City Science High School won first prize in Cluster 2 Individual Category for her project entitled:"Cleaner Air near Gas Stations: Recycled Activated Carbon, Terracota and Single-Fired Earthenware Granules as Filter Adsorbent for Gasoline Fumes." The project sought to use recycled materials as substitute for activated carbon used to control air pollution in gasoline stations.

Manila Science High School students won first prize in Cluster 2 Team Category with their project, " A Novel Application of Locally Formulated Cholesteric Liquid Crystals in Dosimetry." The project sought to study the response of liquid crystals to gamma radiation and their potential use as a device to measure and thus monitor radiation.

The Intel Philippine Science Fair Regional Competition in NCR is only one of the highlights that will culminate in a national level competition this March. It is implemented by the Science Education Institute of the Department of Science and Technology (SEI-DOST) every year at the division, regional and national levels in cooperation with the Department of Education and sponsored by Intel. Winning entries in the national level competition may also be chosen as the country's official entries to the International Science and Engineering Fair or ISEF to be held in Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.A this May.