ISEF Delegates
Bared at Awarding Rites of Intel Philippine Science Fair
by
Ruby Cristobal, S&T Media Services
The national level competition of the Intel Philippine
Science Fair (IPSF) ended with the victorious winners
and special awardees receiving their prizes from Intel
Philippines and other corporate donors. But the most
coveted prize goes to two individual and one team grand
awardees proclaimed as the official Philippine delegates
to the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF)
to be held in Louisville, Kentucky, USA in May.
 Karen
Christine Braganza of Cayetano Arellano High School
in Manila gets her second chance to compete in ISEF
for her winning project, "Bioglass Ceramics Using
Lahar." Braganza also won the special award for
Best Science Project in Applied Science and the Herbert
Hoover Young Scientist Award. Her scientific inclination
brought her to compete in ISEF for the first time in
Philadelphia in 1999. Her project then made use of mine
tailings as alternative raw material for earthenware.
 Another
individual grand winner competing in ISEF is Prem Vilas
Fortran Rara of the Integrated Development School of
the Marawi State University-Iligan Institute of Technology
(MSU-IIT). His project dealt with the "Antibiotic
Potential of the Extract from the Parotid Glands of
the Toad (Bufo marinus)." Rara was also awarded
by Ayala Foundation as one of the Best Presenters during
the Science Congress and the Outstanding Award for Best
Chemistry Project by the UP Chemistry Alumni Foundation.
The project entitled, "A Novel Application of
Locally Formulated Cholesteric Liquid Crystals in Dosimetry,"
won for Manila Science High School Team the grand prize
for the IPSF and thechance to compete in ISEF as the
country's team representative.Allan Estrella, Jeric
Macalintal and Richard  Manapat
used liquid crystals as indicators of radiation or dosimeters.The
product, once developed, is seen as a potential local
substitute for imported silver halides, thermoluminescent
and semi-conductors dosimeters in industrial and medical
facilities where radiation is being used.
Rogelio Valdez, a science adviser of the Regional
Science High School in Bangar, La Union was given the
Intel Science Educator Award and will accompany the
student delegates to ISEF.
The Intel Philippine Science Fair is a venue to identify
young science talents and is implemented every year
by the Science Education Institute of the Department
of Science and Technology (SEI-DOST) in cooperation
with the Department of Education (DepEd) and sponsored
by Intel.
Special awards were provided by Glaxo Smithkline, Philam
Life Insurance Co., Semiconductors & Electronics
Industries in the Philippines, ABS-CBN Foundation, Ayala
Foundation and the UP Chemistry Alumni Foundation.
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