From Scholars to Innovators: DOST Region 12 Scholars Lead the Way in STTP Region 12 Demo Day
The ninety-six (96) DOST scholars from Region 12 took the stage at the Grand Summit Hotel General Santos in General Santos City on September 19, 2025, bringing to life the vision of the Scholars Technopreneurship Training Program (STTP) in Region 12. Over six months of intensive training and mentorship, these young innovators transformed their passion for science and technology into projects that address real-world challenges and create opportunities for positive change in their communities. Spearheaded by the Department of Science and Technology – Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI) in partnership with DOST Region 12 and facilitated by Leave a Nest Philippines as the official training provider, the program empowered scholars to develop innovative solutions that meet societal needs and expand opportunities for fellow Filipinos.
The morning session opened with welcoming remarks from Engr. Sammy P. Malawan, Regional Director of DOST Region 12, who expressed his appreciation for the program’s success. This was followed by Dr. Renato U. Solidum, Jr., Secretary of DOST, who shared insights from previous technopreneurship programs and their impact on the scientific and entrepreneurial landscape. Engr. Sancho A. Mabborang, Undersecretary for Regional Operations of DOST, encouraged the scholars to innovate, collaborate, and apply their knowledge to solve real-world challenges. Atty. Marion Ivy D. Decena, Director of DOST – Technology Application and Promotion Institute (DOST – TAPI), offered words of encouragement to inspire perseverance and creativity, while Dr. Josette T. Biyo, HRD Consultant of the DOST-SEI, reflected on the scholars’ journey and achievements. The session concluded with inspiring advice from Dr. Jayeel Cornelio, Director of DOST-SEI, as the scholars embarked on the next phase of their technopreneurial journey.
The afternoon session consisted of two parts: the oral pitches and the poster presentations. All twelve (12) teams showcased the results of their hard work through business idea pitches, evaluated by thirteen (13) judges, including Local, Global, and Poster Judges from various organizations. For the oral pitches, each team had five minutes to present, followed by a five-minute question-and-answer session. While on the poster presentation session, judges visited each team’s poster booth, allowing for more in-depth discussions and opportunities for further dialogue. This interactive setup enabled judges to engage closely with the teams and gain deeper insights into the support the scholars would need to advance their ventures.
MAJOR AWARDS
The Major Awards are the top prizes announced at the start of the program and were originally set at ₱50,000, ₱30,000, and ₱20,000 for the Grand Winner, 1st Runner Up, and 2nd Runner Up respectively. However, DOST Region 12 generously doubled the awards giving them, ₱100,000, ₱60,000, and ₱40,000 recognizing that nurturing these young innovators could yield significant impact in the future.
The Grand Winner, PhotoSynth, introduced their concept on Chloromeds, a Halal-certified, microalgae-based drugs addressing common health conditions. The 2nd Place, SustanEx CocoSiklo, introduced an idea about biodegradable coconut-husk packaging that protects produce and extends shelf life. The 3rd Place, BayawTech AgriSolutions, proposed the development of their Swynex Vireon Kit, a quick, affordable, on-site test for African Swine Fever.
| Award Giving Body: | DOST-SEI and DOST Region 12 |
| Award Name | Grand Winner |
| Awardee: | PhotoSynth |
| Award Inclusion: | PHP 100,000 Cash Prize (divided equally from DOST-SEI and DOST Region 12) |
| Award Giving Body: | DOST-SEI and DOST Region 12 |
| Award Name | First Runner Up |
| Awardee: | SustanEx |
| Award Inclusion: | PHP 60,000 Cash Prize (divided equally from DOST-SEI and DOST Region 12) |
| Award Giving Body: | DOST-SEI and DOST Region 12 |
| Award Name | Second Runner Up |
| Awardee: | BayawTech AgriSolutions |
| Award Inclusion: | PHP 40,000 Cash Prize (divided equally from DOST-SEI and DOST Region 12) |
MAIN AWARDS
The main awards featured special recognitions from our head, local, and global judges, highlighting outstanding teams whose research and innovations demonstrated social relevance, and potential for real-world impact. These distinctions celebrated not only scientific excellence but also the passion and purpose behind each team’s work.
The Best Poster Awards from Leave a Nest Philippines were given to teams that delivered clear, concise, and well-structured presentations during the poster session. The Path to Excellence Award grants recipients the opportunity to present at the Hyper Interdisciplinary Conference in the Philippines 2025, recognizing teams whose vision demonstrates meaningful solutions for the betterment of Filipinos. The Flores & Ofrin Award from the Law Office of Flores & Ofrin, with four (4) recipients, supports teams with strong potential to implement their technologies in society through free legal assistance. The Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation Berhad (SDEC) Award allows teams to showcase their innovations internationally. The Makerlab Choice Award from Makerlab Electronics provides support for prototyping the recipients’ technologies. Finally, the GENSAN Chamber Award from the General Santos City Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc., with three (3) winners, offers six months of co-working space to help advance their projects.
| Award Giving Body: | Leave a Nest Philippines |
| Award Name | Best Poster Award |
| Awardee: | Kalinaw, eduCAREtion, and SAGINHAWA |
| Award Inclusion: | PHP 10,000 Cash Prize (each team) |
| Award Giving Body: | Leave a Nest Philippines Inc. |
| Award Name | Path to Excellence Award |
| Awardee: | Kahaynayan |
| Award Inclusion: | Invitation to Present at the Hyper Interdisciplinary Conference in the Philippines 2025 (Flight and 3D2N Accommodation worth PHP 20,000) |
| Award Giving Body: | The Law Office of Flores & Ofrin |
| Award Name: | Flores & Ofrin Award |
| Awardee: | Kalinaw, Kahaynayan, PhotoSynth, and SustanEx |
| Award Inclusion: | Free Legal Assistance in Trademark Registration |
| Award Giving Body: | Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation (SDEC) |
| Award Name: | SDEC Award |
| Awardee: | PhotoSynth |
| Award Inclusion: | Two (2) complimentary conference tickets to IDECS2025 with 1 complimentary exhibition booth at StartUp Village in Kuching, Malaysia this 22-23rd October 2025 (including flight and accommodations) |
| Award Giving Body: | Makerlab Electronics |
| Award Name: | Makerlab Choice Award |
| Awardee: | InvaSense |
| Award Inclusion: | ELEGOO Neptune 4 Pro 3D Printer and Exclusive Workshop |
| Award Giving Body: | General Santos City Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. |
| Award Name | GENSAN CHAMBER AWARD |
| Awardee: | SustanEx, SUEY, and InvaSense |
| Award Inclusion: | 6-month Co-Working Space Support |
SPECIAL AWARDS
For the special awards, seven (7) recognitions were presented: the DOSE Choice Award by DOSE TBI, the USMART TBI Tech Innovation Award by USMART TBI, the MINDSPARK Award by ICEBOX TBI, the STEPTEST Award, STEPBuiltUP Program, and STEP APP Incubation Program by STEP APP TBI, and the Wadhwani Award by Wadhwani Foundation.
These awards, offered by university and government-led Technology Business Incubators (TBIs) as well as private organizations, aim to support teams in advancing their technopreneurial journey beyond the STTP. In selecting winners, some TBIs prioritized students affiliated with their institutions for easier incubation, while others focused on the technological innovation and societal impact of the projects. It is our hope that STTP graduates will leverage these opportunities to realize their startup ambitions and bring their technologies to society.
| Award Giving Body: | ICEBOX TBI |
| Award Name | MINDSPARK Award |
| Awardees: | InvaSense, BayawTech Agri Solutions, SUEY, eduCAREtion, Kalinaw, SafeZone Seekers, ChitoCore, and Kahaynayan |
| Award Inclusion: | 6 months of Incubation |
| Award Giving Body: | USMART TBI |
| Award Name | USMart TBI Tech Innovation Award |
| Awardees: | Photosynth, Tulay, and Saginhawa |
| Award Inclusion: | Incubation Program with USMart and TBI Merch for three (3) teams |
| Award Giving Body: | STEP APP TBI |
| Award Name | STEPTEST Award, STEPBuiltUP Program, and STEP APP Incubation Program |
| Awardee: | EduCaretion, Kalinaw, and Photosynth (respectively) |
| Award Inclusion: | Supports full application testing, three (3) months training, and six (6) months Incubation Program (respectively) |
| Award Giving Body: | DOSE TBI |
| Award Name | DOSE Choice Award |
| Awardee: | SustanEx & SAGINHAWA |
| Award Inclusion: | Establish linkages with DA Programs supporting business enterprises through the young farmers challenge. |
| Award Giving Body: | Wadhwani Foundation |
| Award Name | Wadhwani Award |
| Awardee: | All STTP Region 12 teams |
| Award Inclusion: | Platform Use for Technopreneurship for all (12) teams |
Following the awarding of winners, the judges addressed the scholars with messages of encouragement and pride. They commended the participants for presenting innovative concepts with real potential to address national issues. Their words served as a reminder that the true victory lies in sustaining this passion to keep innovating for the Filipino people and to help shape a better future for the country.
Lastly, Engr. Albert G. Mariño, Deputy Director of the DOST – Science Education Institute (SEI), delivered the closing remarks congratulating all participants for addressing key challenges in agriculture, energy, health, and education, and expressed confidence that they will continue to drive innovation as future leaders in science and technology.
Leave a Nest Philippines extends its heartfelt gratitude to the scholars, DOST mentors, guest speakers, partners, judges, and stakeholders who made the Scholars Technopreneurship Training Program (STTP) Region 12 Demo Day a success, thanks to the invaluable support of our judges. We extend our gratitude to our Head Judge, Dr. Yevgeny Aster T. Dulla (Leave a Nest Philippines); Local Judges, Engr. Sammy P. Malawan (DOST Region 12), Mr. Lord Dalinas (General Santos City Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc.), Atty. Amy Irene Ofrin (Flores & Ofrin Law Office), and Mr. Voltaire Gaviola (Makerlab Electronics). We also thank the following Global Judges: Mr. Syafiq Ismail (Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation Berhad), Ms. Maxwen Ma (ADA Biotech), Ms. Yurika Tanikawa (amu Inc.), and Dr. Pachoensuk Theeranukul (Innoqua Inc.); and Poster Judges: Dr. Noel S. Gunay (ICEBOX TBI), Dr. Jalaloden B. Marohom (USMART TBI), Ms. Kristine Mae H. Ampas (STEP APP TBI), Ms. Anna Mae A. Abapo (DOSE TBI), and Mr. Bretch Guire Garcinez (Wadhwani Foundation) for sharing their time, expertise, and insights.
The program may have ended, but this is just the beginning of a journey toward shaping the future of Philippine business, science, and technology.
For more information, you may contact DOST-SEI ([email protected]), or reach out to Ms. Edilyn Odero ([email protected]) or Mr. Bryan Foronda ([email protected]) from Leave a Nest Philippines.
To learn more about STTP Region 12, you may also explore previously published news releases through the following links:
Scholars Technopreneurship Training Program Region 12 Demo Day Participants
Scholars Technopreneurship Training Program Region 12 Demo Day Judges