Cebu Robotics Society, in cooperation with Compass Education and Felta Multimedia Inc.,
culminated a successful regional event called the 3rd Cebu Robotics Cup last August 22, 2015 held
at Ayala Center, Cebu City.
This annual science and technology event brings together students who will learn Science,
Mathematics, simple engineering, computer programming and critical thinking. The event
also brings the needed personal values such as teamwork, communication, fair play and hard
work through LEGO Robotics.
The competition was participated in by 14 different schools in Region VII namely: Lapu-Lapu City
Science and Technology Education Center (LLC STEC), Smart Kidz Ehancement Center from Danao
City, Marie Ernestine School both from Lapu-Lapu Branch and Budlaan Branch, PAREF Springdale
School, Caridad C. Labe Center of Excellence, City of Naga Special Science and Technology High
School, Philippine Christian Gospel School, University of San Carlos, Benedicto College, Center for
International Education, University of Southern Philippines, with special participation of schools outside
Cebu City like Integrated Developmental School, Mindanao State University IIT and Dumaguete City
High School
The 3rd Cebu Robotics Cup has four Categories namely: the Pearl Dive Challenge – which challenged
the elementary students whose ages are 12 years old and under, to create their own robot out of
Lego Mindstorms kit to imitate a pearl diver where the robot needs to collect pearls from clams,
grasp for air every 30 seconds and drop down the pearls above the sea level which corresponds to
the color of pearl detected. No pearl for blue, one pearl for green, two pearls for yellow, and three
pearls for red. This was solved immediately by the LLC STEC elementary team; Giancarlo Albeos,
John Russell Jandonero and Lara Denise Almagro, coached by Sir Donald Dungog, by making a
robot with arm that collects three clams in one dive, thus making each dive three times successful
than its competitors who only uses one.
The category for high school on the other hand was called The Treasure Hunt – which challenged
the high school students whose ages are 15 years old and under to create a robot that could locate
the treasure randomly placed on a four by four grid playing field. Here, the robots must scan the
location of the first element using color sensors and follow the grid matching the given coordinates.
The artificial intelligence made possible by students programming their robot using EV3 software
truly gives meaning to what critical thinking and problem solving is. The challenge was dominated by
the Caridad C. Labe Center of Excellence Team A: Isaiah James M. Cervantes, Nicole Debra C.
Ignacio, Gabriel Elyzarre T. Mugot, and Team B: Michael Wallace B. Manlosa, Ullyses Ortega Avellano,
Vince Ian Inoc Udto both coached by Benjie Gimony as they got one treasure after the other with
ease and efficiency with the help of a good algorithm carefully planned out, studied and programmed
by the CCL Team. No doubt that they bagged the first and second place spots.
Challenge. Here, the high school students are given two hours to build and program a robot that
could imitate a soccer player. The robot’s tasks includes, finding the ball using an infrared seeker
sensor, finding the goal using a compass sensor, and kicking the ball to the goal using the rotation
sensor. The teams match up with other teams and turn on their robot playing a soccer game. The
audience wowed for every shot the robot made with fakes, turns, pivots to break the guard of the
opposing robot. The LLC STEC team D: Kenneth Butalid and Paolo Rabaya won first as they got
seven goals with only a two-point lead with the other teams who managed to keep it close having five
goals in a ten minute match. The second place winners are LLC STEC team A: Kent Joshua Tiu,
Aura Jade Pepito, Von Godwin Jequinto; also second place is the LLC STEC Team B: Julius Reiner
Avenido and Jan Rey Bomediano and LLC STEC Team C: Joshua Jireh A. Manlawe and Reigh
Marion O. Veloso coached by Engr. Jonathan Cartilla and Donald B. Dungog.
The last challenge of the Cup is named, The Space Challenge. This is the only challenge that is
open for both elementary and high school students whose age falls under 16 category. The goal is to
build a robot that can help humans solve missions in outer space namely: Activate the Satellite,
Save the Crew, Collect Rock Samples in Mars, Save the MCL Robot, Launch The Satellite on its
Orbit, Activate The Communications Satellite, Launch The Rocket all within a time limit of only three
minutes. Here, the students are to build all the mechanisms needed by the robot like pushing, pulling,
turning, lifting and launching the rocket. The team from Philippine Christian Gospel School headed
by Vinz Robert M. Yee, the team programmer with his two engineers, Jhunrell A. Nazareno and
David Joazariah L. Wong bagged the first place as they got all six out of seven missions. Their
coach Mr. Timothy Baclayon was so impressed by the performance of his team who only have trained
every Saturday for 12 hours under Cebu Robotics Society.
The competition was graced by the presence of Ms. Maurette A. Ponce and Ms. Rosa Cabotaje,
who gave the awards and encourage our regional winners to aim high and continue to be competitive
in the Philipine Robotics Olympiad, the robotics competition on Sept. 9-11, 2015 at SM North EDSA,
Quezon City.
We believe that as long as there are persons like you who dare to believe that we can advance our
advocacy in robotics for education, yes together, we can. Donald B. Dungog