UM student is RICE 2015 Champ

A third year Chemical Engineering student of the University of Mindanao topped the recent Regional Inventions Contest and Exhibits (RICE) of the Department of the Science and Technology.

Exhibited at the NCCC Mall of Davao last October, Neil Sumampong’s study garnered top points from judges who were from the science bureau as well as the Davao Inventors Association and the Technology Application Promotion Institute.

His study entitled “Sweet Potatoes: A Degradation Catalysis Component of Biomate Added High Density Poly-Ethylene Plastics”, or the production of bio-oxo degradable plastics which can be broken down by mere exposure to air or ground won following the criteria on creativity, marketability, environmental impact, and presentation.

“Everything is surreal because the other inventors were in their fifth year, and I was only on my third yet. They were working by team, and I was the only individual [in my study],” says Sumampong. He added the study was conducted with the environment as his primary concern. The project was completed with the use of discarded ‘kamote’ or sweet potatoes.

Sumampong will join the National Inventions Contest and Exhibits in Luzon next year.