Honda and DOST-SEI drive youth innovation forward with life-changing tech for Filipinos

HONDA Cars Philippines, Inc. (HCPI), in partnership with the Department of Science and Technology – Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI), continues to spark positive change in Filipino communities through its support of the imake.wemake:create.innovate.collaborate competition.
Now in its eighth year and with HCPI onboard for the third consecutive cycle, the program once again empowered young Filipino innovators to build real-world solutions aimed at addressing urgent local problems in the country. These entries were more than just school projects — they were working innovations developed to directly help Filipino communities, from marine conservation to sustainable farming and inclusive education.

Held at Ascott Bonifacio Global City in Taguig last April 24 to 25, 2025, the competition culminated in a final presentation and awarding ceremony that showcased 20 of the most promising projects from student teams across the country. The entries were more than just school projects — they were working innovations developed to directly help Filipino communities, from marine conservation to sustainable farming and inclusive education.
Staying true to its global brand philosophy, “The Power of Dreams – How We Move You,” Honda supported the competition by once again sponsoring the Youth Innovation Prize (YIP). This award recognized three winning schools whose projects best embodied innovation, impact, and potential to improve lives. Each winning team received a P200,000 cash prize to help bring their ideas closer to real-world implementation.

Among the standout winners was Bantayan Science High School’s Project Lusai, an Internet of Things-powered unmanned surface vehicle that uses LiDAR and artificial intelligence for seagrass mapping and water quality inspection. The project offers faster and more efficient underwater monitoring compared to traditional methods, supporting marine biodiversity and improving coastal resource management — a timely solution for the country’s fishing-dependent communities.
Lala National High School’s C.R.A.B.-Tech also earned high praise for its automated crab-harvesting system. By using sensors and load cells to sort market-ready mud crabs from juveniles, the device helps improve aquaculture efficiency, supports sustainable harvesting practices, and ensures better incomes for Filipino crab farmers.

Rounding out the top three was Project Salin from Rizal National Science High School — a wearable assistive device that translates speech in English or Tagalog into animated Filipino sign language (FSL). This innovation makes day-to-day communication easier for deaf individuals and has wide-reaching potential for use in schools, government services, and public spaces. It’s a leap forward in accessibility and inclusion for the hearing-impaired community in the Philippines.
The event also featured a keynote from engineer Mark Kennedy Bantugon, a former DOST scholar and inventor of Pili Seal, who shared how his humble beginnings and unrelenting curiosity led to breakthroughs that are now helping the aviation industry. His message to the students was clear: small ideas, when nurtured, can grow into solutions that change lives.

For Honda, these stories are a powerful reminder of why supporting the next generation of changemakers matters. As the challenges facing the country continue to evolve, Honda remains committed to enabling young Filipinos to chase their dreams, solve real problems, and build a better future — not just through mobility, but through meaningful innovation that moves people and society forward.