By Deni Margarette Dalman

The Enthusiastic Inventors and Sci-Tech Innovators (EINSTEIN) Club of PSHS – Central Visayas Campus won the prestigious “Most Outstanding Science Club” by the Philippine Society of Youth Science Clubs (PSYSC), Inc. for the second time in a row, and garnered three minor awards namely, the “Most Innovative Project Award”, “Most Active Science Club Award”, and "Best Musical Score" last February 24 – 25, 2017 during the SEARCH Convention at GT Toyota Asian Center Auditorium and NISMED Auditorium, University of the Philippines - Diliman.

 “AMBAG” ON ITS THIRD YEAR

EINSTEIN Club’s winning project was its Ambag Science and Technology Kaalaman for Every Juan, a continuing program composed of activities that engage with the community, the local government units, non-government organizations, other institutions, private individuals and agencies. The Ambag Science and Technology Kaalaman for Every Juan (Year III) is divided into two specific projects specifically, the IP Mentoring Series and the Sagip Cinnamon Project.

The Investigatory Project Series and Mentoring Program is a collaboration of EINSTEIN Club and seven different DepEd schools within Argao, Cebu. It is a series of workshops, lectures and hands-on activities for the DepEd teachers and students. In this program, PSHS teachers and EINSTEIN Club members imparted their knowledge and skills to the DepEd teachers and students when it comes to investigatory projects and researches.

For the environmental part, the Club decided to focus on the Cebu Cinnamon Tree (Cinnamomum cebuense), which is a critically endangered species that is endemic to Cebu Island. One hundred Cebu Cinnamon Tree seedlings were bought from the Kapunungan sa mga Mag-uuma sa Yutang Lasangnon sa Bulalakaw (KMYLB) in Alcoy, Cebu. The EINSTEIN Club then conducted a Seminar-Workshop for the PSHS scholars who enlisted to participate in the tree planting. The pH, soil acidity, temperature and other relevant data were gathered after the initial tree planting for close monitoring.

THE FIFTH ANNUAL SEARCH

Two club members, Joseph Karl Salva Jr. and Bryne Alric Yu, presented EINSTEIN Club’s AMBAG Project during the SEARCH Convention. The club also joined in the convention’s Transfilmation, a short film contest, and received the “Best in Musical Score” with its entry entitled “Ideya” by Mary Bernadette Ramirez, Ivan Angelo Pitogo, Leiah Macato, and Charls Philip Palacio.

The fifth annual SEARCH by PSYSC started in November 2016 and several processes were undergone such as the submission of portfolio, screening, and the ocular visit wherein representatives from PSYSC visited the campus to see the project and innovations of EINSTEIN Club. After completing the said processes, PSYSC’s SEARCH Committee selected five finalists for Bracket I (Elementary Level) and Bracket II (Secondary Level). EINSTEIN Club had been a SEARCH finalist for three years in a row since the club’s establishment in 2014.

According to Reisha Claffel Ferraren, EINSTEIN Club’s two-year President, and Benito Baje, EINSTEIN Club’s Founder and Adviser, the club shall continue doing its best to generate more ideas and create more projects and innovations for next year’s SEARCH.

EINSTEIN Club received a plaque, certificates of recognition, and a cash prize of PhP50,000 for winning this year’s SEARCH.