Congratulations to the Winners 4th SWEEP Innovation and Excellence Awards!
University of St. La Salle gets top prize; University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos emerges PalaECEpan champion
A Geo-specific Public Warning System Using Cell Broadcasting by a student-faculty team from the University of St. La Salle topped 59 entries during the 4th SMART Wireless Engineering and Education Program (SWEEP) Innovation and Excellence Awards in Cebu City.
The win thrust Bacolod City schools into the limelight after Edward Warren Torres of the University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos (UNO-R) bested 37 other school representatives for the top prize in the PalaECEpan quiz bee.
For the fourth consecutive year, Smart Communications, Inc. (SMART) culminated its search for the best wireless applications developed by student-faculty teams from SWEEP partner schools in an exciting, fun-filled two-day activity.
This year’s search drew entries developed in accordance with the theme “Going Wireless for Disaster Preparedness.” The distinguished panel of judges included Dr. Renato Solidum, Jr., Director of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS); Tatsu Kono, Chief Operating Advisor of NTT DoCoMo and Director of the PLDT Board; and Ronaldo Reario, National Disaster Response Advisor - Philippines, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, UNDP. An event highlight was the attendance of Dr. Estrella Alabastro, Secretary of the Department of Science and Technology Secretary, as keynote speaker.
The team from University of St. La Salle which developed the winning entry received P500,000, a trophy and a Cisco Certified Network Administrator (CCNA) training scholarship from Trends.Net Inc. The school also received P500,000 in the form of a grant.
In second and third place were entries from Ateneo de Manila University, with corresponding prizes of P300,000 and P150,000 respectively. The school also received equivalent amounts in the form of grants.
The SWEEP Innovation and Excellence Awards is one of SMART’s major initiatives under SWEEP, its pioneering industry-academe partnership that seeks to help raise the level of technology and engineering education in the country.
Launched in August 2004, the awards program allows engineering students to showcase their knowledge and skills in creating technologically innovative products.
Members of the student-faculty teams that garnered the top three prizes during the 4th SWEEP Innovation and Excellence Awards with (right) Mario G. Tamayo, head of SMART’s Network Services Division and Ramon Isberto (left), head of SMART Public Affairs Group.
Click here for more 4th SWEEP Awards Photos!
(Published 06 February 2008, SWEEP)