Clay-based water filter bags science award, benefits aeta community

A clay-based water filtration system not only netted a science award for students from state-run Philippine Science High School, it also provided clean water to an Aeta community in Pampanga province.

The system devised by students from the PSHS central campus is based on bentonite clay, a locally abundant material, and filters water from the Abacan River for the indigenous people.

"Water scarcity is a serious problem that already affects more than 1.2 billion people in the world and climate change worsens this problem as excessive groundwater extraction causes land subsidence and increases vulnerability to flooding... With our project, we are able to make use of available resource such as Bentonite to provide a means in bringing clean water to the Aeta communities in Sapangbato," Jan Louise Cabrera and Joshua Miguel Danac during their project defense.

The team created a filtration system using Bentonite clay, a product of lahar erosion and an effective absorbent of dirt.
Benefiting from the project is the Aeta community in Barangay Sapangbato in Angeles City in Pampanga.

With the project, the team won the Best Bayanihan Project title at the Hyundai New Thinkers Spotlight, bagging medals, certificates, and a P90,000 cash prize.

Also, the students won college scholarship grants courtesy of Hyundai Asia Resources Inc. (HARI) Foundation.

The "Bentonite Absorbent as a Technological Improvement of Sapangbato Waters" project bested 19 other climate change intervention projects.

Other communities

Even better for other Philippine communities, the students said this filtration system can be replicated in other areas as an alternative way to get potable water.

"With improvements to our prototype filter, we believe that this can be of value to many other communities faced with the same problem," they said.

The Hyundai New Thinkers Spotlight is part of the Hyundai New Thinkers Circuit (HNTC) Program, a collaboration between HARI Foundation and the Department of Science and Technology - Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI), University of the Philippines' National Institute of Geological Sciences (NIGS) and Marine Science Institute (MSI).

It aims to develop students into future climate scientists and leaders.

Other winners

For the tilt, 20 school teams showed innovative community development projects through exhibits and project presentations.

Bayanihan projects were evaluated based on ingenuity, efficiency, sustainability, and the students' overall participation in the HNTC cycle.

The other top 10 winners in the tilt included:

Second place: Emilio Bernabe High School's Neal Renz Empleo, Sheena Coleen Labampa and coach Marites Banzon, with 90.1 points for their project "Motorized Boat Made of Junked Home Appliances as Alternate to Rubber Boat during Flood Rescue Operations." They won medals, certificates, P75,000 cash and two scholarship slots.
Kasarinlan High School's "Hydrocab" project
Philippine Science High School Main Campus' "Incorporation of Coir Geotextile, Aeration, and Rice Husk Filter into Localized Home Rainwater Harvesting"
Sisters of Mary School's "Electroschwartz Vertical Axis Wind Turbine."
Marcelo H. Del Pilar National High School (rPLANT Project)
Pateros National High School (Eco-Riders)
Claro M. Recto Information and Communication Technology High School (5 E's in Waste Segregation)
Mariveles National High School (Biodegradable Tamarind Seed-Based Plastic: A Remedy for the Changing Climate)
Valenzuela City Science High School (H2O FLOOD).

Students from these schools comprised the 20 Hyundai New Thinkers Scholars, and their college studies shall be supported by HARI Foundation but they have to choose a science course.

The HNT scholars will be required to take up science and technology courses to avail of the scholarship. They will get support in their tuition and other fees and a monthly stipend from HARI Foundation.

"We stand here with a dream to drive a new world of possibilities for our young people, the leaders and innovators of tomorrow," HARI Foundation President Ma. Fe Perez-Agudo said.

For her part, DOST-SEI head Dr. Josette Biyo urged the students to continue to show leadership in their own schools and communities after the HNTC Program.

"Think of this event as a practice session for your would-be daily undertaking once you've become a scientist, engineer or a community leader," Biyo said.—Joel Locsin/TJD, GMA News

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Taxonomy

• Drinking Water Treatment
• Filtration Solutions