Samar students prepare for world robotics event

CALBAYOG CITY, Samar, Oct. 17 (PNA) – A group of students is preparing to compete in the upcoming World Robotics Olympiad in India on Nov. 25, 2016.

Students of St Augustine International School (SAIS) in this city will represent the country again in the international challenge. Last year, SAIS students competed in the World Robotics Olympiad in Qatar.

SAIS robotics team is composed of high schools students John Panoy, Francis Joseph Grey, Gerald Roy Pascon, Reggie Jude Jaime Araneta, and Charisse Zaira Poraque.

Grey is happy to be part of the country’s representative to the World Robotics Olympiad, but at the same time anxious to join the event.

For Poraque, being the only girl in the group doesn’t make her feel intimidated by the boys. For her, boys and girls are equal.

“I don’t think that there is a difference between boys and girls. It just depends on how you deal and approach the situation,” she added.

The robot is programmed and designed to do segregation which is a theme of this year’s competition.

SAIS has been implementing robotics program for seven years now. The program is not part of the regular subject of the school, according to Panoy.

“It’s a good program. I hope that we can encourage other schools to also participate in this program because through this, we can develop our kids to become future engineers, scientist and information technology experts, as early as elementary and then high school,” Panoy added.

Panoy added that introducing robotics to children is timely considering that the materials and equipment for the program are now available.

“Let’s give the students the tools that they can use to develop their critical their thinking skills, their problem solving skills that they can apply in the real world,” he told PNA.

Other than SAIS, another school in the region offers a robotics program -- the Philippine Science High School in Palo, Leyte. (PNA)
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