Ateneo de Davao Bags Top Awards at RSTW, Handa Pilipinas 2026
The Ateneo de Davao University community earned top recognitions at the Regional Science, Technology, and Innovation Week (RSTW) and Handa Pilipinas 2026, held from 15 to 17 October 2026 at the SMX Convention Center, Davao City.
The honors were shared by the School of Business and Governance (SBG), the ADDVentures Innovation Center, and the Robotics Engineering Department.
Startups take first and third place
At the 2nd Startup Pitching Competition: Innovation to Impact, held in collaboration with SBG, ADDVentures startup incubatees Azolife and BantayAni placed First and Third, respectively.
Organized by the Department of Science and Technology – Davao Region (DOST XI) as part of RSTW, the competition gives founders from recognized Technology Business Incubators a stage to pitch scalable, science-based solutions to regional concerns.
Azolife, represented by Kuiper Von Powell Leybag, took First Place. According to the ADDVentures Innovation Center, the venture makes affordable, customizable bioplastic bags from Azolla, a fast-growing aquatic plant that does not compete with food crops, helping small businesses shift away from plastic in line with the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act (RA 9003).
BantayAni, represented by Romar Izzy Flestado, Ricky Rodrigo, Jr., and Stephen Dominic Lim, took Third Place. ADDVentures describes it as a satellite- and AI-driven platform that gives Municipal Agricultural Officers early warnings of crop stress and speeds up crop insurance verification, cutting payout waiting time from over 20 days to around two.
Youth excellence in science awardees
Four Ateneo students were named Youth Excellence in Science (YES) Awardees of DOST XI: Gerolfein Sitchon, Nicolo Emyr Fabila, Jesse Ender Aclan, and Equiezha Gwenaelle Tidor.
Conferred by the DOST Science Education Institute, the YES medal recognizes outstanding young Filipinos as emerging leaders and advocates in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
Best booth and a leadership plaque
ADDVentures and the Robotics Engineering Department also earned Third Place for Best Booth. Dr. Rogel Mari Sese, Director of the ADDVentures Innovation Center, received a Plaque of Recognition as a Philippine Science and Technology Development Lead 2026.
About the event
Held annually under the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), the Regional Science, Technology, and Innovation Week (RSTW) showcases homegrown innovations and success stories, giving the public a chance to experience Filipino science and technology firsthand.
Running alongside it, Handa Pilipinas is DOST’s disaster risk reduction and management exposition, which promotes public awareness and the wider use of DOST-developed technologies for disaster preparedness, response, and recovery.
