The research project of select students from the Department of Electronics Engineering were declared as this year’s champion in the SIBOL College Category Award for Outstanding Student Creative Research, while 6 teams advanced in the final round at the 2025 Regional Invention Contest and Exhibits by Cluster (ClusteRICE) – Mindanao Cluster, held on October 7 – 8, 2025, at the Philippine Science High School – Central Mindanao Campus, Lanao del Norte.
The winning project, titled “Automatic Rice Seed Varietal Purity Testing Machine Using Artificial Intelligence and Automation,” was developed by Jay Marie M. Bangga and Ronie L. Naquila Jr., under the mentorship of Engr. Ronieto N. Mendoza. This introduces an automated system designed to ensure the accuracy and efficiency of rice seed varietal identification, contributing to quality assurance in agricultural production and seed certification.
Organized by the Department of Science and Technology – Technology Application and Promotion Institute (DOST-TAPI), the annual ClusteRICE event highlights inventive and creative research projects across State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) and Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). After a series of regional eliminations, 11 finalists were selected from various entries across Mindanao, with 7 entries coming from Caraga State University, all representing the Department of Electronics Engineering under the College of Engineering and Geosciences.
The other six research project entries include:
Aortic Stenosis Detector by Jovem M. Esguerra and Saintrox H. Damian (Adviser: Engr. Edgardo Ricardo Sajonia Jr.)
IoT-Based Battery Management System for Solar Street Lights by Charles Kent Batal and Kurt Collins Mordeno (Adviser: Engr. Alfred Dennis B. Balamad)
AgriSense: Real-Time Soil Nutrient Monitoring System by Kenneth Joshua Alejandria and Harvey Joeprim Galindo (Adviser: Engr. Lovely Mae Dagsa-Balamad)
Automated Soil Sample Collector with Vertical Packaging for UGV Applications by Claire Danes M. Suralta and John Willmarf T. Tiu (Advisers: Engr. Ronieto N. Mendoza and Engr. Rudolph Joshua U. Candare
CacaoVA: Cacao Analysis and Control Using Automated Optimization by Kyle Ivan L. Casindac and Princess Mae H. Cabije (Advisers: Engr. Re-ann Cristine Calimpusan-Puerin and Engr. Charle Magne L. Cillo)
Campus Connect: RF Propagation and Antenna Coverage Mapping for Paging Systems by Jude Erik S. Bayron and Ritchie Laurence A. Goce (Adviser: Engr. Alfred Dennis B. Balamad)
The strong performance of CSU’s representatives in the 2025 ClusteRICE highlights the university’s growing reputation in applied research and innovation. It also reflects the institution’s continued support for student-led technological development aimed at addressing local and national challenges through science and engineering solutions. Congratulations, Golden Paddlers and advisers. Bugsay!
