DOST-TAPI highlights regional innovators as NICE 2026 approaches
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. underscored the importance of turning Filipino ideas into market-ready solutions during the 2024 National Invention Contest and Exhibits (NICE) Presidential Awards.
“They are brilliant ideas, but if they remain as an idea, then that’s all they are… We can’t just put them and then store them away. Gamitin natin ‘to… find a way to make it, commercialize it, to put it in the market, and for people to gain,” the President emphasized.
The journey of Filipino innovation continues to gain momentum as the Regional Invention Contest and Exhibits (RICE) and the National Invention Contest and Exhibits (NICE) work hand in hand to discover and elevate the country’s brightest inventors and researchers.
Implemented under the Institutional Support for Technology Exposition (ISTE) Program of the Department of Science and Technology – Technology Application and Promotion Institute (DOST-TAPI), the competitions are anchored on Republic Act No. 7459, also known as the Inventors and Invention Incentives Act of the Philippines.
ClusteRICE 2025 winners advance nationwide
Last year, DOST-TAPI concluded the Regional Invention Contest and Exhibits by Cluster (ClusteRICE) 2025, evaluating 764 RICE applications nationwide.
From hundreds of submissions, 28 winning entries emerged across five clusters — Southern Luzon, Northern Luzon, NCR, Visayas, and Mindanao. These innovators have secured their spots as finalists for NICE 2026.
Among the Tuklas Award finalists in the private-funded category is DEMOLLUSCUM, an herbal cream preparation from NCR designed to remove molluscum contagiosum using cashew nut oil extract.
In the government-funded Tuklas category, notable finalists include the Multi-shell Neutron Spectrometer (MuNS) from NCR, Coirmach: A Coco Fiber Twining Machine from the Visayas, and the Mechanical Coconut Climber from Mindanao.
Utility model finalists under the Unlad Award feature innovations such as Nano Foldable Crutches from Southern Luzon, an Electromagnetic Power Generating Device from NCR, a Seed Planter from the Visayas, and a Device for Car Charging and Battery Monitoring System from Mindanao.
Industrial design contenders for the Banghay Award include the Multi-Grain Precision Seeder with Fertilizer Applicator from Southern Luzon and a Car Charging and Battery Monitoring System from NCR.
Student and research innovations take spotlight
Creative research entries also showed strong regional representation.
Private-funded Likha finalists include a food-grade oven-dried ternate flower powder process from Northern Luzon, a compost bin with insulator from NCR, and a fecal smear kit pack from Mindanao.
Government-funded Likha entries include Papa Eat-han’s Serpentina Mix from Northern Luzon, KArbon: Kaong Activated Carbon Products from Southern Luzon, an on-site African Swine Fever virus detection system from NCR, Project TANAW from the Visayas, and Zappify, an IoT-based pest management system for rice fields from Mindanao.
In the Sibol college category, finalists range from the IoShroom smart mushroom monitoring device to AI-powered rice seed purity testing machines.
High school finalists likewise showcased advanced research, including a bio-pigment from golden apple snail eggs and a low-cost early Alzheimer’s disease diagnostic system.
Set for Manila in 2026, NICE will gather the country’s top inventors, researchers, and student innovators under one national stage.
Beyond recognition and cash incentives, winners will gain access to DOST-TAPI programs covering intellectual property protection, technology transfer, and commercialization support. Through the agency’s promotion initiatives, select winners may also be endorsed for international exhibitions, opening doors to investors and global partners.
The National Invention Contest and Exhibits remains a flagship component of the ISTE Program, reinforcing the government’s push to transform Filipino ingenuity into market-driven solutions for national development.
