“One big factor in alliances is that you share common goals. What do we want? And it’s not just to win the competition, but to champion girls. This was what solidified our foundation.”
These were the words of Michaela Louise Bagtas, a grade 10 student from Rizal National Science High School, after being hailed among the winners in the 2025 Tagisang Robotics: Girls & Gears competition.
With teammates Beatrice Mae Goto, Arabella Cailin Ablaza, Lilabeth Cruz, and coach Marlon Sta. Catalina, her team concluded the seed rounds with the best win-loss record, earning them the Best Team award.
Moreover, building strategic alliances with Maronquillo National High School and Pasig City Science High School earned Bagtas and her teammates the Best Alliance award in the finals. This made all three teams the new champions of the sole all-female robotics competition in the country.
Maronquillo National High School was composed of Khyllie Norynn Ortega, Jinrikisha Tansico, Paola Joise Villanueva, Sabinah Dela Cruz, and coach Angelica Libunao. Meanwhile, Pasig City Science High School was composed of Khrystal Reine Caranguian, Mikaela Valasote, Aimee Noelle Delfino, Angeline Vivero, and coach Angelo Silva.
‘Pinoy Fiesta’ games
Last April, the three winning teams showcased their robotics prowess at the “Pinoy Fiesta” playing field of the Space in One Ayala, Makati City.
Alongside 15 other teams, they developed mobots that completed fiesta-inspired challenges, such as Pukpok Palayok, Pabitin, Palosebo, and Basketball.
This year’s competition featured three stages: the seed round, double eliminations, and the championship. Ranking among the top six in the seed round was crucial, as it earned the team the privilege of becoming alliance leaders and selecting two teams from the rest of the pool to form their respective teams.
This was where Rizal National Science High School teamed up with Maronquillo National High School and Pasig City Science High School to finish the competition on top.
Aside from winning the games, the competition also recognized outstanding teams for their innovative mobots and commendable performance throughout all stages.
C&E Publishing Inc awarded Taguig Science High School with the C&E ALS Innovation in Control Award for their unique construction and mastery of their mobot.
Meanwhile, Caloocan National Science and Technology High School received the C&E ALS Creators Alliance Award for their commendable teamwork and sportsmanship.
Rewriting history
“It’s not just to win the competition, but to champion girls.” These words from Bagtas encapsulate the competition’s advocacy of celebrating women, amplifying their voice, and expanding their capabilities in various fields, especially in robotics.
While victory is the goal for most competitions, Tagisang Robotics: Girls and Gears extends its platform to more than just winning. It serves as an avenue to change the male-dominated narrative in robotics and give birth to a new one that is driven by the story of women who excel in the same field.
As DOST-SEI Director Dr. Jayeel Cornelio expressed in his speech, “You are writing your own history. Robotics and engineering are widely dominated by men, and the fact that you are here, you are rewriting history.”
However, for Cornelio, it takes various communities to allow this female-led narrative to thrive and flourish. As such, he invited all participants to take this opportunity as a learning experience.
“You are competitive. You want to win. I want you to win. But I also want you to support and learn from other groups, because only then can you make your experience here in this competition truly worthwhile,” he shared.
Concluding the event was DOST Assistant Secretary for Administrative and Legal Affairs and DOST-wide Gender and Development (GAD) Focal Person Dr. Diana L. Ignacio, who commended the young women and their coaches for their hard work and perseverance throughout the competition. She expressed her hope that this experience will fuel their passion for science and technology and spark their curiosity to discover more of its gifts for our country. (Story courtesy of DOST-SEI)
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