A group of high school students from Cavite was hailed on Tuesday as the grand prize winner of the 2025 Samsung Philippines 鈥淪olve for Tomorrow鈥 innovation contest for their solar-powered device that helps prevent mangrove degradation.听
Out of over 350 entries and 10 finalists from science high schools across the country, the young听Cavite帽o听innovators from Cavite Science Integrated School prevailed in the third iteration of the competition, AA M.听Abjelina, head of public relations and corporate social responsibility (CSR) for Samsung Philippines, told听大象传媒.听
Project leader Harly P. Bautista said their winning entry, called “Mangrove Health Monitor (MaHeMo),” is a low-cost, solar-powered floating device that provides communities with early-warning monitoring of mangrove health.听
It uses sensors to听monitor听the mangrove’s water salinity, pH, and temperature, which can help听indicate听if the mangroves are at risk of damage.听
“If it detects that the mangroves are slowly declining, it can send early warning signs to a dashboard through LoRa (Long Range) and notify communities and local government units, so they can take action and prevent damage,” Ms. Bautista said.听
She added that the project was inspired by her desire to protect mangroves, which are facing decline, as her family personally听benefits听from the resources they provide. The mangroves support her family and community by serving as a habitat for various fish species and as a natural barrier against flooding caused by storms.听
A report from the Climate Change Commission said that the Philippines has lost听a significant portion听of its mangrove forest over the past century. From an estimated 450,000 hectares in 1920, coverage declined to 317,500 hectares by听1990 and听further decreased to 311,400 hectares in the most recent statistics.听
The team has already created a model of听MaHeMo听and will conduct its first field testing in the project leader鈥檚 hometown.听
Following their win, the听team鈥檚 school听will receive P500,000 worth of Samsung devices, while four team members and their听adviser听will receive P250,000 worth of Samsung devices. The team members will also receive P100,000 in cash, and their adviser will receive P30,000 in cash.听
The second-prize winner, also from Cavite Science Integrated School, will receive P300,000 worth of Samsung devices for their school, P250,000 worth of Samsung devices for the team and their teacher, and a cash prize of P70,000 for the team members and P25,000 for the teacher adviser.听
The third-prize winner, from Tuguegarao City Science High School, will also receive a similar set of prizes听which听include听gadgets and cash.听
Meanwhile, Ms.听Abjelina听said Samsung鈥檚 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)-based competition encourages students to听participate听in solving community challenges by creating tech solutions.听
“We don’t develop technology for the sake of it. We want our technology to really make people’s lives better. That is why in this contest, we also encourage students to do the same,” Ms.听Abjelina听said.听
The 鈥淪olve for Tomorrow 2025鈥 competition is fully funded by Samsung Electronics, Ms. Abjelina added, and the company plans to continue the annual contest next year, again engaging public science high schools across the country. 鈥斕Edg听Adrian A. Eva听
