Thursday, April 25, 2024

MSU-IIT student wins Brightest Buwis Master reg’l tilt

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (PIA)–A student from the Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology emerged as the regional champion of the search for the Philippines’ Brightest Buwis Masters (PBBM) of 2023

Al Rajhie Papandayan, a second-year BS Accountancy student, aced 12 other college students in the final round of the tax quiz competition.

As the regional champion, Papandayan will advance to the national level on July 28 at the BIR national office in Quezon City. Here, the grand champion, first runner-up, and second runner-up will each receive plaques of recognition and cash prizes. Their respective schools will also receive an award to celebrate their success.

The search for tax quiz champs nationwide is part of the tax awareness campaign of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), which aims to enhance the knowledge of the youth sector, who are future taxpayers, on the country’s tax laws and regulations and other tax matters.

In Northern Mindanao, the regional search was spearheaded by BIR Revenue Region (RR)-16 with the support of the Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

It was held at the BIR-RR16 office on July 3, with 49 participating college students who were put to the test through tax-related quizzes specifically focused on income, value-added, and percentage taxes, as well as the taxpayers’ registration requirements.

Of the 49, the top 12 were selected to partake in the final face-off. It had three rounds (easy, average, and difficult), each with ten questions.

Papandayan was declared the champion, with Cristine Jane Oppus as the first runner-up and Joan Marinay as the second runner-up. Both runners-up are from Central Mindanao University (CMU).

Aside from MSU-IIT and CMU, other participating schools were Bukidnon State University, Cagayan de Oro College-PHINMA, Capitol University, Christ the King College, La Salle University Ozamiz, Liceo de Cagayan, and Lourdes College. (APB/PIA-10)

DOST, MSU-IIT innovation help Bukidnon IPs get clean water

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — A joint project between the Department of Science and Technology in Northern Mindanao (DOST-10) and Mindanao State University–Iligan Institute has helped an indigenous community in Talakag, Bukidnon, have access to potable water

In a statement on June 22, 2023, the DOST-10 and the MSU-IIT’s Ceramic Training Center said it had provided 140 ceramic water filters to the Higaonon community in Barangay San Rafael.
Barangay chairperson Puyat Sagayan said that before the project, their community had to boil the water for it to become potable.
The area suffered diarrhea cases in 2019 and 2020, he added.
“I hope more will still be given so that everyone in the households will have one,” he said.
The DOST-10 microbiological analysis found coliform in the water source in Barangay San Rafael, and residents had to travel 2 kilometers to collect water from a spring, posing challenges to its potability due to source and handling.
Municipal administrator Alberto Bigcas said the project has helped address the drinking water problem in the Indigenous people’s community and the area’s state of health as a whole.
The ceramic water filters are part of the DOST-10 “Project Wahig: Water and Hygiene Improvement in Geographically Isolated Areas,” in which Talakag is the second recipient of the agency’s ceramic water filter technology under the Community Empowerment through Science and Technology Program.
NorMin women winners
Meanwhile, the DOST-10 announced that five women entrepreneurs will be given PHP50,000 seed grant each after their success in a regional pitch competition for micro, small and medium enterprises.
The winners were identified as Nenita M. Tan of Best Friend Goodies, Nadine Angelica Gadia-Casiño of Alima Mother Support Center, and Melody G. Paurillo of Kahero Apps Inc, all entrepreneurs based in this city.
Winners from Bukidnon province are Anna Paula S. Chiong of Mama Nene’s Homemade Delights from Malaybalay City and Irene Mae L. Sinhayan of ISY Handicrafts from Talakag.
DOST-10 Director Romela Ratilla said pitches made by women entrepreneurs have the spirit of collaboration, compassion and innovation.
The pitching competition forms part of DOST-10’s “Women-Helping-Women: Innovating Social Enterprises (WHWise) Initiative.”
Ratilla said the regional winners will compete against qualifiers from other regions for the National Innovation Challenge for a chance to win a grant of up to PHP2 million. (Nef Luczon/PNA)