Manaoag NHS Bags Multiple Wins in Global Robotics Tilt

In a remarkable milestone for Philippine science education, Manaoag National High School (MNHS) of Manaoag, Pangasinan, Region I, proudly represented the country at the Fibonacci Robotics International Olympiad held in Rome, Italy, from November 21 to 25, 2026. With 28 countries participating, the competition gathered elite robotics teams from across the globe under the highly competitive University/Advanced Level division. Rising from a humble public secondary school, the MNHS delegation proved that Filipino talent, when nurtured with dedication and vision, can stand shoulder to shoulder with the world’s best. Competing in a division typically dominated by university engineering teams, the students delivered an outstanding performance.

The team secured 1st Place in the Autonomous Drone Category, 2nd Place in MiniSumo, 3rd Place in MegaSumo, 2nd Place in Drone Rally, and the distinguished Jury Award in Line Following. These achievements required mastery of advanced robotics competencies, including embedded systems programming, sensor integration, mechanical systems optimization, artificial intelligencedriven navigation, real-time control systems, and autonomous flight stabilization. Supporting the delegation were Head Teacher Dr. Manuel Jaime U. Vinuya, Principal Dr. Daisy S. Mayola, Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Vivian Luz S. Pagatpatan, and Region I Chief Education Supervisor for Human Resource Division Dr. Dinah C. Bonao.

Their leadership reflects a strong institutional commitment to advancing STEM excellence in Region I. MNHS demonstrated that innovation is not confined to large institutions or technologically dominant countries. From the classrooms of Manaoag to the international arena in Rome, these young Filipino innovators carried the Philippine flag with pride and returned home with honor. Their championship win in the Autonomous Drone Category highlighted exceptional precision in waypoint navigation, obstacle detection, and flight control tuning. In MiniSumo and MegaSumo, their robots demonstrated powerful torque systems, optimized structural design, and intelligent boundary detection strategies that ensured tactical dominance within the arena.

The Drone Rally further tested agility and speed under technical constraints, while the Jury Award recognized innovation in algorithm calibration and sensor accuracy. The winning team is composed of AJ M. Ramos (Grade 10 STE) and Grade 11 STEM students Raejann Zyle C. Figuerres, Francine V. Opiana, Joesher T. Caspillan, and Ryne Dannielle F. Santos, all proudly representing Manaoag National High School. Their journey to Rome was built on months of intensive preparation involving repeated prototyping, coding refinement, hardware recalibration, simulation testing, and performance optimization.

Competing beyond their academic level required not only technical skill but also resilience, analytical discipline, and the confidence to perform under international pressure. Leading the delegation as Team Advisor and Coach was Dr. Hazel Elaine C. Armas, whose expertise in robotics systems, research-driven training, and engineering integration.