A water-management study built by students from Acelo C. Badelles Sr. Memorial High School (ABMHS) in Iligan City claimed one of the highest recognitions handed out at Science Castle Asia 2026, a regional research conference held at Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur.
The winning entry, Poster #2, was presented by Leishlyn M. Lucero and earned the Tenchijin Award, a special prize named for the Japanese firm that served as the event’s Official Main Partner. Lucero’s poster also placed in the Gold Tier, the top rung among the four ABMHS entries that qualified for the Malaysian stage. Her project, titled W.I.S.E.F.L.O.W. — short for Water Inspection, Sensor Evaluation, Filtration Linking Operation and Water Automation — was coached by Josevi D. Macas, with Jhay Ar Gonzales as co-coach.
Tenchijin Inc., which selected the award recipient, is a space-technology company founded as a venture out of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). The firm builds tools that draw on satellite imagery and artificial intelligence, including a land-evaluation platform called Tenchijin COMPASS and a leak-detection product, KnoWaterleak, used to spot problems in water-pipe networks. The company also judged the student poster review and presented four Tenchijin Poster Awards over the course of the two-day gathering.
The scale of the conference underscores what the ABMHS delegation was up against. The event brought together 150 student research teams from 11 countries, chosen from roughly 300 applications, with projects spanning environment, water, agriculture, healthcare and AI. It ran August 22 to 23 at the university’s campus in the Malaysian capital. Science Castle itself is a research conference series for junior and senior high school students, launched in Osaka, Japan, in 2012 and run by Leave a Nest Co., Ltd.
Three other ABMHS posters were recognized. Poster #4, represented by Luis Ian E. Roxas, took the Silver Tier for B.L.I.N.D. — the Broadcasting Link Integrated Navigation Device, an Arduino-based wearable that pairs a localized voice assistant with a GPS system for blind users. Poster #1, carried by Chrisjosh Anthony V. Anduyan, and Poster #3, represented by Lovern Kim A. Talisic, each landed in the Bronze Tier.
Anduyan’s poster covered HALO-Bata, a healthcare assistant for logging and observing infant assessments, tracking and analysis, developed under Macas with co-coach Remegio Gonzales Jr. Talisic’s B.A.N.T.A.Y. project — a LoRa-based system for gauging marine water quality through real-time pH and temperature readings — was guided by Macas and co-coach Monaifa C. Amiroden.
Behind the four representatives who traveled to Kuala Lumpur stood the wider teams that developed the studies over roughly two years. The W.I.S.E.F.L.O.W. group included researchers Dennies Mai L. Sarino, Elyka G. Monsanto, Francis Dave B. Alferez and Aaron Suarez, along with contributors Zyriel Gonzaga, Raphael Castillon, Jey Vasquez and Kynt Caparas. The B.L.I.N.D. team counted Precious Lara C. Boncales, Ilyl D. Murillo and Apple A. Villarete among its researchers; B.A.N.T.A.Y. was worked on by Ashleah Aira P. Tangian and Gemar L. Bonghanoy; and HALO-Bata drew on Redjane D. Lariosa, Andrei M. Pelvera and Jecris N. Agcang.
The club credited a long list of officials and offices for underwriting the trip, among them Iligan City Mayor Frederick Siao, Vice Mayor Ernest Oliver “Wekwek” C. Uy, and Congressman Celso G. Regencia, whose support came through Political Affairs Officer III Holdin Ian M. Loking. City councilors Derrick Siao, Kingjames Belmonte, Randy Ong and Ramil C. Emborong were also acknowledged, as was Hamza “Big Bro” Epie Gauraki, identified as the UBJP District 2 representative of BARMM Lanao del Sur.
Several barangays contributed as well: Barangay Tipanoy under Captain Emelie L. Echiverri and its council; Barangay Tubod under Captain Diosdado L. Cabahug Jr., together with its Sangguniang Kabataan led by SK Chairwoman Bienivier Jane Alope Sumugat; and Barangay Hinaplanon through council member Veronico “Nick” Echavez and fellow council members. The ABMHS Parents-Teachers Association and a range of individual donors rounded out the backers.
The delegation also thanked its education-sector supporters, including Regional Education Program Supervisor in Science Dr. Nick Pañares, Schools Division of Iligan Superintendent Dr. Jonathan S. Dela Peña, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Myra Mebato, EPS in Science Dr. Riza Rabor Nicor, and former ABMHS principal and now EPS Dr. Josephine G. Regis. Division personnel Meriam Otarra and Marissa Dimaocor, current ABMHS Principal Bernie Lubguban, DEVCON Iligan’s DevCon Kids Center, and the MSU-IIT Control and Robotics Laboratory and College of Computer Studies were cited for technical and organizational help.
The four studies were selected as Science Castle Asia 2026 qualifiers to represent the school, drawn from the sustained effort of student researchers, contributors, coaches, mentors and families connected to the ABMHS e-INNOBOTICS and Research Club.
