Showcasing innovation, creativity, and intellectual property, De La Salle University (�������ϲ�) hosted the 11th �������ϲ� Innovation and Technology (DITECH) Fair last April 3-5 at the Henry Sy, Sr. Hall.��

This year’s theme, “Catalyst for Change: Innovation and Intellectual Property for the Advancement of the Sustainable Development Goals,” emphasized the crucial role of innovation and intellectual property in achieving sustainable development.��

DITECH 2024 featured keynote addresses, plenary and panel discussions, an exhibit showcasing Lasallian innovation and creativity; collaboration opportunities with industry experts and innovators; and the YGNITE SDGs Innovation Pitching Contest, where participants proposed ideas aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.��

Delivering the keynote message was Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines Director General Atty. Rowel Barba, who talked about “Beyond Boundaries: Charting the Philippines’ Path to Progress through Innovation, Creativity, Intellectual Property, and Technology Transfer.”

Melvin Jeffrey Chan, PLDT Vice President and Head of Innovations, Business Development, Consulting and Presales, talked about “Call to Animo: Supporting Progress through Lasallian Ingenuity” in response to the keynote speaker.����

The first panel discussion centered on the topic: “Innovate to Elevate: Building Solutions through Industrial Property for Accelerated Progress in SDGs.”��

Discussants included Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Undersecretary Dr. Rafaelita M. Aldaba; DTI Digital Philippines and E-Commerce Lead Mary Jean Pacheco; NEDA National Innovation Council Executive Director Diane Gail Maharjan; award-winning inventor and founder of Pili Seal, Engr. Mark Kennedy Bantugon; Ideaspace/QBO Innovation Hub Executive Director Jay Fajardo; �������ϲ� Vice President for Research and Innovation, Dr. Raymond Tan; and Accenture Business Architecture Manager Jay-Vee Bonsol.����

�������ϲ� Intellectual Property Office Director and manager of �������ϲ� Innovation and Technology Office Atty. Christopher Cruz moderated the discussion.��

For the second panel discussion, the topic was about “Crafting Progress: Copyright, Creative Arts, and Sustainable Innovation.” Participants included Rep. Juan Carlos Atayde, member of the Special Committee on Creative Industries; Modern Ilongga owner Maggerose Corrado;�� Performer’s Rights Society of the Philippines BOT member Mitch Valdez; NSCBB, DESA/DSDGNational Consultant Joel Santos; Atty. Emerson Cuyo, Director IV, Bureau of Copyright and Related Rights of IPO Philippines; and founder/chief greenovator of Everything Green Trading and Consulting, Camille Duque Albarracin. Moderating discussion was Atty. Ma. Janice Tejano, director of the IP Management Center of De La Salle College of Saint Benilde.

For their innovative solutions to curb campus emissions, a team of students from De La Salle University bagged the P1-million grant grand prize of the “Code Green for Campuses”, a competition sponsored by Lopez-owned First Gen Corporation. The team also received P100,000.

The final leg of the innovation tilt was held last March 16 at the Novotel Manila Araneta City in Cubao, Quezon City, with five teams chosen from more than 50 teams from 29 schools nationwide that submitted their concepts.����

�������ϲ�’s team, composed of manufacturing engineering student Fernando N. Magallanes Jr. , organizational communication student Alexia Roman, and economics student Ralph Stephen Saavedra, designed a compact anaerobic digester system that can convert cafeteria food waste to biogas.

Inspired by existing anaerobic digestion tanks used in large farms, the team created a scaled-down, modified version that would allow the system to fit indoor facilities.����

According to the team, the grant will be used to install a digester that can accommodate all food waste generated in the three cafeterias of the Manila campus. Another digester is also planned to be implemented on the Laguna campus. They also plan to create a variant of the design that can be used in hospitality establishments and restaurants.

First Gen opened the tilt as a way of encouraging students to contribute to the campaign against adverse climate change—a problem being aggravated by the continued buildup in the atmosphere of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping greenhouse gases.

In a significant stride towards enhancing healthcare research and innovation, De La Salle University (�������ϲ�) and Inje University from South Korea sealed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) last March 20 at The Roof Deck of the Henry Sy, Sr. Hall of �������ϲ�. The agreement focuses on fostering collaboration within the Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disease Core Research Support Center (CMDC).

The MOU was signed by Br. Bernard Oca, FSC, president of �������ϲ�, and Dr. Jin Han, director of CMDC, Inje University. The signing was witnessed by Prof. Hyoung Kyu Kim, vice director of CMDC, and Dr. Laurene Chua-Garcia, vice president for External Relations and Internationalization at �������ϲ�.

Attended by delegates from both institutions, the event emphasized a shared commitment to research excellence and innovation. The collaboration aims to address a wide array of healthcare challenges, ranging from chronic diseases to emerging health threats. The partnership also seeks to foster enduring relationships grounded in mutual respect and trust.

Project ALPAS, the flagship initiative under this partnership, aims to revolutionize the treatment and management of diabetic ulcers. Leveraging cutting-edge molecular and additive manufacturing technologies, the collaboration seeks to enhance the quality of life for patients in the Philippines.

The partnership between �������ϲ� and Inje University further underlines a vision of shared progress and mutual learning to pave the way for transformative advancements in healthcare research and practice.

Engr. Joseph Rey Sta. Agueda, program leader of ALPAS, expressed optimism about the partnership’s potential. He stated, “Beyond connecting with such a prestigious institution and having the opportunity to access their established knowledge base and laboratory equipment, we feel immensely validated that they have shown interest in our current and future research ideas. We are gaining confidence in the competitiveness of Philippine research and Filipino researchers as well.” (Contributor: JM Mondragon)

Pushing for innovative approaches to waste management and sustainable practices, De La Salle University signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Evergreen Labs Philippines for the recycling of residual plastics, which comprise about 50% of the campus waste.��

The ceremony was held last March 13 on the Manila campus with �������ϲ� President Br. Bernard Oca FSC and Evergreen Labs Philippines Managing Director Erica Cardoso as signatories of the MOU.��

Evergreen Labs Philippines will be collecting the University’s recyclable plastic and residual wastes and will be processing them for recycling.��

�������ϲ� is the first school to partner with Evergreen Labs for this environmental and sustainable effort. The company will be issuing plastic credits to the University corresponding to the recyclable plastics collected.��

The �������ϲ� Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Health Technologies (IBEHT), in collaboration with the newly established Research Communication and Data Analytics Office (RCDAO), organized the �������ϲ� Research eXchange: BEYOND THE LAB forum on March 5 at the Henry Sy Sr. Hall Roofdeck. The event aimed to explore the nexus of research and commercialization.

To provide insight into the trajectory and forthcoming endeavors of IBEHT, Engr. Francisco Munsayac Jr. III, Executive Officer of IBEHT, delivered an overview of the institute. Following this, Dr. Armyn Sy, TAYÔ project leader, shared insights into TAYÔ’s journey towards commercialization, while Engr. Kenbert Ting outlined IBEHT’s plan to establish the La Salle Biomedical Science Park.

The forum also included a panel discussion with esteemed speakers from �������ϲ�’s technology transfer support offices, such as �������ϲ� Intellectual Property Office and �������ϲ� Innovation and Technology Office Director Atty. Christopher Cruz, IBEHT founder Dr. Nilo Bugtai,�� former Animo Labs Executive Director Engr. Federico Gonzalez, and Lasallian Social Enterprise for Economic Development Center Director Dr. Norby Salonga.

Also present during the event were Vice President for Research and Innovation Dr. Raymond Tan, Research and Grants Management Office Executive Director Dr. Feorillo Petronilo Demeterio III, and RCDAO Director AARichela dela Cruz.

During the panel discussion, speakers emphasized IBEHT’s mission to accelerate the development of biomedical and health technologies across disciplines. They highlighted the Institute’s commitment to fostering collaboration among researchers, scientists, clinicians, and engineers.

Attendees not only discussed the complexities of transitioning ideas from lab discoveries to real-world applications but also laid the groundwork for future collaborations and innovations in health technology research.

The De La Salle University Gokongwei College of Engineering (GCOE) recently welcomed Visiting Professor Seyedali Mirjalili, considered as one of the most influential researchers in the world and an expert in the field of�� Artificial Intelligence (AI).��

Mirjalili is currently a faculty member of Artificial Intelligence, specializing in Optimization and Swarm Intelligence at Torrens University Australia. He is also the founder of the Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research and Optimization and he has more than 500 published works and over 100, 000 citations��

The GCOE Department of Electronics and Computer Engineering (DECE) has hosted his various activities in the university, including lectures, speaking engagements, research consultations, project development, and workshops.��

Some of his lectures included talks on application of optimization to real-world problems, how to make impactful research, and AI ethics.

He also collaborated with �������ϲ� researchers who are planning to use his developed algorithms. He also sat down with faculty members for a workshop on drafting research projects for funding.��

He likewise represented �������ϲ� in the National Academy of Science of Technology (NAST-DOST) as a resource speaker for the roundtable discussion on Advancing Innovation Coordination in the Artificial Intelligence Services Industry.

On his work as a researcher, Prof. Mirjalili noted that while there are indications of the impact of his work and contributions to science, he pointed out that the true measure of success for him would be the number of people he has mentored and helped grow as a researcher, helping them solve their problem and improving their products and services.

WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT AND RETENTION RATE

Written by:
Bianca Erica D. Bala,�� Cristina Mae Y. Chu, Paolo Tristan L. Chu, Dustinmico S.��Wee, Junette A.��Perez
Department of Financial Management
Ramon V. Del Rosario College of Business
�������ϲ�-Manila

Abstract

There is no clear link between women’s empowerment and retention rate; the next theoretical foundation points toward women’s empowerment and entrepreneurial development. Khan (2018) “finds that participation of women in microfinance, more particularly through self-help groups (SHGs), empowers them in economic, social, psychological, and political factors. The issue as to whether microfinance empowers or disempowers women is an open question.” The paper presents three microfinance institutions and examines retention rates and their effect on women’s empowerment. It is noble to propose that retaining women in the microfinance system and making them eligible to stay in the program can benefit and empower them, thus maximizing access to growth opportunities. However, at the end of the day, retention rates remain a business decision.

Keywords: Microfinance, Women empowerment, Retention Rate, Access to Financing

CBRD BUSINESS NOTES AND BRIEFINGS |��Download Paper

The �������ϲ� Green and Lady Jins kick their way to victory in the recent 2024 CPJ Taekwondo Championships held last March 23-24 at the Ayala Malls Manila Bay.