Elation from winners, as well as groans from frustrated students, echoed as the Eighth Philippine Robotics Olympiad (PRO) reached its last leg on September 25, the last of the three-day event, at the Cyberzone, SM North Edsa, Cyberzone.

Students from the winning schools—including Claret School of Quezon City, Grace Christian College in Quezon City, Science and Technology Center in Lapu-lapu City, Philippine Science High School Bicol, First Asia Institute of Technology and Humanities in Tanauan City, Makati Science High School and Dr. Yanga’s College in Bocaue, Bulacan—will comprise the Philippine Robotics Team to represent the country at the World Robotics Olympiad 2009 to be held in Gyeongbuk Pohang, South Korea, from November 6 to 8.

The country has won a total of five medals, consisting of two golds, two silvers and one bronze, from previous Olympiads.

The Philippines will play host to the World Robotics Olympiad next year.

The eighth PRO, participated in by 27 schools, was organized by Felta Multimedia Inc., in partnership with the Science Education Institute of the Department of Science and Technology (SEI-DOST). The Olympiad is composed of two categories: regular and open.

Preprogrammed robots navigated the mazes designed for the regular category. Points were awarded for successfully following the correct track and for every obstacle passed. Robots had to rely on good programming and solid construction in order to negotiate the maze smoothly.

According to Ruby Cristobal, program director of the Science and Technology Culture Development Division of SEI-DOST, the design and specifications of the mazes were issued from the organizers of the World Robotics Olympiad in Korea—the very same specs that will be used in the tournament in November.

AMID alarm over massive unemployment and increasing poverty following the global financial crisis, President Arroyo directed the investment of P200 million in a two-year national program envisioned to develop human resources, boost employment, and promote livelihood generation in the agriculture, forestry, fisheries and natural-resource sectors of the country.

Charged with the task of managing this program are the Commission on Higher Education, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), and the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development.

The program, Enhancing the Demand for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources (AFNR) Graduates Through Science and Technology, has three components: policy research, institutional-capability enhancement, and support to income and employment generation.

The program comes at the heels of a drastic decline in the enrollment of students in AFNR courses, which threatens the critical mass of professional and skilled workers needed to sustain these vital sectors of the Philippine economy. The urgency of the program is bolstered by the need for AFNR graduates to land stable jobs and have viable livelihood alternatives.

Component 1 of the program seeks to inventory the national pool of AFNR students and graduates, trace their placement in the regions, and survey AFNR employers and establishments.

This pioneering nationwide effort will assess the current state and future capacity of human capital in the AFNR sectors.

A NEW coalition of international business, trade unions, research and environmental organizations urged the Group of 20 nations (G-20) to make good their pledges to accelerate the transition to a green economy and secure a visionary global deal on climate change.

 The Green Economy Coalition warned in an open letter published today that G-20 nations are failing to match their rhetoric with action, are delaying the transition to sustainable development and are promoting climate change through their subsidies for fossil-fuel production and consumption, the  International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) said in a press release.

The coalition called on G-20 nations “to honor aid commitments and provide new funds to enable developing nations to shift to sustainable development pathways,” the press release said.

 The coalition “will be focusing on the policy changes needed to transform the global economy into one that is clean, green and equitable,” the press release added.

As this developed, 40 of the world’s leading climate scientists urged global leaders, through an open letter, to take bolder action against climate change.

The scientists’ joint statement called for industrialized countries to make a commitment at the UN Climate summit in Copenhagen in December to cut carbon emissions by at least 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2020, the IIED said in another press release.