Mariveles National High School - Poblacion Research Organization

TerraRind: Tamarind Crude Starch Bioplastic for Sustainable Seedling Bags

an entry of Mariveles National High School - Poblacion to the National Science and Engineering Fair (NSEF) 2026 STEM Challenge - Science News Video Report Challenge

Student Researcher/s:
Precious Jewel T. Navarro
Ma. Clezzel Noelle M. Untalan
John Lloyd D. Pascua
Zirk Randell D. Subradil

‎𝗦𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗮-𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗸𝘀: 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝗲-𝗥𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗮𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗺 𝗦𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗕𝗶𝗼-𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗸𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
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‎𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝:⁣
‎Tan, Vhenizce Jesscheil R.
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‎𝐂𝐨-𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫/𝐬:⁣
‎Pacumio, Xyrielle Mae M.
‎Saldivar, Ruth Chloe B.
‎Padre, Daniela D.
‎Latoga, Charle Benedict
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‎𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐫/𝐬:⁣
‎Mary Ann S. Aclado
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‎𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚒𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚎 𝚙𝚒𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚞𝚙 𝚊𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚐 𝚌𝚘𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚎𝚜 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚑𝚎𝚕𝚙 𝚛𝚎𝚍𝚞𝚌𝚎 𝚏𝚒𝚛𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚣𝚊𝚛𝚍𝚜?
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‎As fires keep threatening communities around the world and sargassum seaweed constantly washing up on coastlines in massive quantities, the need for safer and more sustainable construction materials grows more urgent. This study introduces 𝗦𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗮-𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗸𝘀, an eco-friendly bio-brick that turns invasive sargassum into a fire-retardant material through innovative material engineering. By mixing powdered sargassum with hydrated lime, calcium carbonate, and fine sand, this study examines how coastal waste can be repurposed into a useful construction material, especially in areas where fire spreads quickly in densely built communities.
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‎Through trial-and-error testing, the researchers improve the brick’s strength, stability, and durability, along with its ability to slow fire progression. More than just a material, 𝗦𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗮-𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗸𝘀 represents an important step toward global sustainability, turning an environmental waste into a practical solution for safer and more resilient communities.
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‎𝗦𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗮-𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗸𝘀: 𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐨𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬.

some videos are cttro

𝗘𝗰𝗼𝗩𝗼𝗹𝘁: 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝗻 𝗘𝗩3-𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗘𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗨𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗪𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗔𝘀𝗵-𝗦𝗼𝗱𝗶𝘂𝗺 𝗔𝗹𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝗹𝗺 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝘆𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘂𝗺 ⁣
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𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝:⁣
TERRADO, AIDEN HUNTER E.⁣
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𝐂𝐨-𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫/𝐬:⁣
𝘝𝘐𝘙𝘈𝘠, 𝘉𝘏𝘙𝘌𝘕𝘛 𝘋𝘏𝘈𝘝𝘌 𝘝𝘏𝘐𝘊𝘛𝘖𝘙 𝘝.⁣
𝘐𝘎𝘈𝘙, 𝘕𝘐𝘊𝘖𝘓𝘌 𝘓𝘏𝘈𝘐𝘡𝘌 𝘊.⁣
𝘋𝘈𝘉𝘜, 𝘊𝘙𝘐𝘚𝘛𝘐𝘕𝘌 𝘑𝘖𝘠 𝘛.⁣
𝘋𝘌 𝘓𝘈𝘙𝘈, 𝘕𝘈𝘠𝘜𝘔𝘐 𝘋.⁣
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𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐫/𝐬:⁣
𝘔𝘈𝘙𝘠 𝘈𝘕𝘕 𝘚. 𝘈𝘊𝘓𝘈𝘋𝘖⁣
𝘋𝘌𝘓𝘍𝘈 𝘛. 𝘋𝘈𝘉𝘜⁣
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As energy poverty and grid instability continue to paralyze educational services and essential community operations in the Philippines, there is an urgent need for decentralized, low-cost power solutions. This research presents 𝐄𝐜𝐨𝐕𝐨𝐥𝐭, an innovative "𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘣𝘰𝘹" that demonstrates a high-level integration of STEM disciplines to address energy insecurity. The system utilizes a galvanic cell framework, repurposed through chemical engineering and robotic automation, to convert common household and institutional waste into usable electricity.
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The project specifically targets school environments, where greywater, like washing and mop greywater, are consistently generated. By combining this greywater with tropical wood ash and a sodium alginate binder, the researchers engineered a solid-state, leak-proof polymer electrolyte. This process demonstrates the 𝖼𝗂𝗋𝖼𝗎𝗅𝖺𝗋 𝖾𝖼𝗈𝗇𝗈𝗆𝗒 in action, transforming discarded byproducts into a functional "𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘸𝘢𝘺". To overcome the universal limitation of concentration polarization, which typically causes rapid voltage decay in bio-batteries, the team integrated engineering and technology via a 𝘓𝘌𝘎𝘖 𝘌𝘝3 robotic system.
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𝗘𝗰𝗼𝗩𝗼𝗹𝘁: 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗪𝗮𝘁𝘁 𝗮𝘁 𝗮 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲