Another Capiz high school stude wins int’l science award
ROXAS CITY – Another student of Capiz National High School, Angeli Joyce Yap Dy clinched the Second Award in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) held in May of this year in Reno. Nevada.
Melvyn Carlo Barroa, then a senior student of the same school here, won the Fourth Grand Award in the Microbiology Category of the world’s biggest pre-college science competition. His study was about the potential microbial effects of fish mucus on human pathogens and its possible role in innate immunity.
The winning study of 15-year old Angeli Joyce is entitled “Study of the Cytotoxicity against Human Lung and Colon Carcinomas, Antioxidant and Antibacterial Potential of Milkfish Bile.” She participated in the Medicine and Health Category of this year’s international fair.
Milkfish, whose scientific name is Chanos chanos, is the No. 1 fishery product of Capiz, where it is raised in fishponds in the province’s brackishwater areas.
Provincial Agriculturist Sylvia De la Cruz said that together with mudcrab, oyster, mussel and grouper, milkfish has made the province as the top fishery producer in Western Visayas and overall No. 3 in the country.
But of course, in terms of oyster and mussel production alone, we are the leading producer nationwide, said De la Cruz.
The five products also make up the province’s so-called 5 fishery commodity champions, she added.
Recent medical data show that cancer of the human lungs and colon are among the major killer diseases in the world today.
The third-year student has discovered in her study milkfish bile as a possible source of compounds that can effectively cure human lung and colon cancers and at the same time as an antibacterial agent against lung infections.
The study proved that the substance acts a natural immune defense system of milkfish. It was actually conducted in several prominent institutions and supervised by experts at the UP Diliman Institute of Biology and Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center-Aquaculture Department (SEAFDEC-AQD) in Tigbauan, Iloilo.
Angeli Joyce earned a ticket as one of the country’s delegates to ISEF 2009 by topping the national science fair held last February at the Subic Convention and Exhibition Center in Olongapo City.
CNHS Principal Nestor De la Cruz, Adviser Ronilo Aponte and Special Science and Technology Class Coordinator Nannette Calixterio acted as Angeli Joyce’s project consultants.
She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph (businessman) and Mary Joy (pharmacist) Yap Dy of Burgos St., this city. She has a sister, Angela Joie.
Capiz Gov. Victor Tanco and Roxas City Mayor Vicente Bermejo personally congratulated Angeli Joyce for her feat and for giving honor and pride to Capiceños.
President Arroyo had hailed Barroa along with five other Filipino students for garnering major awards in the 2007 ISEF that was held in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
“Congratulations naman,” said President Arroyo to the winning students during her State of the Nation Address (SONA) before the joint session of the 14th Congress held July 23, 2007. (PIA-JSC)