LAPU-LAPU CITY, Philippines — Engineering students and graduates of Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT), including Moonton Student Leader (MSL) Philippines Marketing Associate Sean Kenneth Manlupig, have become finalists for the Swiss Innovation Prize Competition 2026 for their respective research on the Manufacturing and Construction Category.
Out of the 140 applicants, Manlupig is part of the two engineering research teams from MSU-IIT that have made it to the Top 9 Finalists of the Swiss innovation competition.
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Manlupig is a member of the research team responsible for the RHA BioSilx research alongside Engr. Glenn Ruel Maujon (MS Material Science in Engineering Graduate) and Engr. Maria Elisa Refugio (MS Material Science in Engineering Student).
Meanwhile, the other team — whose research was entitled Sibolution — is composed of Engr. Harvey De Melendrez (MS Material Science in Engineering Student and licensed Mining Engineer), Engr. Edison Limbaga (MS Material Science in Engineering Graduate) and BS Ceramic Engineering Graduate Rodric Luceño.
Both the RHA BioSilx and Sibolution research focused on turning common industrial waste byproducts into sustainable alternatives to conventional construction materials.
For the RHA BioSilx research, the researchers extracted silica (a foundational component of cement) from rice husk ash – a common byproduct of rice-farming-related industries.
According to Maujon, the team’s research leader, the RHA BioSilx research has applications for both laboratory and industrial-grade materials.
“It could be used for drug delivery, absorption, filtration, and many more. For the industrial-grade silica, it can be used as an additive or filler for cement,” Maujon shared during an interview.
Meanwhile, the Sibolution research is about turning several industrial wastes into alternative raw materials for construction. These wastes include ash, coconut husks from the coconut oil industry, mining byproducts, and construction leftovers.
“Instead of treating them as disposal problems, we started looking at them as alternative raw materials for construction,” Melendrez, the research leader for Sibolution, explained.
Not a Replacement but an Alternative
According to Engr. Raymond V. Rivera Virtudazo, who was both teams’ research adviser, both the RHA BioSilx and Sibolution aimed not to replace but to become an alternative to common construction materials.
“We are trying to utilize what is available,” Virtudazo said in an exclusive interview with Tech INQ alongside both of the MSU-IIT research teams.
For the RHA BioSilx research, Maujon and his team were tapped by their local government to address the byproducts generated from the use of rice husk as a biofuel source.
“We were personally tapped by the city’s agricultural office in Iligan City regarding the growing concerns of the abundance of rice husk ash in the industry,” Maujon revealed. “They thought that this waste was just trash. But for us researchers, it was an opportunity.”
According to Maujon, at least 97% of the rice husk ash contained silica. Then, through an acid bleaching process, the impurities were removed. Afterwards, the cleaned silica would then be mixed with other chemicals and go through several more processes to end with their final product.
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Meanwhile, inspired by the word ‘sibol’, the Sibolution research aimed to give new life to industrial waste. The Sibolution research team coordinated with their local corporate partners to identify and source the industrial waste materials used in the study.
“We tried to give new life to industrial waste through science and engineering,” Melendrez said.
Instead of relying on traditional resource-intensive firing processes, the Sibolution research team developed a more sustainable way for producing materials of comparable quality at a lower cost.
Parts of the RHA BioSilx and Sibolution studies were conducted abroad, with Maujon traveling to France and Manlupig and Melendrez collaborating with Japanese universities, since the specialized equipment required for their research is not available in the country.
Manlupig’s Gaming Career x Master’s Education
Manlupig joined MSL Philippines as a student leader back in 2020 when the program was still in its infancy. Before that, he founded and served as the president of MSU-IIT’s esports organization, Titans Esports.
“Balancing academic responsibilities with campus esports was a significant challenge, but it set the foundation for my career,” Manlupig shared in a separate interview.
During his ongoing tenure at MSL PH, Manlupig was responsible for the MSL Collegiate Cup (MCC).
The MCC has produced eventual Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) pros like former RSG PH EXP Laner Himaya “Bai Luci” Swayze and saw MLBB Development League (MDL)-calibre teams like the Faith Colleges Novus Bravehearts in MDL Philippines Season 6.
In 2022, Manlupig started his Master’s in Materials Science and Engineering as a DOST-ERDT scholar. At the same time, he was also the Head of Partnerships for MSL.
“This period was particularly demanding as I had to juggle my studies, including a research program in Japan, with my role as Head of Partnerships for MSL,” Manlupig confessed.
Combining his experience from both worlds, Manlupig said keeping a foot in both worlds helped him maintain a healthy perspective.
“In engineering, you learn to break down complex problems into smaller, manageable parts, and I found myself applying that same logic when managing organizations and partnerships,” Manlupig said.
Clutched Surprise
Going back to the research, both the RHA BioSilx and Sibolution research teams were shocked to learn about becoming finalists for the Swiss Innovation competition.
“The announcement also revived our group chats,” Manlupig recalled.
Apparently, both teams clutched it out after learning about the competition just two days before the deadline.
Thanks to Maujon’s swift writing, the RHA BioSilx research team finished their application just a day after Virtudazo shared the opportunity. Meanwhile, Melendrez made a Hail Mary as he finalized the Sibolution team’s application only five hours before the deadline.
Fortunately, both studies successfully advanced through the application process and are now competing for the same award — an achievement that Virtudazo and their department take great pride in.
Regardless of the results, both research teams plan to further their respective studies.
For Maujon, he’s proceeding with his doctorate in France and will continue their research for biomedical applications. As for the Sibolution team, Melendrez said they could be going for the startup route.
“If we could pitch these to industries, it’s a great avenue for funding support if they wanted to adapt the technology,” Melendrez expressed. “It’s really scalable.”
As for the research itself, it is currently under patent application. Additionally, one paper has already been published, while five additional publications remain under review.
With their studies, they hope the greater Filipino society — government, private institutions, and all others — will finally invest in the Filipino mind.
“We only have ideas in our mind,” Maujon expressed. “If we fund more research, if we start truly investing in the minds of Filipinos, we can really achieve so many things.”