The University of Saint Louis Tuguegarao (USLT) recently launched its first Innovation Festival, celebrating collaboration, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
Through the joint efforts of the University Research and Innovation Office (URIO) and the Business Administration department of the School of Accountancy, Business, and Hospitality (SABH), the festival successfully showcased the students’ feasibility studies and innovative projects.
The three-day event kicked off on December 3, 2024, with an opening program, followed by a talk show featuring successful USLT alumni CEOs and a product showcase at the BCJ campus. The second and final day held on December 4-5, 2024, focused on the extensive feasibility study presentations of the student participants.
In the presentation, the budding entrepreneurs presented their feasibility studies to a panel of esteemed professionals from the Department of Trade and Industry, Cooperative and Livelihood Development Office-Tuguegarao, URIO, and industry and academic experts. These professionals provided valuable input and guidance aimed to refine the students’ ideas and enhance their real-world applicability and potential commercialization.
Notably, special awards were given to outstanding products. The team of Jean Cyrus Napila, Frances Marinas, and Jamaica Barangan received multiple special awards for their product, Munchies, a matcha-based spread. They won the awards in Best in Packaging, Best Label, Best Product, and Best Group Presenter.
Meanwhile, Tropicrunch, a cereal product with four flavors (ube, buko pandan, peanut, and banana), developed by Veia Paynor, Dan Jervis Gammad, and Shiho Denna, won the Best in Advertisement special award.
The presentation featured a total of 12 products, namely, Munchies Matcha Spread, Tropicrunch: Filipino-flavored Cereals, Styled Satchels (Harina Bag), Cocopump by TCs, Peanut Cookie Mix, Jamazing Banana, Moringa Tea, Bags from Denim Pants, Rice Husk Scented Candle, Coco Deli (Coco Pearls), Freshwater Clams Siomai, and Rabong Crackers. It also showcased feasibility studies in establishing a cooperative in San Antonio, Enrile, a coffee shop in BCj, a mobile market, and a DATBED product.
Dr. Karen Joy Annang-Catacutan, the Head of the Center for Business Research and Development (CBRD), emphasized that the festival goes beyond being a mere event, as it is also a celebration of collaboration, innovation, and entrepreneurship. “It reflects the commitment of the URIO-CBRD to shaping the future of our students and ensuring that they are equipped with the skills, knowledge, and inspiration needed to thrive in today’s competitive world,” she explained.
The festival provided a platform for students to demonstrate their creativity and forward-thinking in a formal and professional setting, exemplifying UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 4, Quality Education, and Goal 9, Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure.
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