Capiz State University (CAPSU) showcased its technological prowess by securing third place in the prestigious Agri-Tech Innovate: Accelerating Digital Solutions for Sustainable Agriculture & Fisheries Ideation Workshop, held on March 24, 2025, at Iloilo Science and Technology University (ISAT-U). Organized by the Department of Agriculture – Agricultural Training Institute (DA-ATI), the competition gathered the brightest minds in Region VI to develop digital solutions addressing challenges in the agriculture and fisheries sector.
The CAPSU RiTech team — Frenz Jherick Fuentes (BSIT, Pilar Satellite College), Lanz Bermejo (BSCS, Pontevedra Campus), and Harley Khen Quimelat (BSCS, Mambusao Satellite College)—earned third place for their innovative digital solution aimed at enhancing sustainability in agriculture. Meanwhile, the university’s AgTech team, represented by Joevann Barnuevo (Dayao Satellite College), Christian Jay Villa (BSIT, Pilar Satellite College), and Peter Emmanuel Durana (BSCS, Pontevedra Campus), also showcased their ingenuity under the guidance of their coach, Mr. Rodel Balingit.
Guiding the CAPSU delegation were RiTech Coach, Ms. Kaizell Mickhos A. Gersaniva, RiTech and AgTech Coordinator Dr. Rosel Dionio, and Chaperone Dr. Virginia G. Figueroa. Their support was instrumental in helping the students refine their concepts and deliver well-crafted digital solutions.
The competition awarded first place to iTechCare from Central Philippine University (CPU) and second place to AgriBits from Aklan State University (ASU). CAPSU’s RiTech team joined them in the top three, earning a spot in the next phase of the program.
As part of their achievement, the top three teams will advance to a one-week boot camp at ATI in Quezon City this June. The intensive training will further develop their proposed digital solutions, refining their potential for real-world application in the agriculture and fisheries sector.
Their success is a testament of the enduring initiatives of the University to innovations in agricultural science.
| via Ralph Gerard M. Cadiz, CAPSU-PIO
With information from Dr. Leo Andrew B. Biclar, Vice President for Research, Development and Extension, and Dr. Rosel L. Dionio, Head, Digitalization Office