BSU STUDENTS MAKE HISTORY WITH FIRST PH WIN IN GLOBAL ENERGY INNOVATION CONTEST
/ 12 October 2025
A TEAM from Batangas State University (BatStateU) made history by winning the top prize at the 2025 AAPG Sustainable Development in Energy Competition—the first-ever Philippine victory in the global event.
The team, composed of BS Chemical Engineering students MJ Rivera, Joshua Angue, Kayla De Torres, and Nessa Lane Latonio, also swept additional honors including Top Place Proposal, Precision Partner, and Voice of the Lab awards.
Held virtually from Tulsa, Oklahoma, on June 19, the competition awarded CH4GEN1 a $5,000 grand prize for their Modular & Mobile Food Waste Digester, a project that converts food scraps into clean biomethane and biofertilizer.
Their win capped off a 10-week Venture Lab program featuring expert mentoring and culminated in a final pitch against teams from countries such as India, Colombia, and Indonesia.
University President Dr. Tirso A. Ronquillo lauded the team’s triumph as a testament to Filipino ingenuity and BatStateU’s commitment to developing sustainable, real-world solutions.
“This victory showcases the ingenuity and determination of our students at BatStateU and underscores the Philippines’ rising prominence in global innovation,” said Ronquillo.
“With achievements like the CH4GEN1 project, we are empowering the next generation of innovators to develop real-world solutions that drive sustainable development and make a global impact,” he added.
