From left to right: Gimril Lozarita, Ghymes Louise Deocampo, Anna Maria Theresa Hermosa, Eumelle Jeo Mamacos, Engr. Michael Calamba, Raymond John Portos, Andrei Ronel Gambalan, Brent Balaque, Yannick Mathieu Fernandez, Ian Carl Solana, Angel Jude Josafat and Jake Lloyd Ganoy at the CYCU International Project Design Summer Camp 2026, held at Chung Yuan Christian University in Taoyuan, Taiwan.
Mapúa Malayan Colleges Mindanao (Mapúa MCM) students earned multiple distinctions for their innovative research and engineering projects during the Chung Yuan Christian University (CYCU) International Project Design Summer Camp 2026, held from July 31 to August 20, 2026, at Chung Yuan Christian University in Taoyuan, Taiwan.
The annual international academic program brought together students and faculty from partner institutions for hands-on project development, multidisciplinary research, and cross-cultural collaboration. Organized by CYCU through its College of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and College of Intelligent Computing and Quantum Information, the program focused on electrical and electronic engineering, information technology, smart computing, and related fields. Participants engaged in technical learning, laboratory activities, collaborative project development, and project competitions designed to strengthen their technical competencies, problem-solving skills, and international perspectives. CYCU reported that the 2026 program brought together more than 90 faculty members and students from Japan, the Philippines, Malaysia, the United States, and Belgium.
Dean Michael G. Calamba, Dean of the College of Engineering and Architecture, delivers his lecture titled “Ocean Renewable Energy Systems” during the CYCU International Project Design Summer Camp 2026.
The program also featured faculty participation from Mapúa MCM. Dean Michael G. Calamba, Dean of the College of Engineering and Architecture, delivered a technical lecture titled “Ocean Renewable Energy Systems” on the second day of the summer camp. His lecture explored tidal, wave, ocean current, Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC), and salinity gradient technologies, including their roles in resource conversion and grid integration, as well as technical considerations in deploying ocean-based renewable energy systems.
Representing Mapúa MCM were the 10 College of Engineering and Architecture and 1 College of Computer and Information Science (CCIS) students, who worked alongside international peers to develop projects addressing challenges in healthcare, disaster preparedness, semiconductor engineering, artificial intelligence, and digital technologies.
Among the delegation’s notable achievements were two Gold Medal Awards. Anna Maria Theresa C. Hermoso of BS Computer Engineering and Brent L. Balaque of BS Electronics Engineering received a Gold Medal for their project, “Interactive Smart Supplement Management and Storage Device.” Their team developed a functional prototype integrating pill recognition, automated dispensing and storage, and a web-based reminder and monitoring interface using PYNQ-Z2 and Arduino Mega. Through the project, Hermoso and Balaque gained hands-on experience in web interface development, hardware-software integration, troubleshooting, and prototype testing while collaborating with an international team.
Mapúa MCM student delegates Ian Carl Solana and team received gold for their collaborative research and engineering projects at the CYCU International Project Design Summer Camp 2026.
Ian Carl P. Solana of BS Computer Engineering and his team also earned a Gold Award for “FIX It Felix: The Pocket Sized Unity of Emergency Care and AI.” The project developed a multilingual disaster preparedness mobile application using Kotlin, featuring first-aid guides, evacuation shelter mapping, flood-level tracking, and Gemini-powered AI assistance. Solana shared that the project strengthened his skills in mobile application development, AI integration, interactive mapping, multilingual system design, and full-stack software development, while also sharpening his communication and problem-solving skills through international collaboration.
Ghymes Louise C. Deocampo of BS Computer Engineering and his team earned a silver Medal Award for “Silicon-based GaN UV Photodetector with Superlattice Structure.” The project investigated the effects of superlattice structures on semiconductor photodetector performance and demonstrated improvements in stress uniformity, defect density, and ultraviolet photoresponse. Through hands-on work involving Raman spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy, and I-V curve characterization, Deocampo strengthened her technical capabilities in materials characterization and semiconductor device engineering.
Andrei Ronel R. Gambalan of BS Electronics Engineering and his team received a Bronze Medal Award for “Digital Signal Processing with ADAU1701.” The project explored digital signal processing operations using SigmaStudio, including echo processing, signal-to-noise ratio evaluation, signal multiplication, and low-pass and high-pass filter design.
Ghymes Louise Deocampo and his team receive silver distinctions for their collaborative research and engineering projects at the CYCU International Project Design Summer Camp 2026.
Additional Mapúa MCM students received Excellent and Excellent Work distinctions for their respective projects. Angel Jude C. Josafat of BS Industrial Engineering received an Excellent Award for “Evaluating Visual Fatigue and Autonomic Response under Ambient Light and Display Polarity in War-Room Monitoring Tasks.” The project examined the effects of ambient lighting and display polarity on visual fatigue, cognitive performance, and autonomic responses using physiological and eye-tracking measurements. Josafat highlighted the experience as an opportunity to strengthen skills in experimental research, statistical analysis, data interpretation, presentation, teamwork, and problem-solving.
Gimril N. Lozarita, Jake Lloyd A. Ganoy of BS Computer Engineering and their team received an Excellent Work Award for “Introduction to Semiconductor Processing and Microscopic Metrology.” Their project provided hands-on exposure to semiconductor fabrication and characterization techniques, including photolithography, reactive-ion etching, vacuum deposition, and atomic force microscopy.
Andrei Gambalan and his team received bronze distinction for their collaborative research and engineering projects at the CYCU International Project Design Summer Camp 2026.
Eumelle Jeo A. Mamacos from BS Computer Engineering and his team received an Excellent Work Award for “Best Subset Selection via A Modern Optimization Lens.” The project explored advanced optimization techniques for high-dimensional datasets using Mixed Integer Optimization and GUROBI to improve computational efficiency and feature selection.
John Raymond G. Portos from BS Computer Science and his team received an Excellent Work Award for “UAVNetSim: Enhancing UAVNetSim with Advanced Routing Mechanisms.” The project implemented and evaluated routing protocols for unmanned aerial vehicle communication networks, examining indicators such as packet delivery ratio, end-to-end delay, routing load, and collisions.
Yannick Mathieu C. Fernandez of BS Industrial Engineering and his team also received an Excellent Work Award for “GoGo 狗狗 RETRIEVER: A Webduino-Powered Intelligent Companion for Medication Reminder and Assistance.” The project developed a portable smart medication dispenser designed to assist elderly users through scheduled dispensing, LED indicators, and buzzer alerts.
Angel Jude Josafat and his team received Excellent Work distinction for their collaborative research and engineering projects at the CYCU International Project Design Summer Camp 2026.
The Mapúa MCM delegation joined participants from CYCU, the University of Santo Tomas, Kansai University, the University of Malaya, and Chiba University, creating opportunities for international knowledge exchange and multidisciplinary collaboration. The experience reflects Mapúa MCM’s continued efforts to provide students with international learning opportunities that complement classroom instruction through research, experiential learning, and engagement with global academic communities. The institution’s Center for International Programs supports international academic activities and student mobility programs designed to develop globally aware students.
Through their award-winning projects and participation in the CYCU International Project Design Summer Camp 2026, Mapúa MCM students demonstrated their ability to apply technical knowledge to real-world challenges while working across disciplines and cultures. Their achievements contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being through healthcare and medication-related innovations; SDG 4: Quality Education through international experiential learning and research; SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy through work related to ocean renewable energy systems; SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure through engineering, semiconductor, AI, and digital technology projects; SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities through disaster preparedness and public safety solutions; and SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals through collaboration among international academic institutions.