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| (Image Source: Mindanao Times/Department Of Science And Technology - Philippines) |
The Technology Application and Promotion Institute under the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-TAPI) revealed Creative Blocks and Bihasaya as the grand winners of the 4th edition of the Gawad Alunig x Dalumat (GAxD) campaign. The campaign recognizes Filipino creatives who transformed grassroots innovation stories into compelling visual narratives that promote locally-developed technologies.
The winners were announced during DOST-TAPI’s 39th Founding Anniversary celebration held last January 30, 2026 at the Centennial Hall of The Manila Hotel. The event gathered Filipino creatives, innovators, partners, and other stakeholders. Some of DOST-TAPI’s notable partners at the event included AHB Labs, Startup QC, UPLB Technology Transfer and Business Development Office (TTBDO), and Saint Louis University (SLU) RISE Center. Creative Blocks of Davao City was named the Gawad Alunig champion, earning Php75,000 for their video entry called Taghoy. Stem UNO Productions got first runner-up honors and received Php50,000. Katig Productions of Valencia City, Bukidnon; Patak of Dagupan City, Pangasinan; and CATSU of Virac, Catanduanes were recognized as honorable mentions, each winning Php25,000. Meanwhile, Patak claimed the Gawad Alunig People’s Choice Award and received a Php20,000 cash prize. On the other hand, Bihasaya of Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu was named the Gawad Dalumat grand prize winner, clinching Php60,000 for their photo essay called I-POT: The Roots Of Tomorrow. Runner-up honors went to Patak of Pangasinan and InnovAksyon Helios of Cebu, each receiving Php25,000. Bihasaya was also hailed as one of the Best Innovation Stories. They shared this honor with JVC Hopetech of South Cotabato and NEUST-The Blaze of Nueva Ecija, earning them Php20,000 each. The Gawad Dalumat People’s Choice Award went to Patak, who received Php10,000.
Each entry was carefully deliberated by DOST-TAPI and a panel of judges composed of titans of the innovation and advertising sectors. The results and decisions of the judges and the management are final and irrevocable. The culmination event also celebrated how DOST-TAPI has been promoting the commercialization of technologies and marketing the services of other DOST operating units for nearly four decades. The 2025 GAxD campaign shifted the program’s focus from science citizen journalism to science visual storytelling. It leveraged short-form video advertisements and photo essay features to connect homegrown innovations with wider audiences. GAxD also served as a platform for the institute to search for innovative candidates who may be eligible for DOST-TAPI’s programs and services. For more information about the GAxD campaign, please visit the DOST-TAPI website (TAPI.DOST.gov.ph) and follow the DOST-TAPI Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/DOST.TAPI.
The Department of Science and Technology – Technology Application and Promotion Institute (DOST-TAPI) is among the DOST’s service agencies tasked to promote technology commercialization and innovation support services, created under the Executive Order (EO) No. 128 signed by the late former Philippine President Corazon C. Aquino on January 30, 1987. For more information about DOST-TAPI’s programs and services, you may email info@tapi.dost.gov.ph, call (02) 8582 1450 loc. 2167, or visit the official DOST-TAPI Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/DOST.TAPI.
