DAVAO DEL NORTE, April 18 (PIA): One of the seven Filipino high school student participants to the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) hails from Panabo City, Davao del Norte.
Judel Jay A. Tabsing, a 16-year old- fourth- year- high-school student of the Panabo National High School will join six other Filipino high school students to the Intel ISEF which will be held in Phoenix Convention Center, Arizona, U.S.A. on May 12 to 17.
Other Filipino contingent members to the Intel ISEF 2013 are from Oriental Mindoro (two students), La Union (three students), and from Taguig (one student).
The only son of Julie T. Tabsing and Edilita A. Tabsing, the Panaboan ISEF participant has passed the rigors of science fair competitions at the district schools and regional levels, and then landed top ten during the National Science and Technology Fair held in Las Pinas City on Nov. 28, 2012, organized by the Department of Education (DepEd).
Tabsing has gained the merits of qualifying for the Intel ISEF 2013 through his research study entitled “Impatiens Balsamina (Kamantigue) Leaf Extract as Potential Organic-based Fungicide against Fusarium Oxysporum (FSP) Cubense Tropical Race 4 Causing Fusarium Wilt of Banana.”
In last year’s National Science and Technology Fair, he landed top 3 in Life Science Category, Cluster II (Science Schools), and grabbed the international science special award called Ricoh Sustainable Development Award.
He was eventually recommended by the DepEd national office to join the Intel ISEF 2013 during which some 1,500 other scientific research studies will also be presented.
“At Intel ISEF, he will defend his research study before scientists and academe experts who will be there to know the veracity of his study, and to know how he has performed his experiment,” coach Mervin Salmon said.
Tabsing revealed having conducted his study at TADECO Plant Pathology Laboratory based in Panabo City where he found out that Kamantigue’s anti-microbial properties and chemicals such as flavonoids, steroids and phenolic compounds have the potential to eradicate fusarium wilt in bananas.
He, however, said his laboratory discovery currently undergoes further development and will eventually be applied for field testing.
“It’s a safe organic fungicide against fusarium wilt,” he said.
He was driven to conduct a research study on eradicating fusarium wilt at the time when such fungus infected some banana plantations in nearby municipality of Sto. Tomas.
He had known in doing his background of his study that fusarium wilt especially the fungal strain called “tropical race four”, is the most devastating disease as it attacks nearly all known banana variety including Cavendish commonly grown in Davao del Norte for exports. (PIA XI/ Jeanevive Duron-Abangan)
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