Speech by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. at the 2026 National Invention Contest and Exhibits (NICE) Awards

Thank you very much, our DOST Secretary, Secretary Renato Solidum Jr. [Please be seated.]

The National Invention Contest and Exhibits awardees, who we’re very, very happy to welcome to Malacañan Palace. And of course with my — congratulations because I can tell that the – I saw the briefer that they gave me about some of the inventions that were awarded and I have to say that they are all extremely practical. They can be taken to market rather quickly and that is always a very important part. It’s all very well having a beautiful invention that does wonderful things but cannot be afforded by anybody, that cannot be mass produced, that you need an engineering degree to operate. But your inventions are quite the opposite. So, well done. I’m very happy to welcome you here today.

My fellow workers in government; all other distinguished guests; ladies and gentlemen.

Good afternoon.

I am certainly very happy to be with you for the 2026 National Invention Contest and Exhibits, or NICE Awards.

We take pride in recognizing the creativity and ingenuity of Filipino inventors.

I must say, it is always a privilege to be in the company of Filipinos who see possibilities where others only see limitations, who continue to create despite the challenges that are before them.

Hindi naman maikakaila na mahirap ang paglikha.

Maraming pagsubok ang kailangang lampasan tulad ng kakulangan sa pondo at limitadong access sa makabagong teknolohiya.

Ngunit, higit pa rito, ang tunay na hamon ay kung paano ito madadala sa merkado upang mapakinabangan kaagad ng nakararami.

As President, I do not accept that there should be an uncertain future for our inventors. They have world-changing ideas and we must watch them – we cannot watch them wither on the vine due to lack of institutional support.

And this is why I have given instructions to the Department of Science and Technology and all other relevant government agencies to strengthen financial and technical support for our inventors.

Through our various programs, we have been ensuring the availability of research and development grants and protecting the intellectual property rights of our inventors. These should help you transform your innovative ideas into startups and accelerate the adoption and commercialization of those inventions.

Hangad natin na mabigyan ng sapat na suporta ang bawat makabuluhang ideya upang ito ay mapakinabangan ng lipunan.

The NICE, organized by the DOST-Technology Application and Promotion Institute, is more than just a competition. It serves as a platform for discovering and supporting Filipino talent.

In this year’s national competition, we selected 28 finalists out of 764 entries nationwide. It just goes to show that there is a large pool of talent out there that we can tap.

I have the honor today to award the winners of the 2026 NICE Awards:

Under the Tuklas Award for outstanding inventions, we recognize inventions such as a compact neutron radiation measuring device and an affordable herbal cream for treating viral skin conditions, whose raw material is kasoy. I did not… I realize… I was quite surprised to find out that kasoy has this medicinal quality. Apparently it’s know to… Ang sabi sa atin eh matagal ng ginagamit ng ating mga katutubo ito. But you know it is a very, very…It’s a remarkable achievement to go through the testing and to find a practical use for it that can be used in our every lives.

For the Banghay Award for outstanding industrial design, there was also – there is an award for a multi-grain precision seeder with fertilizer applicator. And the surprising facet, the aspect of the seeder and fertilizer applicator is generally speaking when you have these kinds of machines, they have to be connected to a very large powerful tractor. Ito puwede sa kuliglig, which is highly applicable to the Filipino experience. So, we don’t need to have those large tractors so that our farmers can avail and increase their efficiency in their very hard work as farmers.

And under the Likha Award for outstanding creative research, we present an on-site African Swine Fever detection system. And extremely important invention, simply because it is an issue that we have been facing, that has affected so much of our food supply. And the acceleration provided by having this detection system will go a very long way into solving, mitigating the problem of swine flu.

And for the Sibol Award for outstanding student creative research, we recognize an AI-powered optical chick counting device. And this is something again that is going to be so practical and so useful for our livestock supply. And this is something that we worry about. And it is also good to see that you are beginning to adopt – or trust the students to be the one to do it – to adopt AI. Already AI as we all know has seeped into, has crept into most of the facets of our lives. And to see even in this application that AI has its uses. So, again, well done.

Because these are precisely the kinds of innovations that we seek, ones that offer solutions to real-world challenges and improve the lives of our fellow Filipinos.

Nakatutuwang sabihin na sa mga imbensyon at pananaliksik na inyong pinaghirapan ay makikita natin ang sipag, ang talento, at talino ng mga Pinoy.

And to our awardees, this recognition reflects the depth of your work and your persistence in bringing your ideas to life.

As we all know – as I’m sure you have experienced, persistence is a large part of the whole process. Anong sabi ni Thomas Edison, genius is – no… Having a good invention – when he invented the light bulb – he says it’s one percent genius and 99 percent perspiration. So, that’s what you needed and that’s what you have demonstrated.

But beyond the monetary prizes and the accolades that you will receive, you gain greater visibility and opportunities to bring your innovations to the market and to a wide market.

And I say that because this is only the beginning.

Beyond this stage, we remain committed to helping you navigate the path forward, linking you to financial and technical support through DOST-TAPI’s programs and services, including assistance for intellectual property protection. We all know that this is a very important part of the whole process of creativity that the intellectual property must be protected to incentivize those of you with the talent and the persistence to continue in your work. We are also going to help support the technology development including financing, commercialization, and even international exposure. International exposure has become relatively easy now with the advent of the internet. And digitalization is going to open so many different markets, so many different opportunities. And we, in government, would like to be part of that opportunity that you will gain from using the internet to bring your products, to bring your inventions to a larger audience, a larger market.

Through these efforts, we aim to ensure that your innovations move forward to create a real and lasting impact.

With more developed industries, we can create more opportunities and access more tools that will make our lives easier.

So please rest assured that your government will always stand with you, ready to support you on your journey.

Once again, congratulations to all the winners. May your work inspire others to think outside the box and change the lives of our people, one invention at a time.

To every Filipino, let us all continue dreaming and follow their example. Continue dreaming and never stop creating.

Naniniwala ako na ang inyong mga imbensyon ay may kakayahang magbago ng buhay at sa ganoon ng bansa.

Because the future is not merely a time that is yet to come, it is something that we have to build through determination, through thinking ahead, through discipline to see things through, and the will to begin again even when we fail.

Maraming salamat po.

Mabuhay ang Pilipinong imbentor.

Mabuhay ang Bagong Pilipinas. [applause]

— END —