Pioneer PH team finalist of int’l high school robotics competition

MANILA, Philippines — For the first time, a pioneering Filipino team made it as a finalist in an international high school robotics competition.

Team Tsinelas, the first-ever FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) team from the country, became a finalist at the FRC New Taipei City Regional.

“This milestone marks a significant leap for the Filipino STEM community as they proudly represent the Philippines on the international stage,” the team said in a statement, adding that this achievement “highlights the team’s dedication and the country’s growing presence in international robotics competitions.”

“This success not only reflects the team’s technical prowess but also underscores the youth’s role in advancing the Philippines’ STEM engagement,” it continued.

Team Tsinelas was formed in 2023 by Milton Lopez, a high school sophomore who emigrated from Taiwan to Manila.

“Bringing prior FRC knowledge from Taiwan, he (Lopez) and a group of dedicated Filipino teenagers identified a gap in the Philippines’ global footprint in STEM and robotics,” the statement further said.

Their debut in the FRC Southern Cross Regional in Australia also yielded the prestigious Rookie Inspiration Award, setting the stage for their future success.

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FRC is the world’s largest high school robotics competition, with 3,300 teams and 83,000 high school students participating globally.