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 GAxD winners received medals, certificates, and cash prizes for their respective awards.
The winners were announced during DOST-TAPI’s 39th founding anniversary celebration on 30 January 2026 at the Centennial Hall of The Manila Hotel in Manila City. The event gathered Filipino creatives, innovators, partners, and other stakeholders. Among DOST-TAPI’s notable partners were AHB Labs, Startup QC, the UPLB Technology Transfer and Business Development Office (TTBDO), and the Saint Louis University RISE Center.
In the photo (left to right): Atty. Marion Ivy D. Decena (DOST-TAPI Director), Gawad Alunig grand winners George Sumanday, Natalie Rose Pimentel, John Carlou Romanos (Creative Blocks), and Mr. Vonn Vincent Tanchuan (Gawad Alunig judge).
Creative Blocks of Davao City was named Gawad Alunig champion, earning PHP 75,000 for their video entry, Taghoy. Stem UNO Productions received first runner-up honors and PHP 50,000. Katig Productions of Valencia City, Bukidnon; Patak of Dagupan City, Pangasinan; and CATSU of Virac, Catanduanes were recognized as honorable mentions, each winning PHP 25,000. Meanwhile, Patak also claimed the Gawad Alunig People’s Choice Award and received a PHP 20,000 cash prize.
In the photo (left to right): Atty. Marion Ivy D. Decena (DOST-TAPI Director) with Gawad Dalumat grand winners Bihasaya composed of Jannah Pauline B. Jimenez, Lean Randolf C. Locson, and JenJen Faith G. Igoy.
Bihasaya of Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu was named the Gawad Dalumat grand prize winner, clinching PHP 60,000 for their photo essay, I-POT: The Roots of Tomorrow. Runner-up honors went to Patak of Pangasinan and InnovAksyon Helios of Cebu, each receiving PHP 25,000. Bihasaya was also hailed as one of the Best Innovation Stories, sharing the recognition with JVC Hopetech of South Cotabato and NEUST-The Blaze of Nueva Ecija, earning PHP 20,000 each. The Gawad Dalumat People’s Choice Award went to Patak, which received PHP 10,000.
Each entry was carefully deliberated by DOST-TAPI and a panel of judges composed of leaders from the innovation and advertising sectors. The results and decisions of the judges and management are final and irrevocable. The culmination event also highlighted DOST-TAPI’s nearly four decades of promoting technology commercialization and marketing the services of other DOST operating units.
Program shifts to visual storytelling
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 identify innovative candidates who may be eligible for DOST-TAPI’s programs and services.
For more information about the GAxD campaign, visit the DOST-TAPI website and follow its official Facebook page.
The Department of Science and Technology – Technology Application and Promotion Institute (DOST-TAPI) is among the DOST’s service agencies tasked with promoting technology commercialization and innovation support services. It was created under Executive Order No. 128 on 30 January 1987.
For more information about DOST-TAPI’s programs and services, email info@tapi.dost.gov.ph or call (02) 8582 1450 loc. 2167, or visit the official DOST-TAPI Facebook page.
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