Two home‑grown Filipino breakthroughs focused on healthcare access and sustainable sanitation have been recognized at this year’s Alfredo M. Yao (AMY) Innovation Awards, held at the Manila Hotel during the 52nd Philippine Business Conference and Expo. Organized by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the annual awards highlight socially relevant inventions from student and professional innovators that can drive national economic development.
The collegiate category award went to Jose Gian Tubera of Angeles University Foundation for Agapita, an offline sketch‑to‑speech system for stroke survivors with Broca’s aphasia. The tool turns hand‑drawn patient sketches into clear spoken requests, helping fill gaps amid the country’s shortage of speech pathologists with a low‑cost, internet‑free communication aid for healthcare settings.
In the professional category, Dr. Francis Aldrine Uy of USHER Technologies Inc. received recognition for HOCLOMAC, a portable hypochlorous acid generator that produces safe disinfectants through electrolysis using easily sourced materials. The scalable device supports sanitation for hospitals, schools, and farms while lowering operational costs and cutting plastic waste.
AMY Award chairman Antonio Sayo said the winning projects show how Filipino ingenuity delivers practical, life‑changing solutions for communities. Through the awards, PCCI reaffirmed its goal to champion research and entrepreneurship that boost Philippine competitiveness and inclusive, sustainable growth across industries.
Vice President Sara Duterte, together with PCCI and Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines officials, presented the citations during the ceremony.
