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MANILA, Philippines — Young innovators and industry leaders came together at Ergoneering 2025: SustainX to highlight the vital role of ergonomics and sustainability in design. The event showcased how thoughtful, human-centered solutions can enhance everyday experiences while addressing pressing environmental challenges.
Organized by the Industrial Design Program of De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde, in partnership with the De La Salle University–College of Engineering and the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society of the Philippines, the two-day event gathered experts, students and practitioners to explore the integration of sustainable principles into design practice.
A series of lectures from a roster of esteemed specialists provided valuable insights into how sustainability can be seamlessly integrated into various fields.
Tina Sabarre, HIBLATECH startup founder, commercial leader and Women’s Leadership Initiative Philippines executive, imparted key observations on enterprise management and an entrepreneurial mindset toward impactful solutions. She introduced the company’s thrust of producing natural fibers by combining nature’s resources with technology.
Equipped with over 20 years of experience, Andrew Thatcher, University of Witwatersrand Industrial/Organizational chair and professor, International Ergonomics Association president and Ergonomics editor-in-chief, expounded on ergonomics, human factors and sustainability in theoretical approaches and empirical studies.
Ferdinand Raquelsantos, certified manufacturing engineer and Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines founder and chairman emeritus, likewise imparted decades’ worth of wisdom in the electric automotive industry.
The second day turned the spotlight on Margarita Viray, a Benilde Industrial Design homegrown talent and a furniture designer at Triboa Bay Living. She walked the audience through her creative journey, how she applies design thinking in merging artistic sensibilities from nature illustrations with visual communication skills from graphic design in her wood-based furniture and how she creates artful and functional pieces.
Original designs were made for the competition, including 3D-printed medals for judges, winners and speakers designed by Benilde Industrial Design students Quinn Tenaga and Christien Lorenzo, and printed by Michael Abajon.
Dr. Anthony James Bautista, who is behind the Logistics Indoor Service Assistant Robot from the University of Santo Tomas, likewise discussed the design process of the low-cost and easy-to-develop telepresence robot.
Among the highlights was the ProductX competition, which challenged participants from different schools and colleges to conceptualize original and novel solutions with sustainability as the core criterion.
Among the eight finalists, B2B — an ergonomic and sustainable office chair which alleviates back pain and pressure through a footrest that can be transformed into a chest rest — nabbed the top prize. It was created by Anne Trisha Bote and Patricia Denise dela Cruz of Benilde’s Team TnP.
Recycled Insulation Board, a practical solution to textile pollution by recycling old garments into effective insulation boards, was hailed as the first runner-up. It was pitched by Earlbert Jove Dee and Jan Raphael Tolentino of Benilde’s Team E.R.
Meanwhile, Aero-Chap, a portable and eco-friendly nebulizer kit with a dual-power system, landed as the second runner-up. It was the brainchild of Neth Mijares and Andrea Tapayan of Benilde’s Team &A.
The Special Citation Award was given to Bambience, a bamboo-made solar-powered insect light trap, by Rina Marie Fiestada, Peniel Ruth Grefalda, Herica Shane Gallora, Raniel Cabalfin and Rusell Jade Tan of Technological Institute of the Philippines and Don Bosco’s Team Synergy.
Cash prizes and McDonald’s gift certificates were granted to the winners, with support from Smart Communications Inc. and HFESP.
The entries were meticulously screened by a panel of esteemed experts, including DLSU Industrial and Systems Engineering associate professor Zeke Bernardo, PhD, who specializes in Affective Design, HCI and Explainable AI; Center for Micro Hydro Technology for Rural Electrification director Isidro Marfori, who likewise serves as the technical head of the DLSU solar car projects and the founder of NYFTI bicycles; and Benilde Industrial Design faculty member and design consultant Noel Nikko Cagurangan.
