Nine students from Negros Occidental are heading to Chiba, Japan, to represent the province in the 2026 World Robot Games (WRG) from November 16 to 19.
Governor Eugenio Jose “Bong” Lacson, together with Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz II and Negros Occidental Language and Information Technology (IT) Center assistant department head Avelyn Marañon, met with the student-delegates and their parents at the Provincial Capitol.
During the meeting, the provincial government distributed ₱1.8 million in financial assistance to fund their participation. Each student received ₱200,000 to cover travel expenses, registration fees, accommodations, and daily allowances.
The delegates earned their spots after winning their respective categories during the Visayas leg of the National Robotics Competition 2026 last September.
The student-representatives include:
- Jhande Marie Teodosio and Joezel Articona – Ramon Torres National High School (Bago City)
- Reiniza Kate Ulgasan and Iohann Venice Navarro – Julio Ledesma National High School (San Carlos City)
- Razor Chua, Edjay Bryle Gemotra, John Dale Bangcaya, and Shantelle Kate Ballesteros – Cabacungan National High School (La Castellana)
- Deanyvien Rafaeli Paculanang – Escalante National High School (Escalante City)
The four-day international event, held at the Chiba Port Arena, will bring together students, educators, engineers, and technology innovators from across the globe. The competition features robotics challenges and collaborative learning activities designed to boost skills in programming, engineering, problem-solving, and design thinking.