Six Pinoy students win intl tilt with chalk from eggshells, taro hotdog

Six high school students have advanced to the regional finals of an international competition — the FedEx Express/Junior Achievement (JA) International Trade Challenge (ITC) — with unique products that include taro hotdog and chalk made from eggshells.

The regional finals will be held in Hong Kong from August 26 to 29.

The six winning students included:

 

Team 1

Colegio de San Juan de Letran

Jann Ankaa Samantha Jumamil

Ma. Teresita Andrea Gonzales

Product: Glowee Shoe Polish (made from banana peeling)

 

Team 2

Manila Science High School

Alyssa Anne Arcayena

Mary Joy Dimatatac

Product: Chalkie Talkie (chalk made from eggshells)

 

Team 3

St. Jude Catholic School

Marvin Kaiser Sy

Lance Yeung

Product: Eddo Gabi (Taro Hotdog)

 

They presented their winning market-entry strategies in the recently concluded FedEx/JA ITC Philippines competition at Miriam College in Quezon City.

 

Out of 240 participants, only 10 teams of two participants each were selected to present their plans to a panel of judges during the Philippine leg of the competition.

 

The teams were asked to develop a product and create an original international marketing plan for an overseas market.

 

The winners were chosen for their understanding of the significance of market research, creativity, planning, and entrepreneurial skills in entering new markets

 

The three winning teams from the Philippines will compete against 24 other teams from Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

 

To prepare for the finals, FedEx employees mentored the budding entrepreneurs by giving them an overview of international trade and tips on how to improve their presentation skills.

 

The ITC is sponsored by FedEx, one of the world’s largest transportation company and organized by JA Philippines.

 

It is designed to help students learn about international trade. It provides them with an opportunity to set up a mock business and develop a plan to export a product to an overseas market.

 

The ITC also aims to educate and inspire young people in the Asia Pacific countries showing them how entrepreneurship can improve the quality of their lives and community.

 

Ingenious creations

 

According to a news release on the website of the Colegio de San Juan de Letran, Team 1's “Glowee Shoe Polish” is purely made from biodegradable materials like banana peeling. 

Jumamil and Gonzales explained to the judges that the biodegradeable materials make their product safe, nature-friendly, and economical.

 

“We believe in our product. It has high quality, thus very effective and yet affordable,” Gonzales said.

 

The panel of eight judges tested the product by applying a portion to a leather bag, which became shiny after a few minutes.

 

“We went there in the grand presentation to convince the judges that our product will be worth buying and will be a boost to the country’s economy because we plan to export it eventually to neighboring Asian countries,” Gonzales said. - VVP, GMA News